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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A Little Insurance and Preventive Action Offer a Lot of Protection Against Sewer Related Damage
If you’re a homeowner, here’s one of the worst nightmares you can experience. Torrential downpours deluge your property and neighborhood with rainwater, overwhelming your home’s sewer system or your sump pump’s ability to handle the water runoff. The next thing you know, you have raw sewage backing up into your home’s drains, overflowing toilets and tubs or flooding your basement. A backed up sewer can do a real number on your home, causing thousands of dollars in damage to floors, walls, furniture carpeting and electrical systems, as well as pose a major health hazard.
No problem. You’ve got insurance, right? Not so fast. According to the Insurance Information Institute, most sewer system backups are not covered under a typical homeowners insurance policy, nor are they covered by flood insurance.
Uh-oh.
For homes that have been severely damaged
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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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Get Educated to Prevent Potential Home Disaster
There are a number of things that you have in your home that could potentially explode. Whilst most of the time they don’t of course, it is always sensible to know what they are so that you can prevent this sort of disaster.
Gas Grills
Every year 6,000 gas grills explode. These explosions can cause severe injuries and even death. Before using a gas grill you should read the safety instructions carefully. Always get the grill inspected and maintained regularly and have any damaged parts replaced immediately. Check that propane tanks are not dented or damaged and are not stored near any heat sources.
Gas Leaks
Gas leaks causing an explosion are fortunately very rare but when they do happen the results can be deadly. The first indication of danger is the smell of the leaking gas. Any such smell should be reported immediately. Gas appliances should be serviced and inspected regularly
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Minimize the Risk of Freezing and Bursting Pipes
Every winter when the temperatures drop your water pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting. There are a number of things you can do to minimize the risk of this happening. The first thing to do is get to know where the vulnerable areas in your home are, such as where pipes run outside the house and the coldest places in the house, which are usually outside walls, unheated rooms and basements and crawl spaces. Then get to work waterproofing and leak-proofing. Check where there are drafts of cold air round chimneys and flues and caulk and seal these.
Seal Air Leaks
Seal off air leaks. If you have a crawl space or a window that isn’t perfectly sealed then cold air can seep in; pipes near this cold area are more likely to freeze.
Locate Water Shut-off Valves
You need to know where the water shut-off valve is in your home as if the worst happens and a pipe does freeze or burst you can turn
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