5 Tips to Avoid Holiday Plumbing Emergencies

Anthony's Plumbing

December 24, 2019 - Tuesday

5 TIPS TO AVOID A HOLIDAY PLUMBING EMERGENCY:

For many people, this is their favorite time of year.

Not so much, though, when you’re ankle deep in water or frantically trying to think what could be causing your clogged drain.

Before your guests arrive for the holidays, be sure you’re equipped to avoid a plumbing emergency and enjoy the festivities without a hitch. Check out these 5 tips to avoid a holiday plumbing emergency.

1. Clear your drains.
Your drains are soon to be consumers of more than you think. If you want to be sure they’re in working order, consider having them cleaned before your beloved guests arrive. Installing a simple drain strainer in your sinks and showers will ensure debris won’t get stuck in your pipes and save you from having to unclog the drain or deal with a plumbing emergency. Wouldn’t you rather be partaking in your holiday outing?

2. Keep an eye on your garbage disposal.
Certain foods are a recipe for disaster for your garbage disposal. Whether you’re husking corn or looking for a dumping place for extra grease or oil, the garbage disposal is not the place. In fact, your garbage disposal can only handle so much, and the consequences of throwing even the slightest amount of unwanted items down your drain can cause quite a stir. Choose the trash bin instead.

3. Be conscious of shower times.
Unless you’re planning to tape off your bathroom doorway or invest in an “out of order” sign, your guests are going to want to shower at some point. Ask them to allow a 15-minute resting time between each person so your drain and water heater can catch up. If running out of hot water is a frequent problem in your household, perhaps it’s time to invest in a tankless water heater. If that’s something you are interested in, contact us and let’s talk. 

4. Invest in extra trash bins.
Toilet clogs are the last thing you want to deal with when there are guests in your home and the festivities are in full swing. Get some extra trash bins and place them in the bathroom and kitchen to be sure unwanted items aren’t being disposed of in the improper way. Place one near the toilet so guests won’t be prompted to use the toilet as a garbage can and cause a plumbing emergency.

5. Leak Detection
Leak detection is important before having guests over for the Holidays. You guest bathroom may not get a lot of use, and therefore may not be up to the challenge of Holiday entertaining. Also, you may be unaware of any plumbing issues that might exist if you never use the guest bathroom. Before your loved ones arrive, it is better to inspect your guest bathroom for any leaks. Look under the sink, check the shower, and look around the toilet. Make any necessary repairs before people get there to prevent any unnecessary leaks.

Although you can take precautions to avoid a holiday disaster, sometimes a plumbing emergency strikes when you least expect it. That’s why Anthony’s Plumbing is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to solve your plumbing needs. Our punctual plumbers are experts in drain cleaning and emergency plumbing, as well as any other plumbing services you might need. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and ensure your plumbing is in proper working order.

How To Make Your Own Drain Cleaner at Home

Anthony's Plumbing

December 3, 2019 - Tuesday

HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN DRAIN CLEANER AT HOME

Is your home filled with clogged drains? Did you know you could fix most of them by spending less than ten bucks in easy to find materials?

Most of the labels on drain cleaners in the store can make you feel dizzy with all the scientific terms. Good news for you, though: there’s a whole DIY community that has made it easy to unclog a drain yourself.

If you want to save money on drain cleaner and learn a bit of chemistry along the way, keep reading for the tips you need to know! 

THE INGREDIENTS FOR HOME MADE DRAIN CLEANER

When you are making DIY drain cleaner, it’s best to have a stable list of ingredients that you can afford monthly. Start by researching the baseline supplies for the drain cleaner you want to make, then adjust your list to your needs and your budget. Here are the basic ingredients that you’re likely to need:

CLEANER BASES

Baking soda is one of the best store-bought solutions for drain cleaning. Composed of sodium carbonate, baking soda is full of sodiums that help break down dirt and grime. You can buy baking soda almost anywhere and because of its low price you can buy it in bulk.

Baking soda is reactive, meaning that if you add an acid (such as vinegar) it will become excited. This compound can jostle and break down grime that’s built up in your drain.

The trick is starting with sodium. This means you can use salt or Borax instead of baking soda just as well. Anytime you combine a sodium base with an acid you will get a halfway decent cleaning solution.

You can think of Borax as a concentrated form of baking soda. It contains a few extra chemical chains that make it a cleaning alternative and not a cooking formula. If you decide to use Borax make sure to keep it away from any sensitive body parts, children, or pets.

ACIDS

Acids are your key to a positive chemical reaction. When you add any acid, even one mild as lemon juice, to sodium, you get a reaction capable of cleaning your drain. If you want to unclog your drain, find a multipurpose acid that you can buy for cheap.

Vinegar is a great acid for your drain cleaning mixture. You can add it to any of the sodiums listed above to get quick results.

Lemon juice is a weaker acid that works just as well. However, lemons have less acidity than vinegar, meaning you will have to add more lemon juice than an average drain cleaner recipe.

Cream of tartar is less another option that is derived from tartaric acid. This makes it a viable acid that you can add to baking soda and water to get a great cleaner.

SODIUM AND ACID REACTIONS

The general rule applies: when you add a weak salt base with a strong based acid you will get an acidic solution. Accordingly, combining medium-strength salts and acids will leave you with a fairly strong compound.

Adding sodium and citric acid will give you carbon dioxide gas. Don’t worry, adding the right amount of both creates enough reaction for drain cleaning. It will not cause you harm.

THE STEPS

Now you know the cheapest and most simple ingredients for homemade drain cleaner. For this section, we’ll be talking about how to mix and apply your ingredients to your clogged drain.

PREPARATIONS

First, get all of your ingredients in the right order. For example, you will always add your sodium before you add your acid solution. You might have some blockages at the surface of your drain, clean these out before moving forward.

STEP 1

Begin by pouring your sodium solution to the drain. Remember, you can use any of the contents listed above. If you choose to use a powder like baking soda, you can use a funnel to pour it down the drain.

This fills your drain with the base to your draining reaction. It makes a foundation for your acid, leading to the dissolution of gunk and grime.

STEP 2

Now it’s time you add your acids. You can use any of the acids presented in this post, just make sure to always add them after your sodium. Doing any of these steps out of order will make the process useless.

After you add something like vinegar or cream of tartar to your powdered sodium you must wait up to one hour. It’s advised that you plug your drain while you wait.

STEP 3

Add a pot or two of boiling water to your drain. The hot water has an easier time passing through your drain and pushing the dissolved gunk through.

To recap: add your powder sodium and acid then pour a pot or two of boiling water down the drain.

This will work for almost any drain you have in your home. If you are dealing with a larger drainage system you might want to buy a professional solution or call us at Anthony’s Plumbing for help.

PLUMBING DONE RIGHT

There’s no question that DIY home repair can be a pleasing experience. After all, it’s your home so why can’t you be the one to fix it?

After reading this post you are well-equipped to unclog your sinks and bathtubs using a homemade drain cleaner. The formula is simple and most importantly, everything on this list is cheap.

Still, sometimes a drain is harder to fix than with baking soda and vinegar. In cases like these, it’s best to hire a professional.

If you can’t do it with store-bought items, try contacting Anthony’s Plumbing by calling 909-823-3807. Your next step is exactly that, start a dialogue with a pro and get your house back to its old self!