How To Remove A Clog In Your Shower Drains

Drain clogs are nasty plumbing issues. Drain clogs occur when there is a solid foreign object blocking the flow of waste water in your drainage and sewer system. Drain clogs usually occur in your kitchen sink drains and in your shower or bathtub drains. We have already discussed how to remove kitchen drain clogs in this blog. That is why today we are going to focus on shower drain clogs. Shower drain clogs are usually caused by hair, soap remnants, and other bathroom products. These solid objects are usually deposited in your shower drain pipes. Over time, the hair becomes entangled into a fine mess. This fine mess traps all the tiny bits of soap and other debris that passes through your shower drains. This is the main cause of shower drain clogs. But you should also note that dental floss is another major cause of drain clogs. Dental floss is just like hair. One piece cannot cause a drain clog but when you bring together many pieces, you will have a serious problem on your hands. You can try to prevent shower drain clogs by installing a screen trap on the shower drain. But there is still a chance of hair and other debris passing through. That is why you need to know how to unclog your shower drains when the inevitable clog occurs. This article will teach you how to remove clogs from your shower drains.

Use A Drain Claw

A drain claw is one of the most effective tools for removing a shower drain clog. The drain claw is specially designed to catch hair and other debris that might be clogging your shower drains. The drain claw looks like a wire with an auger at one end. The auger has very many interlocking hooks. If you ever have a shower drain clog, you can use the auger to remove it. Just insert the end with the hooked auger inside your clogged shower drain. You have to remove the screen trap before inserting the drain claw. After inserting the drain claw, move it or maneuver it inside the clogged drain pipe to reach the clog. Twist it around in the clogged drain pipe until you feel that you have attached a lot of solid waste on the hooks. Remove the drain claw and dispose the solid waste properly to clear your shower drains.

Use A Plunger

You can also use a shower drain plunger to unclog your shower drains. There are two main types of plungers. There is a toilet plunger and a kitchen sink drain plunger, which can also be used to unclog your shower drains. Make sure that you always have the two types of plungers in your house. We all know how to use a plunger. Just place it on your clogged shower drain and do the up and down movement. The plunger might be able to dislodge the clog.

Call A Professional Plumber

If all these DIY solution fail to dislodge the clog in your shower drains, call a professional plumber for assistance. Request professional DC plumbing services to remove the clog from your shower drains. Remember that a serious shower drain clog can cause a sewer backup in your bathroom. Stubborn clogs should be handled by professional plumbers ASAP.

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Tree Root Intrusion/Infiltration In Sewer Pipes

The sewer system is one of the most functional parts of the home plumbing system. The sewer system receives all waste water and human waste from the drainage system. The sewer system is responsible for disposing of all this waste water and human waste. Your home sewer system either takes the waste water and human waste to the municipal sewer system or to your private septic tank. But like all other sections or parts of your home plumbing system, the sewer system can develop problems at any time. These problems are usually very serious and difficult to fix because the sewer system is usually burrowed deep in the ground. Most of your sewer lines are laid below the ground. That is why you need to request DC sewer and drain services any time you detect or suspect a problem in your home sewer system. One of the most common problems that affect many sewer systems in Washington DC is tree root intrusion or infiltration. Today you are going to learn everything you need to know about this serious but very common sewer line problem.

How It Happens

Tree roots live and thrive below the ground. And most sewer lines are laid below the ground. This means that tree roots and sewer lines are bound to interact in one way or the other. The problem of tree root intrusion or infiltration starts when young tree roots are looking for water and nutrients. The roots are naturally attracted to areas with a lot of moisture and nutrients. This is where they come into contact with your underground sewer lines. The underground sewer lines are always filled with sewage. And the sewage is very rich in nutrients and water. As such, the tree roots try to infiltrate the underground sewer lines as much as possible. Most of these underground sewer lines are constructed in such a way to prevent tree root infiltration. They have solid joints and very tough surfaces. But with time, the clay, iron, or concrete sewer pipes wear out with age. This gives the tree roots an advantage. They can now try to squeeze their way inside the old worn-out sewer lines. And that is how the problems described below occur.

The Problems

The main problem of tree root infiltration is clogging. The tree roots grow in size and block the flow of waste water and human waste in the sewer lines. This can cause a sever sewer backup in your house. You will need to conduct an underground sewer camera inspection to determine whether you have a tree root intrusion problem or not. As the tree roots grow bigger due to the massive intake of water and nutrients, they expand inside your sewer lines. This can cause the sewer lines to break, which will cause a serious leak in your home sewer system. This problem can only be fixed by replacing the broken sewer lines with new ones.

How To Prevent And/Or Solve

The problem of tree root infiltration can be prevented by regular lateral pipe cleaning. There are also effective root inhibition chemicals that you can flush down the toilet. Many professional plumbers use various tools to cut tree roots and remove them from your sewer lines. You should also remove or stop planting trees near your sewer lines.

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5 Plumbing Emergencies That Require Emergency Plumbing Services

You can classify all plumbing problems as either minor or major plumbing issues. When we talk of minor plumbing problems, we are referring to those common plumbing problems that you can try to fix on your own. Examples of minor plumbing issues include slow leaking faucets and showerheads and the commonly occurring toilet or sink drain clogs. You can fix slow leaks with plumber’s tape or by tightening the leaking fixture. And you can try to unclog your toilet or kitchen and shower drains using a plunger. But we also have major or serious plumbing issues that require the services of a professional plumber. These serious plumbing problems are usually referred to as plumbing emergencies and they require DC emergency plumbing services. But you should also note that not all serious plumbing problems are plumbing emergencies.

Plumbing emergencies are those plumbing problems that necessitate instant plumbing services. In other words, you cannot wait for some hours before fixing them. Plumbing emergencies necessitate a call to your local plumber at any time of the day or night. Emergency plumbing services are provided 24/7, which includes weekends and public holidays. Here are several types of plumbing emergencies that require the services of an emergency plumber.

Water Heater Problems

All water heater problems should be treated like plumbing emergencies. Your water heater can develop all kinds of serious problems and you cannot manage to fix them on your own. Some examples of serious water heater problems that require the services of an emergency plumber are leaking, corrosion, temperature control issues, and total malfunction. You cannot survive without hot water in the house and you do not have the skills to repair a hot water heater. This means that you need to call an emergency plumber to fix your water heater when it’s faulty.

Gas Leaks

All gas leaks are plumbing emergencies. You should never attempt to fix a gas leak because you could be exposing yourself to very serious danger. The moment you detect or suspect a gas leak in your house, leave the house as soon as possible. You can try to shut off the gas at the main shutoff valve. But you should not stay in the house or even near the house. Call a professional gas plumber immediately to prevent fires and explosions in your house.

Water Leaks

Not all water leaks are plumbing emergencies. A slow leaking faucet or showerhead does not require the services of an emergency plumber. In fact you can try to fix such minor leaks on your own. But if you have a heavy leaking pipe in the house, call an emergency plumber immediately. A heavy leaking pipe can burst and flood the house if not fixed on time.

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are one of the most serious plumbing emergencies at home. Frozen pipes occur due to cold weather. A frozen pipe can burst at any time. It will also prevent water supply in the house. Request emergency pipe thawing services as soon as possible, if the situation arises.

Major Flooding

If your house starts to flood, call an emergency plumber immediately. Flooding can be caused by heavy rainstorms. It can also be caused by leaking pipes, fixtures and appliances. Whichever the cause, call an emergency plumber ASAP.

 

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Luxury Features In Modern Toilets

Various plumbing fixtures and appliances have undergone many changes over the years. For instance, the faucet has been modified and re-modified in many since it was introduced many centuries ago. Now we have touchless hands-free faucet that turn on and off by detecting motion. Another plumbing fixture that has undergone a lot of improvements over the years is the toilet. We now have very many different types of toilets featuring all kinds of improvements. Many people still use the floor-mounted two-piece gravity feed toilets. But some people have now installed the wall-hung toilet due to space limitations in the bathroom. Eco-friendly homeowners that are undertaking bathroom remodeling are now opting for the pressure-assisted dual-flush toilet instead of the gravity feed toilet to conserve water.         

The Japanese are renowned for their many technological inventions. They have played a major role in developing the modern toilet. Modern toilets have many luxury features. They are also of very high quality, which means that they require less DC plumbing repairs. Let us now look at some of the luxury features that are found in modern toilets.

Comfort Height Toilets

Most of us are used to the standard toilet bowls, which are 14-15″ in height. But now we have comfort height toilets that reach 17-19″ in height. Comfort height or seat height toilets are more comfortable to use. They are highly recommended to people with mobility issues. Comfort height toilets are regarded as luxury toilets because they are installed as a matter of preference. They are more costly than standard height toilets but people like them because of the additional comfort.

Hands-Free Flushing

Many modern plumbing fixtures are touchless or hands-free. This means that you do not have to operate them manually. They turn themselves on and off automatically after detecting motion or sensing usage. One of the most amazing luxury features in the modern toilet is hands-free flushing, often found where commercial plumbing is necessary.  This toilet does not require you to flush it after use. It just detects you are done and flushes away the waste. This is a very hygienic toilet. It prevents the spread of germs when people are flushing the toilet. It’s also very convenient because you simply walk away after use without even having to look at the toilet bowl.

Heated Seats

Toilet bowls are usually made of ceramic. Toilet seats are usually made of plastic. The plastic can get really cold especially during the cold weather. One luxury feature in modern toilets is heated toilet seats. The seat remains heated throughout meaning that you will use the toilet comfortably without feeling cold. This toilet requires a power source to heat the seat.

Bidet Functionality

One very common feature in most Japanese toilets is the bidet. The bidet is a cleaning mechanism that is designed to clean your body after using the toilet. You do not have to use tissue paper in this kind of toilet. The bidet will clean you and even dry you up using warm vapor.

Automatic Overflow Protection

Most modern toilets have automatic overflow protection. This toilet cannot overflow because it’s fitted with this mechanism that prevents this kind of plumbing problem.

Toilet Bowl Nightlights

Some modern toilets have toilet bowl nightlights to guide the user at night. These nightlights will help you use the toilet properly even in the middle of the night.

Self-Cleaning And Self-Deodorizing Features

And last but not least, many modern toilets have self-cleaning and self-deodorizing features. This helps to keep the toilet clean and fresh at all times.

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