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

Why Sewer Line Clogs Happen and How We Fix Them

Wonder why your home’s pipes keep getting clogged when you haven’t done anything wrong? Read on to learn why these back-ups happen and the techniques that top-quality plumbers like Thompson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling use to fix them.

A main reason plumbing systems become clogged is because the main sewer line has become partially blocked or damaged. Many of the Greater Cincinnati area’s neighborhoods have sewer lines with old clay pipes. With age, these pipes are prone to intrusion by tree roots, misalignment, and collapse.

To diagnose your problem, we use a technology called Drain Vision. Drain Vision is a special camera that we put into your pipes to see what’s going on in your home plumbing system, without having to dig up your yard. Using this technology, we can view the inside of the pipes in your home, the pipes running under your house and through the yard, and even the sewer line going out to the street.

If we find that your clog is caused by damaged sewer line pipes, we can use a trenchless technology to actually re-line your main sewer all the way out to the street. We do this by inserting a special liner into the sewer line exiting your home. This liner is then cured into place using special resins to become a brand-new pipe – all without any yard excavation! With the new liner installed inside of the old pipe, your flow rate increases up to 80 percent.

From your home, to your yard, to your main sewer line, Thompson can handle all of your toughest plumbing problems. Schedule an appointment with us, and we’ll diagnose and address your plumbing issue, with a solution that doesn’t involve ripping up your yard.

* * *

Unclog Blog is written & published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Dishwasher

Cleaning the dishwasher is not a task we choose to do often. Even when performing our spring cleaning regimen, many of us forget about cleaning this appliance. Yet it is very important to do so. Debris and food deposits that build up over time can reduce the dishwasher's performance and affect the cleanliness of the dishes we use. The good news is that cleaning the dishwasher is not a chore we need to do very often. It also is not difficult to do. Here are a few tips on cleaning and maintaining your dishwasher.

● Use the machine often. This is the best way to prevent food deposits and debris from building up. The dishwasher will also need to be cleaned less often.

● Take a small brush such as an old toothbrush and dip it in hot and soapy water. Scrub around the door in the crevices and grooves that are all around the rubber seal. Often a huge amount of gunk will build up there.

● Dip a cleaning sponge in the hot, soapy water and clean up all the gunk. After rinsing the sponge, wipe over the areas of the dishwasher where additional food debris might be present. If at any time the soapy water becomes dirty, pour it out and make a new batch.

● Look closely at the drain area. Scrub it to make sure there are no bigger pieces of hardened debris that can clog the drain or damage the pump. These pieces can even cause scratches on the dishes.

● Take a dishwasher safe cup and fill it with white vinegar. Place it on the top rack and run it through the hottest cycle possible. This will help rid the dishwasher of any left-behind gunk and grime. It will also leave it with a fresh scent. You may also choose to use baking soda. Simply sprinkle a cup of it on the bottom of the machine tub and run through the hot cycle.

Following these suggestions will prolong the life of your dishwasher while also making it sparkly clean.

* * *

Unclog Blog is written & published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling

Preventing Toilet Clogs

For obvious reasons, toilet clogs are probably the worst kind of household clogs. Fortunately, many toilet clogs can be prevented by simply being careful of what you flush down the toilet. However, if your toilet is clogging with increasing frequency, you may need to enlist the services of a plumber to prevent further clogs.

The first thing needed to prevent toilet clogs is to make sure the members of your household don’t use your toilet as a “trashcan” to dispose of general waste. Never flush food, cat litter, diapers, dental floss or any other type of trash down the toilet. Paper towels, facial tissues and other heavy paper products are also not flushable.

Even some so-called “flushable” items should not really be flushed if you want your toilet to remain in good working order. These include sanitary wipes, feminine products (including tampons) and flushable cat litter.

Really, the only solid item that should go down the toilet is toilet paper. But even toilet paper can cause clogs if you use too much of it. Toilet paper with special properties such as extra-thick or scented toilet paper can also cause clogs. While it might not be as comfortable, single-ply toilet paper is the best type for clog prevention. It’s also more economical and environmentally friendly.

Usually, a simple toilet clog can be fixed with a plunger. But if your toilet is becoming clogged with increasing frequency, an underlying problem may be to blame. One possibility is there might be a partial blockage further down the pipe that can’t be loosened with a plunger. In such cases, it’s best to call a professional plumber who can diagnose and address the larger problem before it gets worse.

For all your tough toilet problems, contact Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

* * *

Unclog Blog is written & published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling

 

(Photo via Flickr)

Plungers A to Z

When you think of a plunger, chances are, you’re picturing the standard red or black rubber plunger with a wooden handle, used to unclog the toilet. However, there are several different types of plungers for different types of drains in your home.

The standard plunger, the one you might be thinking about, has a rubber cup at the end of the straight handle that’s usually made out of wood. The handle or the rubber cup might be different sizes on different models, but its purpose remains the same.

The standard plunger is also called a sink plunger because it works best on a flat surface, where the edges of the cup can grip a flat surface (like a sink) and create the vacuum to remove the clog. It’s possible to use this type of plunger for other drains besides the sink drain, but it might not have as powerful a vacuum.

A toilet plunger looks very similar to the sink plunger, with the rubber cup and straight handle. However, it has an additional rubber flap that folds out from inside of the cup, which makes it, fit perfectly over the toilet drain.

A toilet plunger could also be used on a tub or a sink drain, and it’s the best option to have around the home because of its versatility.

Another plunger, the accordion plunger, has a much different look. An accordion plunger is made of hard plastic and has a smaller cup, which also has a stretchable accordion shape and look to it.

This plunger is good for toilet clogs, but not for use on any other drains. Although this style provides a strong suction, it’s difficult to use.

A fourth type of plunger is called a taze plunger. This plunger is only used by professionals, and is almost never needed for homes.

* * *

Unclog Blog is written & published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling

 

(Photo via Flickr)

During July '12 Get ANY Drain Cleared for Only $87.00

 

 

* * *

The Unclog Blog is written & published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling

Prairie Plumbing: The American Outhouse

A clogged toilet is an annoying inconvenience. But at least you have a toilet to clog! To make you more grateful to have modern indoor plumbing, let’s take a look at what it was like to live back in the days when you had to do your business in a shed behind the house, a.k.a. an outhouse.

In the early 1800s, as American settlers started branching out into the western territories and setting up homesteads there, the outhouse, or privy, began to replace the chamber pot as the preferred sanitation method. However, outhouses of the “Little House on the Prairie” days were not particularly sanitary.

Before today’s porta-potty chemical deodorizers or modern composting methods, outhouses were stinky, nasty places. One disgusted diarist of the homesteader era wrote: "Privy houses set against ye Strete which spoiling people's apparill should they happen to be nare when ye filth comes out ... Especially in ye Night when people can not see to shun them."

Essentially just a structure built around a hole in the ground into which people would relieve themselves, the average outhouse measured about 3x4 feet wide, and 7 feet high. Outhouses were usually built around 50 to 150 feet away from the main house, to minimize the smell. Outhouses didn’t have windows, so people typically had to leave the door open while using it for ventilation purposes

Another commodity we take for granted that wasn’t readily available in the American West is toilet paper. Instead of TP, rural American homesteaders would usually use newspaper or pages from old catalogs.

Feeling grateful yet? Good! Now, in light of what you just learned, this might sound crazy, but … outhouses are actually becoming in vogue again! Keep in mind, though, that modern privies are very different from their smelly, unsanitary predecessors. Using sawdust or woodchips to compost the waste, today’s composting toilets and outhouses are sanitary, produce minimal odors, and represent an ecologically friendly alternative to a flush toilet, as no water is needed.  

 

* * *

The Unclog Blog is written & published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling

 

(Photo via Flickr)