Buildup, buildup, buildup. Do you see your clogged drain as the bane of your shower-taking existence? You can do certain things to make sure that doesn’t happen again. So, here may be some common reasons, and we’ll give you some tips on how to prevent build-ups that clog drains, without breaking a sweat.
With busy lives, we may not be paying attention to the hair that drops into your shower drain every day, but it tends to pile up rather quickly-especially if you have long hair or live with a variety of people who also tend to shed their hair. This excess hair can clog up your drain, and clogs are relatively tricky to cleanout. Sometimes you have to call a plumber to pry it free, but here are some ideas for clogged drains that might save you the trouble of getting someone else involved if you can do it yourself.
Important Tips
Make sure you squeeze the excess water from your hair before you go clogging up your shower drain.
If you have a clog, try using a plunger on the clogged drain first – this will probably do the trick most of the time!
Make sure you’re not overloading your washing machine with too much soap or fabric softener. This can cause residue to clog up your drains. If you’re using a lot of soap, try switching to a liquid version instead.
Try boiling water down the clogged drain – pouring a pot or two of boiling water into a clogged shower sink might help melt any clogs sitting on top of the drain without getting too far inside.
Make sure you’re not clogging your drains with food scraps, especially grease or oil, which can solidify and clog up pipes like cement!
If all else fails, make sure to call a professional to take care of your clogged shower drain for you! It might be frustrating to pay someone else to clear the clog when you know how to do it yourself, but they’ve got the equipment necessary to get clogs out that you don’t have.
When the weather starts to get cooler, drains can become clogged. A few steps can be taken to prevent this and save money in the long run. Follow these steps to avoid clogged drains this season.
Keep Drains Clear
Drains are more likely to become clogged in the fall, so it’s essential to keep them clear this season. To keep drains clear of grease and other buildups, run hot water with a cup of baking soda and vinegar, and if there is still standing water in the drain, use boiling water. Like this, you can prevent your drains from becoming clogged with grease or dirt debris.
Get Rid of Excess Hair
Before it gets cold, be sure to get rid of excess hair in the shower. This means cleaning out drains and disposing of hair that won’t come free promptly.
Run the Heat and Air
The heater and air conditioner can be used to prevent clogged drains. Running these appliances will help dry out the drain and remove excess moisture that could cause a clog.
If these steps are taken, you can prevent your drain from becoming clogged and save money in the long run.
A clogged drain is a bummer, but there are plenty of different things that can cause clogs in your shower. You have to find the right solution for your clog and keep your drains unclogged so you can keep taking relaxing showers without all of the clogs.
https://www.poolesplumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/How-to-prevent-build-ups-that-clog-drains.jpg16662500raleigh plumbershttps://www.poolesplumbing.com/assets/Pooles-logos_01_small.pngraleigh plumbers2022-03-15 11:30:482022-11-27 15:13:04How to prevent build-ups that clog drains
Home plumbing checklist! When you are in the market to buy a new or old home, there are countless things to check and clean. One essential thing is the plumbing system. While part of this is covered by the seller and done before you take occupancy, there may still be things that need your attention when you start using it.
Check for Leaks
Checking for leaks or water damage is one of the most crucial things the seller usually looks at. Leakage in sinks and showers, but something that often slips through the cracks is slow-draining sinks and fixtures. If these haven’t been replaced, make sure to deal with them as soon as possible because leaks may cause serious damage to your home if left unattended for too long.
Check Water Quality
There’s not much point in getting a new home if the water quality is terrible. It’s usually listed somewhere on the deed, but it never hurts to ask about it. A water softener can be installed on every tap in your home for around $100, and you may find them at most hardware or plumbing store.
Check Water Pressure
If it isn’t already, make sure the place you’re buying has decent water pressure. Water pressure usually isn’t an issue for most people, but if you like to take long showers, it might be more of a problem than you expect, and while some things can be done about it (like installing a water tower), they aren’t cheap or easy solutions.
Check Local Water Regulations
This won’t matter much unless you’re planning on doing some major renovations to your home, but it’s good to know before you buy. Most municipalities will require any plumber working in their jurisdiction to be licensed. So, this means that if you hire an independent contractor (recommended for all plumbing work), they’ll need to go through the local licensing process, which can take up to three months.
Keep Utilities Separate
If the house doesn’t already have separate utilities (gas and water bills), make sure they are installed as soon as possible. Not only does this help keep track of your expenses, but it also makes repairs much more accessible since everything isn’t connected.
Check Quality of Pipes
While not necessarily dangerous, old galvanized steel piping should be replaced whenever possible. Galvanized steel is a good and inexpensive material, but it erodes very quickly in water at high temperatures and can lead to leaks and breakages.
According to many sources, PVC piping is the most accessible replacement if you need upgrades because it has over 100 years. Ensure that local codes have approved everything before making any changes and that a permit has been acquired if necessary.
The sewer line should be inspected every couple of years to make sure it isn’t cracked, collapsed, or damaged in any way by tree roots. Tree roots can be one of the most severe causes of damage to piping, which is why many areas have decided to prevent them from entering their systems by banning trees (or at least big ones) from being planted near where pipes lie. Suppose you’re buying a house with an existing tree. In that case, you might want to consider removing it even if it doesn’t seem like there’s much risk involved since having to replace your system later on, is not only inconvenient but very expensive as well.
Check for Signs of Damage
A big part of a plumbing checklist is looking for past damager. So, even if everything appears to be in perfect working order and there are no signs of damage at home, you still want to ensure that everything looks as it should. Look for discoloration and peeling paint which can indicate aging pipes and rusting joints. If there is any, they will need to be replaced before long, or they’ll soon become a problem.
Check out the article on Realtor.com What does a home inspector Look for?
Check the Floor Drains
The floor usually drains last forever, but if something has gone wrong with them, then it’s best if you know about it right away, so you don’t have to deal with flooding later on. Floor drains are most commonly used for washing machines, sinks, and dishwashers, but sometimes the lines connecting them back up main lines enter your home, then call a professional right away. You don’t want anything catastrophic happening before you know about it.
Inspect Floors
It never hurts for new homeowners to look under their homes from time to time and cause them to flood after use or when water pressure increases (like during a storm). Installing an overflow kit on your drains ($20 or less at any hardware store) is very easy and quick, and it could save you a lot of money in the long run.
Check for Signs of Leaks
Leaks can be a huge annoyance, especially if they go unnoticed for too long. They can lead to severe water damage, which will make your home less desirable to others and can even lead to rot in flooring and other materials if gone unchecked. If you see any signs of dampness or discoloration near where pipes are entering, don’t hesitate to call a plumber.
It’s also wise to turn off your house’s main shutoff valve (usually near the water meter) whenever there is a chance of it being frozen during the winter months. If this happens, turning off your home’s supply can be as simple as flicking a switch from inside.
Floating Manifold Problems
Many homes have a “floating” water heater manifold. That means that the individual supply lines from each fixture are connected to it, so they all share one shutoff. If only two of those connections were made instead of three, there might be a problem.
For example, if both washers and showers tap into this shared manifold but only one is hooked up via supply line, the water heater won’t get any hot unless someone is using both appliances at once or unless someone turns on every faucet in the house (since cold connections cause them to draw heat instead).
You’ll need to call your plumber, who will run an additional line between fixtures to solve this issue. It’s not something most homeowners can do themselves.
Inspecting “floating” or wall-hung manifolds has been compared to feeling around in the dark because there isn’t any visible sign of damage. However, if enough metal fatigue accumulates, it could cause a leak, quickly leading to rot and rust. So, be sure to keep a check on any signs of corrosion and have them replaced as soon as possible.
Washing Machine Hoses
One of the most common household repairs seen everywhere is replacing washing machine hoses. Washing machine hoses are typically designed to only last around five years. When new, these hoses should be nice and rigid, but after time they begin to get soft and “squishy.” Furthermore, if ignored for too long, their inner lining can become brittle, which will lead to splitting when water pressure suddenly increases or when somebody moves an appliance that it’s connected to. Such a hose could leak quickly, so older homeowners may want to inspect them more often than newer homeowners.
To accomplish this, you’ll need a plumber whose couple of other warning signs are bulging in the middle of the hose or small leaks around the ends where it attaches to appliances or fixtures. If any of this happens, replace the hose as soon as possible. Washing machines and water heaters typically work harder when somebody is washing their clothes or taking a shower, so if your home’s pressure suddenly drops, it might indicate that the old hose has started to fail.
Flush Out Your Water Heater
Water heaters are built with small tubes inside them that help distribute hot water to appliances all over your home. These tubes are prone to mineral buildup over time, even though newer models have much better insulation, which slows this process down. The only way to clean these hot water heating elements is by draining the tank completely, flushing out all of the sediments, then refilling with fresh water.
To accomplish this, you’ll need a plumber who can safely shut off your home’s main shutoff, drain the water heater and hook up a hose to the bottom of it. Afterward, flushing will begin and should take anywhere from one to two hours.
One warning sign that it’s time for an element flush is when the water coming out of your hot faucets starts to look brown or grey. Clothes washed in such water will come out dingy because they’ll get covered in sediment as well. You may also be able to hear sediment flowing through the pipes, which could indicate that it’s entering your washing machine (this causes gray residue on fabrics).
If any of this sounds too familiar, it might be time to call a trusted plumber. This job shouldn’t cost more than a few hundred dollars since you can do most of the work yourself, so it’s worthwhile, especially if you have low water pressure or your water heater is older than ten years.
Leaking faucets may add up to a lot of wasted water in many areas, where the price per gallon is higher than in other places.
It’s a Dirty Job, But Someone Has to do it.
There are an estimated 240,000 residential plumbing repair or renovation companies in the United States. One of the most common calls to plumbers is clogged drains and toilets. However, no one area causes more problems than anywhere else in the house, with issues being roughly evenly distributed throughout.
10 Fun Facts about Plumbing
The first known use of drainage pipes was from the Minoan civilization over 3,000 years ago. They created a closed system of water channels under their palaces to carry wastewater and snowmelt far away from the buildings. They were designed and built by hand from ceramic (clay) pipes and consisted of a central “street” and smaller intersecting private drains that fed into it. The first plumber known by name was likely to design this system: Exekias, an Athenian potter by trade.
When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go
In a single day, a typical toilet is flushed about 30 times. The average American uses approximately 80 to 100 gallons of water every day. If you’re average, those 100 gallons are used by taking a shower (~20 gallons per minute), doing the dishes (up to 2.5 gallons per load), flushing the toilet (1.6-gallon flush), and running the faucet (~2.5 gallons per minute). That means that a leaky toilet, which can waste up to 200 gallons per day, or a dripping faucet, which wastes about 2.5 gallons per day, would be responsible for 3% of your daily water usage. If you replaced just those appliances with high-efficiency models, you might save more than 450,000 gallons of water in one year alone or image enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
It’s the Water Silly
The water used for each flush in a modern low-volume toilet is 1.5 gallons or less. This means that you could flush about 50 times in one day and use only 7 gallons of water to accomplish it. A traditional toilet can use anywhere from 3 to 5 gallons per flush. If you were to replace just the low-volume toilets in your house with older models, you could save more than 20,000 gallons of water in a year.
Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd
On average, Americans use nearly 70 gallons of water per day at home for all purposes. Outdoors, we use about 50% more. However, most people are unaware that they’re using over twice as much water outside the home than inside! The two biggest culprits are lawn and garden watering, accounting for roughly one-third of all outdoor water use. If you replaced just one-quarter of your grass with native vegetation, you might reduce your outdoor water usage by up to 30%.
It’s Not Just the Big Guys
For all you DIYers, your toilet is probably not one of the biggest water wasters in your home. The showerhead typically accounts for about 2/3 of a household’s entire hot water usage! If everyone installed low-flow showerheads, we could save more than 1.2 trillion gallons of water each year.
Water: It Does a Body Good
Of all the water used in the home, the most significant percentage (about 40%) goes towards outdoor irrigation.
So, outdoor irrigation can account for as much as half of all residential water use, which is particularly alarming given that nearly 70% of outdoor water use comes from evaporation. Not only does watering lawns with potable drinking water waste a valuable resource, but the amount of electricity required to pump and treat that water releases about 1.5 million tons of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere every year.
It’s Not Your Imagination: The Water Pressure is Low
Low water pressure isn’t just annoying, and it’s also incredibly wasteful. The average faucet flows at about 2 gallons per minute, which means that if your shower head has low water pressure and you take a 10-minute shower, you’ve wasted almost 20 gallons of water!
“It’s a Dry Heat” is a Lie
While many people assume that its hot weather leads to increased water consumption, studies have shown that it is the opposite. Hot climates lead to increased air conditioning usage, accounting for 50% of all households’ indoor water consumption! The good news is that you could save about 2,000 gallons of water per year by installing a programmable thermostat. The even better information is that by simply turning down your air conditioning a few degrees, you could reduce your usage by 10-20%!
https://www.poolesplumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/10-Fun-Facts-About-Plumbing.jpg16672500raleigh plumbershttps://www.poolesplumbing.com/assets/Pooles-logos_01_small.pngraleigh plumbers2022-01-27 15:55:322022-11-27 15:13:0510 Fun Facts About Plumbing
Had Pooles Plumbing come out to diagnose and fix an intermittent issue with my tankless hot water heater. Everything worked like clockwork! The crew who came out was very knowledgable, professional, quickly diagnosing the likely problem and suggesting a good cleaning first before any more costly repairs. It has been working perfectly so far since their visit. I would definitely use them again!
I had a wonderful experience with Poole's Plumbing. Found a water leak in the line between the meter and my house. They came out promptly and told me everything that needed to happen (cable, gas, sewer lines marked, inspections, etc.). They took care of everything! Everyone with whom I dealt was friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and efficient. And so very neat! I had to have a long trench to lay new pipe, and just a few days later, neighbors are commenting on how you can barely tell I had the work done! They left my yard looking as good or better than when they left! And they alerted me to a potential electrical grounding issue with my home. No one wants the expense of a water main leak, but I feel very good that I had the best people on the job!!
We have been dealing with the headaches of Polybutylene pipes for years, (leaks, burst pipes and lost sleep) but finally bit the bullet on getting the house re-plumbed. We had several quotes and chose Poole's, and we are very happy we did. We were on their schedule within 10 days of selecting them to do the job. Earl and John showed up on time (called before arrival) and explained how they would do the work. Going in we knew they would have to cut away some dry wall in the walls and ceiling to get to the upstairs bathroom plumbing, but I was surprised how small the holes were, they were like surgeons. They used the existing runs, removing the old pipes and putting the new in the same holes where possible.No one wants to spend that much money to fix something that isn't broke at the moment, but I can honestly say this was one of the best decisions we made at our home. We will sleep better knowing the poly is gone, and we made the right decision having Poole's do the work.
From the first call placed to Wendy at Pooles Plumbing to the actual service performed, the entire team delivered 100%. Cory arrived with all parts needed and did a fantastic job repairing the leak on our well water system and installing an isolation valve as asked. I'd definitely recommend Poole's Plumbing based on my experience with them and will be contacting them again when I have more work in the future. Thank you!
Cory did a great job replacing our direct vent tank water heater. There were some space challenges they worked through and couldn't thank them enough for the work they did with minimal disruption to my day. From my initial contact with Wendy, working with Makayla on the quote through completion of the project with Cory, everyone was kind, answered all my questions and provided a great experience overall. I'd definitely recommend Poole's based on my experience with them and will be contacting them again when I have more work in the future. Thank you!
Install sump pump.I also had Poole's replace my water heater yesterday (Feb 2023) and am very happy with their service. Their price was very competitive, and they accommodated my request for prompt service as I had been without hot water for a few days. The installation seems to have been completed in a professional manner.
We used Poole’s Plumbing to have a toilet replaced. Everyone at Poole’s is friendly, efficient and it was a quick turnaround. Our toilet is of high quality too. Will definitely be using Poole’s in the future!
Wonderful experience! Poole's Plumbing is the best and I won't be going anywhere else. Great communication, fair prices, reliable, honest and they know what they're doing!A big shout out to COREY at Poole's! He arrived on time, explained things to me, took care of the issue, and was such a nice guy! Thank you so much.Beth WilsonRaleigh, NC
Henry did a fantastic job installing our tankless hot water heater. He was professional, friendly and did excellent work. Jessica managed the process in the office with great customer service. I highly recommend Poole's Plumbing and will use them again for other plumbing projects.
Exceptional service all around, from my inital conversations for a quote to the eventual replacement of my water heater! They did everything they promised and more! I would definitely recommend Poole's Plumbing to anyone!
Bob Poole and this team we great to work with, on time professional, and did a great job. Highly recommend Poole's PlumbingAnother great response and took care of the problem we were having with out tankless water heater
I had a water flooding due to a water filtering system that a outside plumber installed.I called Pooles to fix it ,they where promote and they helped me with removing the filter system and restore line to how it was when the new house was built.I now feel at ease.Knowing these guys handled it.
First time use of Poole's Plumbing. I live in the Atlanta, GA area. My rental property in Raleigh is occupied with family members. Poole's technician, Kai, was thorough, knowledgeable, and professional. Repairs were within the scope of the work and done well. No surprises. I highly recommend this company.
I have used Poole's plumbing for installation of our tankless water heater, and later for its maintenance and repair. The water heater later failed on a Saturday morning over a holiday weekend. The on-call technician quickly responded and had the system up and running by the afternoon.Most recently, Poole Plumbing installed a toilet and replaced a broken faucet in my laundry room. Again, they did a great job.I find them to be very responsive and professional with reasonable pricing for the services. They are my plumber of choice!
I had a great experience with Poole's plumbing when they came to replace the gas pipe connecting my house to the meter. They were on time, had fair pricing, and were extremely professional. Bill, Henry, Cody, and Dylan worked together from giving me a free estimate, installing the pipe, and then meeting the city inspector all in a timely fashion. Makayla and Jessica were extremely helpful on the phone with scheduling and questions about billing and my quote. I cannot recommend this company enough!!
Keith removed my old toilet and put in the new one in less than an hour. Looks great! I recommend Poole's plumbing to all my friends! They use them now too! I can't say enough about how professional and responsive the whole team is, from my call to the service! Great job guys!
There staff are very professional and not trying to sell you things you do not need. They diagnose the problem and give you various options to take care of it.
Had a new sink and faucet to be installed in a new kitchen cabinet. The Marketing and Sales Coordinator provided a quote in a timely manner. The Service Coordinator worked with my schedule to provide a service time.The Plumbers did a great job in replacing the water pipe connections to the faucet and sink along with the pipe connection to the dishwasher. The replaced PVC drain line and vent under kitchen cabinet
We had an intermittent water leak that we had not been able to isolate. Unfortunately, it got much worse on a Friday night and we needed help. Henry with Poole's was very professional and polite. We got the job done quickly and with minimal mess. Will use again.
We had a break in our water line that was on our side of the meter so it was our responsibility. Pooles Plumbing was so helpful, Jessica is so knowledgeable, professional, and very kind as well. It was fixed in good time and Keith and his partner were just wonderful. Thank you for quick and thorough action.
We ordered the Tank-less water heater maintenance service -Descaling & Flushing. Mr. Earl performed the excellent service and ran extra miles to check my bathroom's water flow. He detected the possible problems and fixed it. Now, I can enjoy my hot water shower without any interruptions. Thanks! Earl! for your services!
I had a problem with a toilet line stopped up. Carrie was so helpful in getting help to me quickly. She also scheduled several more follow-up that needed to be done. She could see how anxious I was about this. and went out f her way to reassure me that they would take care of this problem. Coery came and did a great job. I appreciate all they did for me.
We have used Poole's Plumbing for several of our managed properties as well as our residence. Poole's Plumbing staff and technicians are professional and friendly. Highly recommended!
We had two aging original water heaters, one electric and one direct vent gas that needed replacing. Pooles was one of three places that I got quotes from and their quoting rep, Bill, immediately impressed me with his attention to detail and knowledge of what my options were. Bill took measurements inside and out and talked about the exact process for similar replacements or a switch to tankless. In our case, I decided that it made the most sense to convert to tankless and it was clear that they were pros at doing that conversion. The quote also came in the lowest which was a great bonus, but since this is critical house infrastructure I was weighing the decision more on the expertise exhibited at the quoting stage.When it came time for the install, the techs Henry and Dylan did a fantastic and expert job. They mounted the new unit to the wall, plumbed in a dedicated gas line from the outside meter and very cleanly and neatly plumbed the unit in with our existing water lines and recirculation system. All of the visible hot lines were insulated for efficiency and you can almost not tell we used to have tanks. The before and after photos speak for themselves. They were done in a day and the inspector had no concerns whatsoever. VERY satisfied customer here! Thanks Poole's!
I was very impressed with their quote process, price, timeliness of scheduling, arrival time, professionalism, and work. I would recommend them and will use them again.
I was having some issues with my Rinnai water heater, and noticed that on the Poole's Plumbing trucks in front of me in traffic, it said they worked on Rinnai water heaters in particular, so I gave them a call.The two young men they sent were courteous, polite and knew their trade. They cleaned up my old Rinnai and asked me to let them know if the issue persisted, though they seemed confident it wouldn't.So far, so good.I'll be calling these guys back for anything else I run into plumbing-wise.
We are exceptionally pleased with Poole's Plumbing -- the people and process.From the initial call to Poole's thru the thorough estimate, timely and efficient install, and follow-up to ensure our satisfaction and rebates, we were very impressed with the courtesy and efficiency of all concerned. They offered us the best product and price, as well as the most prompt install to meet our needs. They delivered as advertised and promised.We have continued to use Poole's for new fixtures, outside faucet replacement, etc. and they continue to be prompt, courteous, professional, and helpful with options and insight. Poole's is pour first choice for nay and all plumbing and general service needs,We most definitely recommend Poole's to our friends and family.
Contacted Poole's Plumbing via their website. Asked for an estimate to replace our hot water tank. Process was simple and easy. Poole's contacted us and provided a solid quote with a good product. Installers were prompt, professional, and completed the job in a timely manner. Great job all around and will use again in the future. As a DIY'r, I am very pleased with price and workmanship.
We recently moved to the area and needed a day’s work of plumbing tasks completed from installation of faucets and toilets to replacement of our shut-off valve. It was obvious that when the person came out to do the estimate, we had the right company. From the estimate to the end of the work, we were impressed with the knowledge, skills, and professionalism. We wouldn’t hesitate to use Poole’s again. Thank you!
Called Poole’s for a couple issues and they managed to come out and fix everything same day. Both Tim and the entire team were great. Would highly recommend! Thank y’all!
Important Tips
