Gutter maintenance. Those two words often strike fear and trepidation into the hearts of even the most seasoned DIY homeowner. Every fall and spring, gutters should be cleared of debris so they can drain freely. If rainwater can't drain, it will pool around the drain outlets and overflow, which could eventually cause the gutters to pull away from the house and the wood to rot behind them. If enough water builds up, it can push its way into the house. While gutter maintenance is inconvenient, it's preferable to a leaky roof. Keep reading for some tips to help the process go more smoothly.
Ladders. Make sure you choose a sturdy one that will support your weight and isn't too difficult to carry, since cleaning out the gutters will require multiple ladder repositions. Use a ladder shelf to hold a receptacle for gutter debris. If your gutters are higher than the first story, or you become nervous when climbing a ladder, it's best to leave gutter maintenance to a professional.
Protective Gear. This includes gloves, goggles, and a dust mask. Rubber gloves won't absorb gutter sludge, and will protect your hands from animal droppings that are full of bacteria, as well as loose screws or sharp pieces of metal. The goggles and dust mask will protect you from anything that gets blasted out of clogged gutter downspouts. The last thing you want to experience while cleaning your gutters is an eye injury. Besides rotting leaves and mud, small creatures—including frogs, rats, bees, and wasps—are occasionally flushed out.
Gutter Scoop. These bright orange, inexpensive plastic scoops are available at hardware stores. The front edge of the scoop is very thin and flexible, making it an effective tool for gutter cleaning. Do not use a metal scoop! The metal can scrape across the gutter seams, loosening the caulk that holds them together. If you have metal gutters, the metal-to-metal contact can introduce rust to otherwise healthy steel. If there are already some rusty spots, this will speed up the rusting process, which leads to leaky gutters and eventual replacement.
Garden Hose. Once all the gutter grunge has been cleared, flush the gutters and downspouts with a garden hose. You can attach a pressure nozzle or sprayer for greater force and easier control. Direct the stream of water toward the downspout. If there is a clog in the downspout, you can use an auger (plumber's snake) to clear it. It's easy to check for leaks at this stage, when water is flowing freely through the gutters. If you mark them, you can easily patch and repair them once the gutter is dry.
The professional at Drain King are available to answer your questions on gutter cleaning and all other plumbing related issues.
Have you ever walked into a public restroom or a restroom in an office building and been hit with a strong, unpleasant odor? This may be the result of a dirty or clogged floor drain. Floor drains are found in many places like commercial restrooms and industrial spaces, near and around water heaters, in basements, kitchens, or laundry rooms.
The floor drain captures overflow water from sinks, toilets, tubs, rain, and any other pipe in your home, and then directs it safely to a sewer or municipal storm drain, so floors stay dry and rooms do not flood.
If you have floor drains in your home or business and you smell something bad coming from them, it’s typically because the traps have dried out. Floor drains have a U-shaped or P-trap pipe, just like your bathroom sink drain. The U-shaped pipe is designed to hold water that stands in the pipe and prevents sewer gases from coming up through the drain. If you smell sewer gas, fill the drain with a five-gallon bucket of water. This will seal off sewer gases and also let you see if the drain is working properly.
Floor drains become clogged just like any other drain, even more often because they’re on the floor where dirt collects. If your floor drain is clogged or slow, take steps to remove the clog. Use a drain auger or snake to see if you can reach the clog. Floor drains are often connected to longer pipes, so if you are still having problems, please call our professionals at Drain King. We can unclog and, if needed, clean out the pipe.
Sewer clogs are a very serious plumbing problem. In most cases, the water comes back into the household plumbing creating a bigger problem. In some cases, one may not be aware of a sewer problem. Regular scheduled sewer maintenance, performed by a professional plumber, will help eliminate sewer clogs. Typically, many pipes and drains in different parts of the house can be connected in multiple places. Problems in one area can affect the other. Therefore, in cases of sewer clogs, you would need the expertise of professional plumbers to assess and repairs these clogs.
A professional and reliable plumbing company or plumber should have experience clearing shower drains, stairwell drains, laundry drains, flood drain clogs, to name a few. They should also have the proper large tools, equipment or machinery for clearing said sewers, no matter how long the sewers are. They should also have the ability to clean sewers or downspouts penetrated by roots or other such blockades.
A full sewer inspection must be able to determine the cause of the clogs, preferably a video inspection, in the case of main sewer cleaning, to accurately locate the problem. Provide you with detailed precautions to take, in order to avoid a future clogged sewer. A 90 day-1 year rodding guarantee on the sewers. They must also ensure to wear/use protective equipment while working, so as to not dirty the indoors. Most importantly, use proper, state of-the-art equipment so as to be cost effective. Based on the type of drain and severity of the clog/backup, several different heavy-duty commercial grade cables/snake machines, video camera inspections and high pressure jetting, etc. can be employed. A professional or expert will not only use one of these techniques effectively, but should also be able to ensure that the problem is handled for good.
Here at Drain King, we are not only a professional company that will provide you with the above benefits but you can rely on. We are clean, honest, and dependable. We have fast response times and can fix your problem in the shortest time possible. Consider calling our experts for your next sewer cleaning.
For those who live outside the city and have a septic system, it is important to take proper care of your septic tank. If it is maintained properly, you will have minimal problems and will save money on repairs in the future.
When planning landscaping, gutters, and foundation drains, it is essential to make certain rainwater is diverted so the septic tank and drain field don’t become overloaded. A drain field that has collected excess water will not be able to absorb and neutralize liquid waste. Keep trees about 100 feet away from the septic system, so they don’t damage it. Trees like willows have an aggressive root system and need to be planted even further away. Vehicles must not be driven on, or parked on top of the septic tank. Neither should any structure, concrete, or asphalt cover the tank. Large farm animals must also be kept away. The weight any of these would add can damage it.
Inside your home, make sure faucets and toilets don’t leak, use aerators and low flow nozzles on faucets and showers to help with lowering water usage, use the right setting for small loads of laundry, run the dishwasher when full, and install a displacer on your toilet to reduce the amount of water used.
Only use toilet paper in your toilet. Things like cat litter, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins and tampons, paper towels, tissues, and cigarette butts will quickly clog your septic tank.
If you have a garbage disposal, make sure it can grind food into tiny particles that are easier for your septic system to break down. A lower quality disposal can increase the amount of solids waste that empties into your tank. Never pour grease down the drain. It can cause clogs and make it difficult for liquids to be absorbed by the soil.
Use of heavy cleaners will kill the good bacteria in the septic tank, which can hinder the breakdown of solids. It is also important to properly dispose of varnish, paint thinners, motor oil, gasoline, and other similar chemicals. If poured down the drain, they can ruin your septic system and get into the groundwater.
Regular maintenance, cleaning, and inspecting should be performed by a licensed contractor like the professionals at Drain King. Our technicians are experienced in emptying septic tanks and have the permits needed to collect and dispose of waste. Solids need to be pumped from the tank every 3-5 years. This can vary depending on the size of the tank, the number of people residing in the home, and whether what is allowed into the tank is controlled. The baffles inside the tank should be inspected when it is emptied to make sure the waste is being properly dispersed within the tank and no solid waste is getting into the field lines. If the baffles are damaged, major—costly—problems can quickly develop.
Sewers and drains are important parts of a building structure. While drains are easier to maintain and clean, sewers require more time and money when they clog. Sewers are installed deep underground, so most likely, you will not think of them unless they have become a problem.
What are the Signs of a Clogged Sewer?
Toilets –Typically, toilets are designed to flow into the most direct path to the sewer, so if there is a problem in your sewer pipes, you will probably encounter difficulties in flushing them. Water backing up when flushing is a sure sign of a sewer problem. The flushed water cannot go down the drain when the sewer pipes are clogged.
Kitchen Sink/Tub Drain–If you run water in the sink or bathtub and can see bubbles or the water is draining slowly, chances are your drains or sewers are clogged.
Nasty Smell–Collected water from overflowing, hidden drains emits a foul odor. Sometimes, you will first notice the odor before you even realize you have a sewer problem.
Common Causes of Clogged Sewers and Drains
Collapsed/Broken Sewer Lines
Collapsed or broken sewer lines can cause blockage. Sewer lines break due to old age, presence of large roots, structural settings, and soil movement. Our plumbing professionals can discover the cause by inserting a rodding machine or inspection camera along the sewer lines.
Grease/Oil Deposits
Grease and oil deposits are the most common cause of blocked sewer lines. Some people believe that it is okay to pour greasy substance down the sink or toilet as long as you follow it up with hot water. While grease flows into the sewer lines as liquid, it will solidify as it cools down, causing blockage over time.
Hair
Blocked drains in the bathroom or tub are usually caused by fallen hairs. Hairs sit in the pipes and accumulate over time, blocking the flow of water. As preventive maintenance, you can use a filter that will trap fallen hair particles before they enter the drain system.
Bath Salts
Bath salts have become popular and are widely used, but these products do not dissolve. When they go down the drain, they will accumulate and cause problems.
Improper Wastes
Sanitary sewer lines are specifically fabricated to accept human wastes. Other items such as paper towels, feminine sanitary pads, condoms, diapers, baby wipes, dental floss, and solid food particles can cause blockage when flushed down the toilet or sink. Foods such as rice and pasta expand as they absorb water from the pipes and may cause blockage.
As a property owner, you will experience clogs or sewer blockage at some point in time. When this happens, it is recommended that you call on experts like Drain King who have the skills and experience to solve the worst drainage and sewer problems. You might be tempted to fix the problem yourself, but improper handling of store-bought cleaning products may cause more harm than good. Some can even damage your esophagus when inhaled.
