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When you have an emergency drain stoppage, Geiler Plumbing, Heating and Air is here for you. Our professional plumbers will use drain cleaning machines or "snakes" to clear all forms of stoppages. We also have camera inspection equipment and a transmitter/receiver locator as well, for finding broken underground or hidden pipes.
The worst way to fix a clogged drain is doing it yourself. Sure, a clogged drain is irritating, but seems like an easy fix. Just pour some drain cleaner down the hole and wait for the magic to happen, right? The problem is that magic will actually not happen, and some very bad things just might. Like:
You fill the air with toxic fumes
Do you remember every chemical that has gone down that clogged drain before you poured that caustic chemical in? Most retail drain cleaners are lye or bleach based. If you have rinsed an ammonia based cleaner down the drain and then follow it with a drain cleaner that's bleach based, those two chemicals can combine and fill your house with toxic chloramine vapor, basically clorine gas. If you are in unventilated area and inhale some of that, you could have serious medical emergency on your hands. Also, these chemicals are designed to dissolve organic matter to open clogged drains. You don't want that organic matter to be part of your body.
Pipes don't run in straight lines. They all have U shaped bends called drain traps that are designed to keep sewer gas from getting inside your house. If liquid drain cleaner gets into this trap, it will eventually chew a hole in your pipe and you will have a much bigger problem on your hand than a clogged drain. The acid will also eat away at enamel and other finishes in your sinks.
be pouring hazardous chemicals down a pipe that won't drain. The acid will just be chewing on your pipes and putting you and your family at risk for exposure to toxic fumes.
Many water meters come with a leak indicator, which is a separate indicator from the odometer-like reader that tracks overall water use. First, find your water meter. It's going to be between the water main and your home. To use the leak indicator, make sure all water use in your home has stopped, including automatic appliances like water heaters. Make sure nothing is running or filling up. Go back and look at the leak indicator. If it is moving, you have a leak inside your home. If you are not comfortable with finding and using the water meter to detect a suspected leak, a licensed plumber can be hired to do the job for you.
leak. If you try to increase your water pressure without taking care of one of these problems hiding in your walls, you will make your situation worse. So again, if you are in doubt, call a licensed plumber. The peace of mind is worth the service call.The best thing to do if you think your water pressure is too low is to call a professional to assess your water system. Then you will know exactly what you can do and how much it will cost to get it done.
but that doesn't mean that it came from the bottom of the water heater. Look at where the water lines come into the room and follow them all the way down to the top of the tank. If you find water, try to trace the source. There is also the option of calling a professional for an inspection and estimate. Knowing exactly what the problem is and how much it will cost to fix it is usually worth the cost of the service call.
down the heat in the winter, especially if they are leaving for a few days. Who wants to pay to heat an empty house? You do, if you don't want to come back to frozen pipes.
Let the faucet drip - Pipes burst because of the water pressure and the ice forming and expanding inside the pipe as it is freezing. Letting the faucet drip keeps the water moving in the pipe, making it less likely to freeze. It also reduces the pressure in the system, which might help prevent a frozen pipe from bursting. Yes, you will spend a little money on water that is literally going down the drain, but it's a very small cost compared to your pipes freezing.
Some of these solutions will cost a little money. But the cost to repair a frozen pipe, especially if it has burst, will be much higher. That, plus avoiding the inconvenience and frustration, makes it a good idea to make sure you keep your pipes from freezing.
of indoor water use, accounting for 26.7% of consumption in an average home. A leaky toilet can run through up to 200 gallons in a day. That's 1400 gallons a week or 6000 gallons in a month. A three person household typically uses about that much, so a leaky toilet can double your water bill. There are a couple of simple ways to check if your toilet is leaking. First, just listen. If you hear a hissing noise, that's the water entering the toilet tank. If it's doing that constantly that means the water is leaving constantly as well, likely through a faulty flapper at the bottom of the tank. Another way to test for a toilet leak is to put food coloring in the tank. If the color makes its way to the bowl, you have a leak. A new flapper is an easy fix for most people, but if it looks like a different problem or it's one that you don't want to mess with, call a professional plumber. The money you spend will be made up in lower water bills.
percent of water use per month for a family of three. Double the drip rate is double the water wasted. These are easy to spot, and now that you know they are costing you more money than you think, sometimes easy to fix. Many faucet fixtures can simply be unscrewed and examined. If you find a bad washer, which is usually the culprit, it can be easily replaced. If you are hesitant about messing with your fixtures, it's time to call a professional. Just like with a leaky toilet, fixing a leaky faucet will pay for itself sooner than you think.This is another potentially serious issue. A lateral line is a line running from your water main into your home. These pipes can get old, or be affected by tree roots, animal or seismic activity. Whatever the case, it won't take long for a leak like this to get expensive as the water drains into the ground underneath your home. This is another case where the advice of a professional plumber is crucial to finding and fixing the problem. This is an issue that can't be ignored.
If you don't have any of these problems and would like to reduce your water bill, here are some things you should stop doing.
Grease, dirt and other debris can accumulate in commercial sewer and drain lines causing blockages over time. Frequently clogged drains and sewer lines may need the help of a qualified Cincinnati plumbing contractor. Geiler's environmentally safe, high pressure sewer jetting service will emulsify grease, remove roots and hardened scale, remove sludge, dirt and debris. By jetting sewer and drain pipes, problematic backups will be washed away, leaving your business with free-flowing pipes once again.
Find out the worst way to fix a clogged drain.
It’s a fact.
We get more thunderstorms storms and rainfall in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky these days. What does this mean for homeowners?
More worries about basement flooding.
Each time there’s a heavy rain our office is deluged by calls from customers to report their sump pump has stopped working. After all, nothing’s worse than looking down into a flooded basement and observing your ruined flooring, destroyed furniture, and a big, giant mess. Basement flooding can cost a lot in aggravation, not to mention the money you’ll have to invest in replacement, repair, and remediation.
Luckily, there are a few things that can do to prevent sump pump failure.
First, check that the cord is connected to the outlet. Next, inspect the fuses or circuits. It’s important to note that even if electricity is still working in your home, electrical problems can cause your pump to fail anyway.
A backup battery sump pump system is the best way to circumvent flooding from power failures. If you already have a backup system installed and your pump is still not getting power, check the backup system’s water level. Add distilled water if needed. If that doesn’t work your batteries may need to be replaced. The average lifespan of batteries is 3-5 years.
Let’s face it, the last thing you’ll want to deal with this spring and summer is basement flooding because your sump pump stops working. Call us at 513-574-0025.
Continue your detective work with another water sample from a different part of the house.
Does that water smell too?
If it does, the problem is in your water supply. Some wells naturally have water than can smell bad, and the problem can get worse with time. No smell on your second sample? Then you have localized the problem.