Dealing with Clogged Drains and Toilets
Running and maintaining a home is no easy task, but it’s something that each of us must do in our lives. And no matter if you live in a multi-room mansion in the suburbs, or studio apartment in lower Manhattan, one thing you will always have to deal with is plumbing and plumbing related issues. According to the team at Elite Plumbing and HVAC, who many consider the best plumber Long Island has to offer, one of the most common plumbing issues we deal with on almost a daily basis is the presence of clogged drains and toilets. The last thing someone wants to do is to call a plumber, but sometimes it’s necessary and something you have to do. For an elite plumber, general clogged drains and toilets are no issue, but as a homeowner there is a lot you should know on your own and understand in case some DIY work might be required. In this article, we will be going over some of the basics of clogged drains and toilets.
Clogged Drains and Toilets
In most cases, a clogged drain or toilet is easy enough to spot. You will see water backing up as you empty the sink or while taking a shower. According to the contractor plumber at Elite Plumbing and HVAC, toilet clogs are often a lot more visible and easy to identify. Rather than the toilet flushing normally, the water will often back up into the bowl and will even overflow at times. In order to clear the blockage, you can do a little DIY work or call a plumber.
What Causes Clogged Drains?
In general, a clogged drain or toilet is usually the product of something either partially, or completely blocking the drain. In most people’s sinks and showers, hair is usually the main culprit – why you will often see the most clogged drains in a household where people have long hair or are often cutting and trimming their hair at home. However, as the best plumber near me, the team at Elite Plumbing has seen other items in drains as well. Whether its some shampoo or soap, the lid from your toothpaste, or even small bathtime toys. Before you call a plumber, you should realize that the issues arise when items other than dissolvable waste are flushed down the toilet. These solid items are unable to move through the pipes, so they create a blockage, making it difficult for water to flow past that blockage and continue down the pipes, along with out waste.
Fixing Clogged Drains and Toilets
The first step, and something every homeowner needs to know, is that you should start with a plunger and attempt to remove the clog. Plungers can be used on both toilets as well as most common drains – including the shower. This is definitely the first thing to try before making a plumber service call. A plunger is a fairly simple plumbing tool that helps to loosen up clogs via a change in air pressure that it creates. By moving the plunger up and down, you can create suction. Once you have brought the blockage close enough, you can use a tool, even tweezers or pliers to grab the blockage or item and remove it from the drain. If a plunger doesn’t work, then chemical drain cleaners are another great option. For larger scale blockages, you may need the help of plumbing snakes that can break down the blockage and get water flowing again.
Avoiding Clogged Drains
The best way to avoid these issues from happening in the future is to make sure you are only flushing waste and other items that are fully dissolvable. Oftentimes, children will flush down toys and smaller items that fall into the toilet. According to the team at Elite Plumbing, the best plumber near me, for households where hair is an issue, try to use a hair catcher over the drain. This will prevent strands from building up within the pipes over time.
Should You Call a Plumber?
Once you have found that you cannot remove the blockage yourself, even if you tried using a plunger, chemical drain cleaner, or a plumbing snake, it might be best to make a plumber service call and contact an elite plumber like the team at Elite Plumbing and HVAC. Especially if it is the same drain that is being clogged over and over, as overuse of certain drain cleaners can damage pipes over time. And replacing pipes and full plumbing is a much bigger job than anything else.
For more information on plumbing services and for help with your plumbing issues, be sure to contact Elite Plumbing and HVAC today.
