The Unclog Blog - HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric

Avoiding Clogs With Summer Do-It-Yourself Projects 2

Believe it or not, there are worse things you could pour down your drain than a gallon of paint. After an afternoon of working in the garage, never pour used motor oil down a drain. In some cities, this is illegal because of the amount of environmental damage it does and how easily it can contaminate an area’s soil and water table.

When it comes to used motor oil, stay far away from drains in your home, garage, a sewer, or a storm drain. And never pour motor oil directly on the ground or in the street. To dispose of motor oil properly, check your local auto parts store—they may even recycle the oil.

When it comes to yard work, even a simple grass cutting may be harmful to the storm drain on the street. Storm drains direct rain runoff into large pipes that lead to major ditches and waterways; there’s no treatment facility between the yard and the final destination. Grass and plant clippings, leaves and other materials can clump and cause neighborhood flooding.

If your lawn is chemically treated, these chemicals may contaminate the water running into the drain from rain or a sprinkler system. Even non-treated lawn clippings aren’t good. As they decompose, they release carbon and nitrogen that feeds algae and uses up the oxygen in the water. Although it may seem as if you only let a few clippings run into the drain, it’s important to consider the amount of everyone on your street.

Avoiding Clogs With Summer Do-It-Yourself Projects

‘Tis the season for do-it-yourself projects—while these projects come with a sense of accomplishment along with a bit of cash in your pocket, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Of course, each home project has its own set of rules and how-to guides, but there are some things to remember, especially when it comes to the drains in your home.

After finishing up the latest painting project, such as the guest bedroom or the front door, don’t give in to the temptation of pouring that remaining color down the drain. Paint is highly flammable and adds fumes to your plumbing system, which is throughout your home. Not only is there a chance the paint will ignite, it will coat the insides of your pipes, shrinking them down and causing materials to build up and clog your drains.

Even the drains outside of your home are not an option for proper paint disposal—stay away from the city or storm drains. Paint could easily leak into the water supply or contaminate the ground. For safe paint disposal, check with your local city municipality or the hardware store where the paint was purchased. Some of these places may even recycle paint.

As for proper cleaning after a paint job, follow the directions on the side of the paint can. For water-based or latex paints, it’s safe to scrape excess paint into newspapers. Let the paint on the newspapers dry before throwing them in the trash. Wash your brushes and supplies with warm soapy water. As long as there is enough running water to dilute the paint, it can be washed down the drain safely.

For oil-based or alkyd paints, it’s a different story. These paints aren’t water-soluble, and you will need paint thinner to clean your brushes and supplies. The same goes for marine or auto-body paint; it may contain lead, so be sure to check the labels of paints and follow their disposal directions.

Of course, if you have fresh paint you are trying to get rid of, see if it has another home before trying to dispose of it. Maybe your neighbors or a local business is working on their own do-it-yourself project this summer. 

How to Fix a Clogged Dishwasher 3

The motor also plays a key role in the dishwasher’s ability to drain water. If the motor is not functioning properly, it will have a negative effect on the draining capability of the appliance. Test the dishwasher’s motor for continuity.

To administer the motor test, disconnect the power source for the dishwasher first. Locate the motor, behind the lower access panel. Remove the panel. Next, disconnect the motor’s two wires that lead from the wiring harness. Set the multi-meter to the RX1 setting. Touch each of the meter’s probes to one terminal each. The motor should show little resistance, a reading of zero or very close to it. Next, check the ground connection. Place one probe on the bare metal housing of the motor, place the other probe on each terminal, one at a time. The meter should not show any reading. If the motor fails either of these tests, replace it.

Some dishwasher models have a valve that must open in order for the water to drain out of the appliance, known as a drain valve. The valve is controlled by a solenoid, but the timer decides when the valve should open. If the timer is working okay, check the drain valve and the solenoid. They might need to be replaced.

Last, check the garbage disposal. The plumbing between the dishwasher and the garbage disposal are connected, so if the garbage disposal isn’t working properly, the dishwasher might not be the problem at all.

If your dishwasher still is not functioning properly after checking all of these areas, it is time to call a trusted professional. A plumber and/or repairman can fix the problem and assist you in preventing similar problems in the future.

In the future, try a few simple things to prevent a clogged dishwasher. Be sure to rinse all food and debris from dishes before loading them into the dishwasher to avoid any full baskets or hoses. Take care of your garbage disposal too, by throwing away larger food items and not packing the disposal full of food. Run cold water over the disposal before, during and after use to be sure all items are properly flushed out of the drain and pipes. Stop using powdered detergents. These soaps can turn into “grease” in pipes, which will eventually cause clogging. Avoid this by switching to liquid dish soap made for dishwashers. Of course, it never hurts to check the dishwasher and its parts on a regular basis to make sure everything is in its proper working order.

How to Fix a Clogged Dishwasher 2

If you are still experiencing problems, reach inside the dishwasher with a screwdriver to find the draining basket, located in the very back of the appliance. Sometimes food or other items go beyond the dishwasher drain and get stuck in the draining basket. Unscrew the draining basket from the drain, clean the basket, and if possible, clean underneath it. Rinse the basket and don’t forget to return it and screw it back. Hopefully, that will solve the problem.

If things still aren’t working smoothly, other areas to check include the pump assembly, the belt, the timer, the motor, and the drain valve and/or solenoid. The pump assembly is made up of the pump, wash impeller, and the drain impeller. The pump ejects water from the unit, the wash impeller pushes water through the spray arm and the drain impeller directs water toward the drain. Examine the pump assembly and clean out any debris. If any of the pump assembly’s parts appear worn, replace them.

In some appliances, the dishwasher pump is driven by a belt. If the belt becomes worn, then it cannot properly run the pump that drains the dishwasher tub. If the belt shows any signs of wear, replace it.

Furthermore, a defective timer could interfere with a dishwasher’s ability to drain properly. To find out if this is the problem, test the dishwasher’s timer mechanism. If it is faulty, replace it. Replace the entire timer assembly or just the timer’s motor, depending on the problem.

How to Fix a Clogged Dishwasher

Dishwashers make our home lives much easier, but when they aren’t working properly, our chore list is certainly a dreaded task. If the dishwasher is clogged, there are many opportunities to fix the problem on your own. Dishwashers may not drain properly for a number of reasons:  the drain could be full of food or other debris, or the draining hose might be bent or old. Before you call a professional, there are a few things to check first.

Begin by checking the dishwasher’s drain for food or other debris. If there is something in the drain, use a paper towel to remove it. If that didn’t clear up the dishwasher, use a homemade “snake”—a stretched out metal clothes hanger, to help get rid of any unseen objects in the drain or pipe.

Next, pull out the bottom panel of the dishwasher and check the draining hose. Clogs often occur where the hose is attached to the main household drain line or where the hose connects to the garbage disposal.

There is also a chance the hose could be twisted or bent, causing the water to backup. Detach the hose and unravel it as much as possible. If you see a clog in the hose, it might be time to replace it. Because of all the hot water running through the hose, it tends to lose its proper shape over time. If the hose is stretched or sagging, it is time to replace it.

How to Get Your Pool Drain Ready for Summer Use 2

Clogged pipes and other pool problems generally result from a problem with the main drain.  You do not always need a plumbing contractor or pool technician to unclog the main drain.  If you discover a clog during your spring maintenance, there are a few simple items you can use to break up the clog and get the drain working again. 

Start by closing the suction pipes that lead to the skimmers.  Clogs in these pipes seldom occur and are almost never the issue when you have pool-related plumbing problems.  However, to ensure no water or obstruction can seep out of the pipe, you will need to close these outlets.  Next, close off the main pipe by twisting or rotating it shut.

Connect your garden hose to the drain attachment.  If you do not have a drain attachment, measure your drain dimensions and take the measurements with you to a plumbing supply store.  The sales associate will be able to find the right device to fit the pool.  Expect the attachment to cost approximately $20.

Connect the hose to the drain.  This can be done when the pool is completely drained, partially drained or full.  Depending on the construction of your pool and municipality limits, keeping the pool full may be your best bet.  In this case, you will be able to break up the clog and simply vacuum the remnants out of the pool water. 

Turn the hose on full blast.  The pressure going into the main drain should be enough to clear the clog.  You will know the clog is gone when you lift the attachment off the drain and debris spills out.  You may need to repeat this process up to ten times to clear stubborn clogs.  If your efforts do not work after ten attempts, it is time to call a professional pool technician!

Now, clean the interior of your pool.  Commercially available chemicals are your best bet to make sure the pool is sparkling clean and safe to use.  Chorine is used most commonly in swimming pool maintenance.  Adjust the levels to blast away discoloration around the main drain.  Avoid swimming in the pool until the correct pH balance has been restored.  You can easily test the pH balance with kits available in any pool store.

How to Get Your Pool Drain Ready for Summer Use

The snow has been falling for months, but it is finally starting to warm up – and that means one thing – time to break the cover off your backyard pool and get ready to soak up the rays.  Before you can enjoy fun by the pool, you need to clean a winter’s worth of grime out of the pool, pipes and drain.  This can seem like a daunting task, but not to worry – we are here to help make the process a little easier.

There are numerous parts that make up the main pool drain.  A portion of your maintenance plan should include cleaning the drain regularly and ensuring it is in proper working order.  Without the correct cleaning, a clogged drain is almost a guarantee.  As you know, clogs can prevent your pool from draining and filtering properly.

Start the spring cleaning process by cleaning the main drain cover.  Most main drains use a cover to prevent a vortex from forming when the pool is being drained.  The drain may also have a trap, which keeps debris like leaves and hair from causing a clog.  Both the cover and the trap need to be removed and cleaned before maintenance can be done to the pipes or the pool itself.

Drain Snakes Part 3

If none of the above fixes clear your drain, it’s time to either call in your licensed plumbing professionals, or give a hand-cranked drain snake a go yourself. Remember, this is extremely messy, smelly work, which might be reason enough for you to call a plumber.

But if you’re up for the job, here’s how to operate a drain snake. First, after removing any screens, push the snake into the drain while turning the handle on the crank in a clockwise direction. As mentioned before, when you encounter the clog, you will know it; you will feel some resistance run up through the cable. If you don’t encounter the clog, or you have so much difficulty “snaking” the cable into the pipes you feel as though you aren’t in control of it—it’s time to call your plumber. But if you do run the end of the auger into the clog, then gently pull back a little, while still turning the crank. This will help embed the auger into the clog. Now try to pull the clog back out. Turn the handle counter clockwise and be ready to clean up the mess.

Sometimes, however, it’s too difficult to pull an obstinate clog back up the pipe. In this case, use the auger to break it up. It’s like you’re punching holes in the clog with the drain snake. Then use a lot of hot water, to flush it all down and out of your pipes.

A drain snake can be a very handy tool, especially for naturally handy homeowners, but they do take skill to use, and as you can see from these posts, pose their own challenges. If you feel confident about using one, drop by your local hardware store today to buy a drain snake. But if you don’t feel up to the task, or if the clog is so big or so far down the pipe an electrically powered snake is called for, then make sure you have a licensed plumber come in for the job.