Drain Clogs & Home Remedies

If you haven’t heard us say it before, the number one thing you should know when it comes to clogged drains: IS TO STAY AWAY FROM CHEMICAL DRAIN CLEANERS!  That doesn’t mean you need to give your plumber a call every time you get a clog though.  There are actually quite a few home remedies that work well, none of which involve harsh chemicals, yet most of which will work just as good as any retail chemical drain cleaner.  These are our top 3…

 

  1. A good ole’ handy dandy plunger:  It’s not just for toilets!

When our customers think of a toilet clog, they automatically grab a plunger, which is actually the right thing to do!  However, when a bathroom sink, shower, or tub drain gets clogged we suddenly lose control and instead of calling a plumber, are quick to grab some chemical pollutants to try and make it right.  Wrong!  Just grab your plunger!  4 out of 5 times a plunger works great at pulling hair and scum out of a bathroom drain.  Try it out!

  1. Baking soda and vinegar: Making volcanoes in the bathroom!

Similar to chemical drain cleaners, mixing baking soda and vinegar causes a chemical reaction, which we have all seen in old childhood experiments of exploding volcanos.  Unlike chemical drain cleaners, however, baking soda and vinegar are not harsh chemicals, and instead of eating away at the hair and scum in your drains, together they help loosen the particles that are stuck in the drain, in order to help clear them away.  This process often has to be repeated a few times, but try it!  Pour 1 tablespoon of baking soda down the drain, followed by about 2 cups of vinegar.  Let it set for about 5 minutes and then follow it with 1 quart of boiling hot water.

  1. Dish soap and hot water: It says degreaser for a reason!

Everyday liquid dish soap is a great way to cut through kitchen drain clogs often caused by grease buildup.  The best dish soap is one that contains a “DEGREASER” which it will usually say on the bottle.  Our favorite is the blue Dawn dish soap.  Approximately 2 tablespoons of Dawn followed by 1 quart of boiling hot water repeated 2-3 times will usually do the trick.  Try it out!

 

If none of these recommendations work, or if more than one drain is clogged in your home at the same time, you might be facing a bit of a deeper issue and we recommend that you stop all water usage in your home and give us a call immediately!  We’re always here to help!

Chemical Drain Cleaners: A Big No-No!

Let us get straight to the point here: Whether liquid, gel, or powder form, there is nothing good about chemical drain cleaners.  Period.  They are advertised to give you a “quick fix” for those pesky drain clogs, but what else do they really do?  We shall explain.

Generally speaking, there are two types of retail drain cleaners sold at the majority of local supermarkets and drug stores across America.  They are either caustic drain cleaners or oxidizing drain cleaners.  (Other types of drain cleaners are generally much more powerful and are not sold to the open public.)  Without getting too “in-depth” for this article, we will quickly explain the two.  Caustic drain cleaners contain chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and lye, which help create reactions to break down substances like grease into water-soluble soap-like substances, which will generally help clear most grease clogs.  Oxidizing drain cleaners contain such chemicals as peroxide and hydrochloride (more commonly known as household bleach), which cause the organic material of any clog to break apart, which helps with hair clogs and other types of clogs made up of organic material.

So what’s the problem?  They both sound like they will work just fine.  Well, what these “quick fix” drain cleaners don’t tell you (out loud at least), is how harmful these substances really are and what else they do to your drains besides clearing the clog.  These drain cleaners are made of extremely harsh chemicals, and once they meet with the materials found in most household clogs and drain pipes, begin a chemical reaction that releases heat and many different gases into the air that are extremely hazardous to your health and the health of the environment.  Not only that, but this type of reaction causes the inside of your drain pipes to corrode and deteriorate with time which can eventually make matters much worse than just a simple clog.

Sound bad enough?  Well wait, there’s more!  Chemical drain cleaners can also be extremely harmful to septic tanks, as they destroy many of the beneficial bacteria needed to keep these tanks maintained.  They are also so harsh that if accidentally spilled, leaked, or splashed they can tarnish bathroom fixtures, tiles, flooring, and even eat away at cloth and other material.  They can cause major skin irritation and burns and even blindness if splashed in the eye.  The worst part is, they are not even guaranteed to always work!  First, these drain cleaners must be located close enough to the blockage for them to be able to create a reaction with the material of the clog to make it work.  (Which means, if the water is backed up or standing still, you should not use these cleaners.)  If it doesn’t, you’re stuck with a sink or tub full of extremely harsh chemicals with no way out.  If you decide to call a plumber at this point, the cost, whether explained to you or not, is usually a bit higher, since now the plumber also has to deal with these harsh chemicals as well.  (Not many plumbing companies would tell you that, but we like our customers to be informed.)

On the other hand, if they do start to work, it will take some time, and the time that it does take, these chemicals will also begin eating away at your pipes.  Usually, in these cases, the clog will only partially clear and your drain will begin to flow again, but what is left of the clog, the materials that the drain cleaner did not react with, will remain in the drain.  These remains will sit, waiting to catch more debris, which is why in most cases when using chemical drain cleaners, the clog will return!

At Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer, we strongly recommend against these types of chemical drain cleaners.  There are many much less harmful home remedies that are out there that you can try instead (a few which we will explain in our May 2012 Tip-of-the-Month: Drain Clogs & Home Remedies).  However, if all else fails, you always know we are always here to offer you just as quick of a fix, with less than half the headaches, and always at our DCP guaranteed reasonable prices!

Prevent the Number One Cause for Household Clogs for Only $2

Having to call a plumber once a month to unclog a toilet, sink or shower can become very time-consuming, frustrating, and not to mention, very expensive!  There are actually quite a few causes for clogged drains, such as grease build-up, soap scum, foreign objects, food, etc, but do you know what the number one cause for household clogs actually is?  Did you already guess?

Yup, that’s right!  It’s hair!  Fallen hair during a shower or brushing over the sink is the number one cause of household drain clogs!  We don’t often think about it, but when you begin to see your drains begin to slow, it’s probably your best bet!  Using a liquid drain cleaner is never the right solution (not even for a grease or soap scum clog), your best deal comes right from your local hardware, housewares, grocery market, or even discount store!  It’s called a drain strainer and they normally only cost about $2!!  Think of all of the money you could save!  So go now and outfit your entire home with drain strainers, don’t forget the kitchen sink too!

To Repair Or To Replace? When It Comes To Water Heaters, That Is The Question

Let’s face it, our water heaters are just one of those things that we take for granted on a daily basis.  When we wake up in the morning we expect to have hot water for our nice morning showers.  The maintenance of our water heaters is the last thing on our minds and is virtually irrelevant to the mighty list of to-do’s we have to get done by the end of the day.  However, when what we have come to expect fails to show and we step foot into an icy shower, are stuck with soap in our hair, or wake up to a flood, we know we’ve got a problem.  How could it be?  Something is wrong with the water heater and it’s time to face that dreaded question: to repair or to replace?

To Repair Or To Replace A Water Heater

Here are 4 questions whose answers can make this decision a whole lot easier for you:

IS IT STILL UNDER WARRANTY?

If so, then your choice is easy.  Just call the manufacturer and explain the issue.  Often they will easily send you the replacement parts; however, you are generally on your own to get them installed.  A local plumber would be more than happy to take care of this for you for a minimum fee.  This should help expand the lifespan of your tank, which leads us to our next questions…

HOW OLD IS THE UNIT?

The average lifespan of a conventional tank water heater is roughly around 7-10 years.  However, this greatly depends on the water quality in your area.  When it comes to the age of your unit and deciding whether to repair or to replace it, it comes down to weighing your options.  We recommend calling a professional and asking for a repair estimate.  Usually the closer your water heater is to its expected lifespan, the more likely it would be in your best interest to replace it, but generally, this will lead you to our next question…

HOW BAD IS THE PROBLEM?

Since conventional water heaters are pretty simple devices, there are really only a few things that can go wrong.  For example, the pilot light on gas water heater goes out, the circuit breaker on electric water heater trips, the heating element fails, the thermostat breaks, the valve sticks, a leak springs on the drain valve or temperature/pressure relief valve, or a leak springs on the tank (normally due to corrosion).  While almost all of these cases can easily be repaired by a professional, a leak caused by corrosion in the tank is generally non-repairable and your only option will be to replace the unit.  In all other cases, it will be at your discretion (using the advice in this article of course) to decide whether to repair or replace the unit.  One other piece of advice that might help in your decision, is given by the answer to the following question…

IS YOUR TANK ENERGY EFFICIENT?

Oftentimes choosing to replace your tank with a more energy-efficient model may actually end up saving you more money than it would cost to simply have an old unit repaired.  Older water heater units use approximately 17% of the energy in your home.  Newer water heater units nearly cut this usage in half!  This equates to more energy savings and more money in your pocket at the end of each month! With that said, swapping your current guzzler for a new, higher-efficient model is definitely an option to consider.

SO NOW THAT WE’VE RUN THROUGH THE DETAILS, LET US REMOVE SOME OF THE COMPLICATION AND PUT IT IN MUCH SIMPLER TERMS:

  1. If your water heater is 10 years or older and is giving you problems, without a doubt: REPLACE IT!
  2. If your water heater is 5 years or younger, replacement should only be considered if the unit requires major repair, otherwise REPAIR IT!
  3. If your unit is between 5-10 years old and is giving you problems, our best advice is to ask yourself these 4 preceding questions and use your good judgment to decide.

We truly hope this article helps, so the next time you’re stuck asking yourself this same question, you have a little bit more of an upper hand when deciding what to do!