Tips and Tricks for Free-Flowing Sewer Drains
A clogged sewer drain is no picnic. Chemical drain cleaners can be effective, but they emit harsh fumes and can actually damage your plumbing if not used properly. Here’s a quick guide to help you with drain cleaning without the use of chemicals.
Understand The System
The most important part of clearing a blocked sewer drain is identifying which part of the drainage system is clogged. Inside your home, there are several small waste removal pipes that feed directly into the larger main sewer line. This main line takes waste water out of your house and deposits it into your septic tank or municipal sewer. Most homes have a line that carries waste from the kitchen sink and toilets and a line that carries waste from showers, tubs and bathroom sinks.
Clearing a Slow Drain
If you’re dealing with a slow-moving drain, it’s likely that whatever is blocking the pipe is caught in the drain trap
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Tips and Tricks for Cleaning a Smelly Drain
Unless you have figured out a way to never use your kitchen sink, you most probably deal with unpleasant drain odors from time to time. The bad news is that kitchen sink drains smell; the good news is that you do not need harsh chemicals to get rid of odors, and you can actually prevent most bad smells before they even start.
Baking Soda to the Rescue
Simple baking soda is a time-honored way for drain cleaning. A cup of baking soda is all you need. Pour it into the drain and let it sit for about 20 minutes, then heat a large pan of water to boil and drain it into the sink to flush down the baking soda. If you have a garbage disposal, remove the plastic guard and clean it thoroughly with soap and warm water. The baking soda and hot water should help clean the pipes attached to the drain as well.
Deodorize Your Drains
You can keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh by dropping a commercial
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Don’t Get Left in the Cold with a Plumbing Emergency!
It’s a new year. Winter has officially arrived. Already, most of the nation has experienced has experienced an episode or two of nasty winter weather…including cold temperatures. Unfortunately, winter is also the time when your home is most prone to plumbing problems — both routine and outright disasters.
Most of the more serious winter plumbing problems — like cracked, burst and frozen pipes — should be left to the plumbing experts. But as homeowners, there are plenty of things we can do ourselves to prevent these plumbing mishaps and to ensure that our home plumbing systems work as efficiently as possible all winter long. A regular round of checks and some preventive steps can be easily carried out to help maintain the long-term optimal working of your plumbing system and save on costly plumbing repair bills.
It’s Always Wise to Winterize!
If you didn’t do it before winter arrived, make sure
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Plumbing, Drain and Sewer Line Disasters = A Not-So-Merry Christmas and Unhappy New Year
The holidays are upon us, and along with all the joy comes an increased risk of serious plumbing emergencies. The sudden influx of people visiting your home can put unexpected pressure on your plumbing system – more washing, more bathing, more flushing, and more things going down the drain or garbage disposal.
Winter is usually a busy season for plumbers. On the day after Christmas alone, plumbing contractors in the Delaware Valley — including Horizon Services, Inc. — report a jump in business of 20 to 40 percent over a normal day. We get so absorbed in holiday celebrations that we often don’t consider the strain that these parties and out-of-town guests can put on our home’s plumbing.
By taking a few simple precautions, you can dramatically reduce the chances that your plumber will be the guest of honor at your next holiday party. Here’s what you
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Risks and Dangers with Chemical Drain Cleaners
Chemical drain cleaners are useful for clearing all sorts of tough clogs. However there are a variety of risks and dangers with using these chemicals to clear your drains. Many of these chemicals emit harsh fumes that can be harmful if they are inhaled. Many can burn and scar if they come in contact with your skin. And they can damage clothing, floors, counters…even your pipes themselves if not used properly. The following tips will help you use these drain cleaners safely..
Avoid the Most Harmful Cleaners
Some chemical drain de-clogging agents use lye or acid. These harsh chemicals are not only harmful to your health, but they can also contaminate waste water and cause damage to PVC piping. If you must use a cleaner with acid or lye, be sure to wear gloves and a protective mask. Ventilate the room as much as possible, and store them properly when you’re finished—opt for cleaners with a child-proof
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We Separate the Minor Inconveniences from the Major Headaches!Got a backed up or slow moving drain? A toilet that won’t flush? Waste water that comes back up your sink, shower or tub drains? A foul smell in your yard or basement? JOIN THE CLUB! As the weather gets cooler, we at Horizon Services usually begin to see an increase in drain, sewer and water line service calls. For many homeowners, the recent intense rainfall and flood conditions in the Mid-Atlantic states — particularly our service area of Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland — have brought latent drain, sewer and water line problems that have been lurking invisibly in the shadows out into the open in a very dramatic fashion.Face it…there are many things that can go wrong with your home’s drain, sewer and water line system. For example, years of accumulated waste can cause major obstructions in pipes and lines. Old pipes and seals can
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Tips on Avoiding Common Household Drain ProblemsClogs in toilets, sinks, tubs and other fixtures and appliances may seem to come out of the blue, but they just don’t happen without a reason. Nine times out of ten, they were caused by you and your family not paying attention to what or how much you are putting down your drains. But by staying alert and following these incredibly easy tips, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of experiencing a clogged drain in your home.Avoiding Clogged Toilets:To help prevent clogged toilets, keep in mind that the toilet is not a trash can. Food is never to be flushed down a toilet — especially greasy or fibrous foods. Cigarette butts are another major no-no; they can easily get stuck in the nooks and crannies of your drain system.Think paper products are OK? With the exception of toilet paper, the anwer is NO. Soap wrappers or women’s sanitary products should never
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When You Use a Store-Bought Drain Cleaning Solution, You Could Be Playing With Fire!Dealing with a clogged pipe or slow-moving drain rates pretty high on the “ick” scale for many homeowners. Seeking ways to clear clogs without actually having to touch any undesirable substances, most of us reach for commercial chemical drain cleaning solutions. But while these over-the-counter liquid drain cleaners may be affordable and easy to use, they can ruin your plumbing, cause physical injury to you or your pets, and may actually do more harm than good if used incorrectly.Most drain or pipe clogs are caused by hair, grease, soap, human waste, or other debris that collects in the plumbing. Store-bought chemical drain cleaners work on clogs by creating heat that dissolves the blockage. However, if the substance gets on porcelain, stainless steel,
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Floor and shower drains are designed to withstand far more abuse than sink and toilet drains. However, drains in floors and showers are also more likely to accumulate the kind of debris that commonly forms clogs. Hair, bits of soap, shampoo residue, and other waste materials get caught just below the surface of the drain and can be hard to remove.Shower drains — whether in standing-only showers or tub and shower combinations — may be the most frequent clogged drains in your house. With daily use, hair and other materials get caught in the drain and collect. Chances are if your shower is clogged it’s because of hair. The easiest way to try to get rid of the blockage is to pour a common, over-the-counter hair removal product like Nair or Vet down the drain. The depilatory will dissolve the hair and clear the clog. You can also try a simple solution of baking soda and plain white vinegar to dissolve the blockage. These solutions
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Get the Lead Out…More Plumbing Contractors are Pushing Plastic Piping Than Ever Before!
Remember that famous line from The Graduate? “I only have one word for you, Ben…plastics.” These days, plastics has become THE WORD when it comes to pipe material for your home’s plumbing, drain and sewer line systems.
We all know that lead pipes are bad. Thankfully, most new homes and remodeled plumbing systems now use alternatives including copper, bronze, and iron pipes. Plastic pipes are yet another option that is quickly gaining popularity with homeowners and plumbing contractors.
Plastic piping is versatile. They can be made virtually without joints, which means no leaks, easy installation, less maintenance, and fewer problems down the road.
Because it’s so adaptable, plastic plumbing is generally cheaper than other options and you can save significantly on labor and installation charges.
Extensive
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