Tag: Home Plumbing

How Do Drain Cleaners Work?

Posted on | by Drainiacs

Reasons to Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaning Solutions to Unclog Your Drain

 

West Covina Drain CleaningChemical drain cleaners are a common remedy used in unclogging kitchen and bathroom drains, but did you know that these chemicals can actually cause more harm than good? Here are some reasons why chemical drain cleaning solutions should be avoided.

To start with, the chemicals found drain cleaners emit toxic fumes that can be harmful to your family and pets. These fumes can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. Excessive usage can result in severe damage to your upper respiratory tract that can potentially lead to a chemical-induced pneumonia.

If drain cleaners are designed to eat away sticky buildup deep down in your drains, just imagine the harm it could do to your skin. One of the main ingredients, sodium hydroxide, can cause severe tissue damage, or burns, if your skin is exposed to it. Being splashed in the eyes with just a small amount of sodium hydroxide could potentially cause blindness.

When left unattended, sometimes dogs and cats will jump up onto sinks so they can lick up any water that’s left behind. You wouldn’t want to accidentally expose them to residual drain cleaner solution that hasn’t flowed down the drain. There are also other animals that you should be concerned about – wild animals that rely on lakes and rivers for water. Sometimes uncapped drain cleaner bottles wind up in these watery regions, poisoning fish and other surrounding wildlife.

Pipes are commonly made from copper, tough PVC plastic, or galvanized steel copper. And while these surfaces may seem durable or indestructible, the oxidizing chemicals found in drain cleaning solutions can be corrosive to them as well, particularly if the pipes are already in a weakened state.

The next time your drain becomes clogged, instead of reaching for a bottle of drain cleaning solution, call your plumber for professional drain cleaning services such as hydro jetting. Hydro jetting utilizes highly pressurized reverse water jets to clean drains at the effective rate of 1,500 to 4,000 pounds per minute, to break apart and flush down grease, dirt, food particles, hair, and other unwanted sediment.

Are the drains in your West Covina home clogged? Call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer at (626) 962-0885 and schedule a service call today!

What Steps Should I Take in Case of a Plumbing Emergency?

Posted on | by Drainiacs

How To Handle a Plumbing Emergency

 

Baldwin park PlumberWhen handling a plumbing emergency, it’s important to stay calm. Firstly, you need to get to your water shutoff valve, which should be located in the basement, another secluded warm area of your home, or outside of the house. The main valve will be the one nearest the house side, it will have a round handle. Once the handle is located, turn it in full clockwise rotation until it will no longer budge, this means the entire water supply to your home is stopped to prevent more flooding.

Secondly, you need to contain the damaged area by cleaning up the water that has flooded. If you have a utility pump, you can use it to suck the water up. If you do not have a pump, simply put towels down, and if towels are not enough, use blankets. If there is a flood drain nearby, you can direct the water toward the drain with a broom or a mop. Let the ventilation system run on high while focusing fans on the damaged area at full blast. Evaporation is what you’re really trying to achieve.

The final and the most important thing to do is call the plumber. Make sure to call a company that is trust-worthy and professional. Local and small plumbing companies are probably your best bet because they seem to have a better grasp on what customers need on a more personable level because they are not just looking to make a profit. Once a good plumber is chosen and you have them on the phone, let them know where the leak has sprung and explained the steps you have already taken to sustain further damage. They will give you instructions on what to do until he or she can come to your aid.
After that, it is in the plumber’s hands! After the job is completed, ask him or her what steps you can take in the future that may help prevent another plumbing emergency.

Are you facing a plumbing emergency in the West Covina area? Stop and call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer immediately at (626) 962-0885.

How Can I Take Care Of the Drains in My Home?

Posted on | by Drainiacs

Maintaining Your Home Drainage System

 

West Covina PlumberIn order to properly maintain your home drainage system, you should perform a full inspection of your system at least once a year. This will allow you to find any issues that need to be repaired to avoid flooding in your home. Your inspection should include the entire system, inside and outside your home.

When inspecting your drainage system outside, you want to start with the most obvious places. First, check all eaves troughs and downspouts. Remove any leaves or debris you find inside, and look for any elbows or connections that need to be tightened. Check for any leaks that may need caulking and any badly dented or cracked sections that need to be repaired. Next, inspect all splash pads and extensions. Check for any loose pads or connections and any bad dents or cracks. Be sure to check the soft rollout extensions for any leaks, and ensure that they are working properly. Lastly, inspect your lot grading. Look at the slope from the basement wall. The backfill should be at least 8 inches from the top of the foundation. Keep an eye out for any settling, especially under stairs and decks. Also look for low spots that need to be filled, and any cracks or spaces on your driveway, walkways, or patios that are next to the foundation wall that should be fixed.

Inside your home, you want to start by inspecting the foundation walls. Check for any moisture along the floor while looking for any visible cracks that need to be filled or sealed. You also want to make sure that your sump pump is in good condition. Check for power, and then test the pump by pouring water into the well to ensure it is working properly. Follow the outside pipe to check for leaks and to be sure that water is flowing to the street or back lane. Finish your inspection with the backwater valve. Clean out any debris, and make sure the flapper is moving freely.

Make note of any issues that you find along the way. Any needed repairs should be a top priority. Are you dealing with clogged drains in your Baldwin Park home? Call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer at (626) 962-0885 and schedule a service call today!

Is Hiring a Plumber for a Home Project Worth It?

Posted on | by Drainiacs

DIY Plumbing Projects That Are Best Left To Professional Plumbers

 

West Covina plumberIt’s natural, as a homeowner, to want to tackle household projects yourself. Some DIY projects can save you money, however there are many projects best left to the professionals, because if not done right, they will cost you more money in the end. When it comes to plumbing, it is especially important to know what is safe to do yourself, and what is best left to a professional plumber.

Hot water heaters, are a repair best left to your plumber. There are many different reasons why a water heater can stop working. A professional plumber is trained to easily diagnose the problem, which could be something as simple as changing the heating elements. Thus saving you the heavy cost of a brand new heater. When installing a new water heater, you have to work with gas lines, and if not installed correctly can be hazardous to yourself and your family. Which is why hot water heater installations are best left to a professional plumber.

While a clogged toilet can easily be repaired with a plunger, a clogged sewer drain is a much deeper, highly intensive problem that requires a call to your plumber. Special equipment is required to repair sewer lines. The problem could be a foreign object lodged in the line, or worse, a natural obstruction such as a tree root.

The installation of a dishwasher is a project many homeowners start themselves, but find it hard to complete once started. A new dishwasher, especially if you are replacing an older model, will require new drain lines to the sink.

Leaks are the issues that homeowners encounter the most, while there are many tutorials available on how to fix a leak, most are temporary band-aids not intended to fix the root cause. A plumber will properly fix the leak at the source, thus saving you the time and money later down the road when that band-aid is no longer sufficient.

Do you have a project in mind that requires the help of a plumber? Call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer, your West Covina plumber, at (626) 962-0885 and get started today!