Preventing a Bathtub Clog

Prevention of the hair clog is always the best approach to avoid the issue completely. Consider buying an effective drain cap or cover to ensure nothing other than water is able to slip down it. If you have a family with thick curly long hair, you will benefit from a drain cover. With something in place to catch the stray hairs, you won’t have to worry about having to pull out accumulations of organic debris that are simply too large to make their way through your plumbing system in any expedient fashion.

Common Substances that Clog Bathroom Drains

Another important thing to note is that hair is only one substance that can cause slow moving drains in the bathroom. There are a number of small-sized items that can get lodged in this portion of your plumbing system if it is not properly blocked off by an acceptable drain catch plate. For instance, if your children like showering or bathing with small-sized toys, then you should make sure that these are always too large to slip down in this space. Be sure to check toys for small detachable parts. Another common culprit is food. Yes, children and adults both eat in the bathroom.

As a general rule, If the object is a choking hazard, it is also a bathroom drain hazard.

The tops to shampoos and conditions or even various portions of personal razors or shavers are among some of the other things that can get lodged into this space. If you do not have a drain cap currently in place, make sure that this isn’t your problem. If you have a relatively large, hard obstruction in this area, it is best to call a plumber.

Best Way to Remove Hair from a Shower Drain

For soft, organic materials such as hair or food crumbs, reach down into the drain area and see if you can remove the clog yourself. You might try using something relatively narrow to scoop this up, such as a slightly bent wire hanger. Do not, however, attempt to force this deeply down into the plumbing system, as you may do more harm than good. You also want to avoid forcing any blockage or debris deeper into the plumbing system.

There may be a drain cap that is built into the unit. Try unscrewing this by twisting it counter-clockwise. Once it’s off, you should be able to peer fully down into the drain. You can also use a flashlight to get a better look at how the blockage is positioned.

If a clog cannot be removed by hand or with a relatively short and narrow tool, use a simple drain snake to clear the blockage. Again, however, this is only a good idea when dealing with soft, organic debris rather than hard toys or plastic personal hygiene implements. Harder items will only get forced deeper into the plumbing system when a drain snake is used.

Once the area has been cleared, go ahead and clean and freshen your drains. You can do this with a combination of white vinegar and baking soda. The chemical reaction that occurs when these two things are mixed is strong enough to power away soap scum and other build-ups that can contribute to problems with a slow-moving drain. You should avoid, however, the use of store-bought, chemical drain cleaners given that these are highly corrosive and can actually eat through your pipes. When all else fails, go ahead and call a reputable, local plumber in to get the job done right.

Fix It All Plumbing has served the Nashville community for decades ensuring your plumbing is working properly and that you have clean water. Our plumbers are committed to providing you with premium unclogging services at fair rates. We are glad to help you with any questions or issues.

Call or text us at (615) 568-5051

Your Nashville Plumber,

Kevin Sipes

The post How To Unclog a Bathtub Drain Full Of Hair in the Bathroom first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

Rule #1: Don’t Panic!

This can be pretty tough, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to worry anymore because this article has a tip you can take with you to every party you attend.

A Close Call At A Graduation Party

Everything was going fine, except when my wife came up to me after returning from the bathroom. She said she clogged the toilet and it’s going to overflow. Me being a plumber, I ran to that bathroom to save my wife from the embarrassment. I ran as fast as I could to see if I could stop the overflow.

When I got there I could see it was luckily not overflowed but at the brim. Thank you, Lord!

I found a plunger, carefully fixed the clog and went back to the party. I assured my wife there was nothing to clean up and everything was fine.

When we got home I told her there was something I wanted to show her. She gave a cheesy look and I said “in the bathroom.” Not knowing what to expect, she slowly inched into the bathroom.

That’s when I showed her there wasn’t much she could do about not clogging the toilet. At parties, it’s obviously more likely to happen. However, I showed her a trick to stop the overflow.

“I wish I would have known this…”

If you run into this situation again, look behind the toilet for the main shut off valve.

Sometimes these are hidden behind a wall, but in many cases, they are not. Simply close the valve (righty tighty, lefty loosey) to stop the flow of water into the bowl.

My wife was astonished at how and said, “I wish I would have known this. Thank you!”

“But wait! There’s more,” I said.

If you can’t move the valve by hand, because it’s stuck, you can remove the toilet tank lid and see if the flapper is open. If it is, close the flapper. If it’s not or won’t stay closed when you close it, grab the float ball and lift it to the surface of the water.

“You now have the tools to go to a party. Haha,” I said. LOL.

Don’t forget about Rule #1: Don’t panic. Then use this trick to save your bathroom or someone else’s.

Just Your Friendly Neighborhood

Fix It All Plumber, Kevin Sipes

The post “Please Stop!” Toilet Overflow Quick Fix first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

Have your drains been slow lately or maybe even clogged completely? It’s a common problem all homeowners deal with at one time or another, and a very common issue we handle. Clogged drains can create severe water damage to a home’s structure and are a potential health risk to your family. At Fix-It-All Plumbing, we have been servicing clogged drains, sewers and pipes in the Nashville area for nearly 20 years and urge you to always call a professional if you find yourself dealing with slow or clogged drains on a regular basis.

A clog my seem like a do-it-yourself project to many Nashville area homeowners but there are some serious side effects that can occur from common DIY clog removal methods.   Commercial over the counter drain cleaners may be safe once in awhile, but regular use can cause damage to pipes due to the caustic nature of their chemical make up. So if your sink or bath water regularly drains very slowly, you are likely dealing with partial or complete clog and should absolutely call a professional plumber at Fix It All Plumbing.

Fix It All Plumbing Tips For Preventing Clogged Drains

While we love seeing all our Nashville areas neighbors, we thought we’d share some simple tips on preventing drain clogs to help you protect your home and your wallet from costly damage caused by clogged drains.

• After dinner, as a part of nightly clean up you can prevent grease buildup and water deposits by running very hot water down the drain for a few minutes.

• Every few months or so check the stoppers in the bathtub to see if they are suffering from wear and tear and clear the inevitable hair and biofilm buildup. To help prevent this buildup, fill the bathtub halfway and pull the stopper. Doing this weekly will help flush the drain and prevent buildup.

• Have a professional snake your drain lines at least once per year to eliminate any buildup that could lead to a clog.

• Avoid washing scraps, coffee grinds, and grease down the sink drain.

• Finally, as we have already mentioned, avoid using chemical based cleaners for clog prevention. Instead, find a natural enzyme/bacteria based cleaner that will destroy bad bacteria in the drain by promoting colonies of good bacteria. Do this at night time just as everyone is going to sleep to allow the good bacteria to build up overnight and not get washed away by water.

Regular maintenance and vigilance will certainly help you avoid clogged drains but when the battle has been inevitably lost and you need clogged drain repair in the Nashville area, call the very best at Fix-It-All Plumbing. We will be happy to help!

Fix It All Plumbing is committed to providing you with premium plumbing services at fair rates. We are glad to help you with any plumbing questions or issues.

Call or text us at (615) 568-5051

Your Nashville Plumber,

Kevin Sipes

The post Dealing With Clogged Drains first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

How to Repair a Slow Draining Disposal

First of all, do not pour toxic drain cleaner chemicals into a garbage disposal. It will not work, and will probably harm the disposal. You will have to clear the clog manually.

Climb under the sink and remove the discharge pipe from the disposal. It is connected to the disposal with bolts that can easily be removed with a wrench. Once they are removed you can pull out the discharge pipe and the drain trap. Check for clogs inside the pipe and the trap.

If these are clear, the clog is deeper in the pipes. For this, you will need a sink auger or a small drain snake. These are available at any home repair or hardware store, and are handy to have around, especially if you find lots of hair in your drains.

Extend the auger cable inside the discharge pipe until you feel the clog. Once you feel it, pull out about a foot of cable and tighten the set screw. Then, start winding the auger with slow and gentle pressure. If you feel the cable go through the clog, retract the cable, and hook up the drain trap to the discharge pipe again.

Once everything is replaced, pour a bit of water through the disposal and check for leaks under the sink. Tighten the pipes until there are no more leaks. Then, and only then, pour boiling water through the drain to completely clear the clog.

If these steps do not help your sink drains run free and clear, it will be time to give our plumbers a call in the Nashville area at 615-568-5051. Our friendly plumbing technicians will be happy to come out and get your drains in tip-top shape.

The post Repairing Your Garbage Disposal When It Stops Working, Part Two first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

4 Steps to Repair Your Garbage Disposal

1. Make sure the disposal is plugged in (if not hardwired).
2. Check the circuit breaker.
3. Press the “Reset” button (located on the bottom of the unit).
4. Turn off power to the disposal at the breaker box and replace the switch. (Double and triple check that the power is turned off before messing with any electrical wires!)

Is your disposal making any sound when you try to run it?

If the disposal still does not work, and is not making a sound, it is time to get a new disposal. But if it is making a humming noise and not grinding up food, the problem could be a stuck flywheel.

When you bought your disposal, it came with a small offset wrench. If you have misplaced this wrench, you can get a new one at a home supply store. Then do the following:

3 Additional Repair Steps to Fix Your Disposal

Never, EVER, stick your hand into the disposal – even if you are sure the electricity is turned off!

1. Turn off power to the disposal at the breaker box.
2. Climb under the disposal and insert the offset wrench into the hole in the center of the bottom of the disposal.
3. Turn the wrench clockwise until you feel the flywheel turn freely.

Your local plumber is the one to call to repair your garbage disposal if you are unable or simply don’t have the time to fix it. In Nashville call or text Kevin Sipes, Master Plumber at Fix It All Plumbing.

615-568-5051

Next month, I will talk about what to do if your disposal is working, but is draining slowly.

The post What to Do when the Garbage Disposal Stops Working first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

All of us have one main line that comes into the house with fresh water, Then we have another one that takes our used water to the sewer. A clog in your supply line means you will have low water pressure. A clog in the sewer line causes backups in all of your sinks and toilets.

If your shower and bathroom sink are backed up, but your toilet flushes just fine, the clog will be in one of the smaller lines that branch off from the main line. Before you call us, check out all of your drains to see if you can locate the part that is clogged.

The number one cause of sewer line drains is tree roots – particularly in older houses. Sometimes we will have to dig up the sewer line and saw off the tree root, or replace the sewer line around the major roots. Not taking care of this right away can lead to some major damage to your house and your landscaping.

If you suspect you have a major clog, give us a call. We will dispatch one of our expert technicians to diagnose your problem and get your drains running free again.

The post Gurgling Pipes first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.

Solutions to drain problems often vary; a bathroom sink or tub is normally an easy fix. Some old tubs will have to be re-piped. You will have to remove the old lead drum trap and replace with a p-trap, but a house built after 1974 should have a PVC p-trap. Most bathroom sinks the clog will come out pretty quick.

Drainage Slows Throughout the Day

If your drains work well when you get up, and get slower during the day, you have a partial clog in you main. The clog could be far from the house and drains during the night, when you are not using any water. This could be a root, belly, or break in your sewer main. I would highly recommend a licensed plumbing company for this repair. If you don’t know one, Fix It All-Plumbing would love to help you with this repair.

Snaking Your Drains

As a licensed plumber I would never use over the counter drain cleaners. Most are just an acid. This can ruin the finish on your sink or tub drain, and will not work on a toilet stoppage. You do not want to get this on your skin as it will burn you. If you have metal pipes it can cause corrosion with extended use. It will not harm your pipes if you use it once, but it will not fix your problem 100%. The best way to break a clog is with a cable (snake). You could do it yourself but be careful, you can hurt yourself or your pipes if done incorrectly. I’ve been to many homes where people have attempted to fix their drains with a $20 snake from Home Depot only to give up and call me. The cheapest snake on my truck is about $450.00 and I only mention this to show that it takes the right tool to get the job done right (and that $20 snake isn’t it). Beyond the tool, there are skills to snaking a drain properly and ensuring you remove the entire clog. If you leave part of the clog behind you are ultimately setting yourself up for future blockages.

Proper Snaking of your drainage pipes can save your pipes from clogging again and catch potential hazards such as tree roots or collapses

I left the hardest for last. Kitchen sinks and washing machines can be the hardest drains in the house to get open. Every drain in your house goes to your toilet, the biggest drain. In most homes these two things are on the opposite end of the house. If it is not done with perfect fall, or hung properly it can give you problems later. If you have cast iron drains sludge will start to build up. If you think about it, the average drain has had at least 30 years of stuff going down it and eventually they will fail.

If a kitchen sink on the disposal side only backs up it’s usually an
easy fix. I don’t want you to think if your kitchen or washer is stopped up, it takes a total repipe. It could be a fairly easy fix though experience tells me that there could be multiple issues with these drain types.

Here at Fix It All-Plumbing we would be happy to help you if you’re ever in need of a drain or plumbing repair.

The post Fixing Slow Drains first appeared on Fix It All Plumbing.