Err, it happened again, you are taking a shower or doing the dishes and the water just will not go down!  This can be very frustrating and annoying and can make you want to pull your hair out. What do you do?

Here are some steps that you can take to help rid whatever is clogging your drains!

1. First, remove everything that is located from under your sink.  This will help you gain better access to the pipes and keeps things a little less frustrating!  This also helps to protect the items in case of a leak.

2. Make sure you cut off the water!  This is very important to remember.  Located the water shut off, usually at the back of the wall.  It will be a silver knob and you need to turn it clockwise to close off the supply.  If there is standing water in the sink you should remember to plug it before you remove the pipes.

3. You can place a towel or a small pan under the sink to catch any leaking water and then remove the pipes.

4. Newer homes that use PVC pipes will not require any tools to remove them but older homes may need a large pipe wrench.  Remove the pipe at the elbow and try to find the clog.

5. Once the clog is found you can now place the pipes back on.  Be sure to tighten them gently but firmly to assure there are no leaks.  You may want to test the water slowly with a bucket underneath to make sure that the pipes are screwed on properly. 

It can be very annoying when your sink is clogged and it can seem like a difficult thing to fix.  However, it is fairly simple and does not usually require the help of a plumber.  Doing it yourself could save you time and money!

There are some steps that you can take to help remove the odor from your drains without much effort! 

1. If you have a garbage disposal, start by running water along with it to try and rid some of the smell debris or water buildup left inside your disposal.  Things like milk can cause a bad odor after some time. Make sure you always run the water for a few moments after you have turned off your garbage disposal. For more maintenance tips on your garbage disposal check out our “Quick fixes for Your Garbage Disposal”

2. If you have a lemon, squeeze half of one down the drain and cut up the remainder into smaller pieces and place inside the disposal.

3. Now, turn on the disposal again and let the grinder do its magic.

4. If you do not own a disposal let the lemon juice sit in the sink overnight without running the water.  Do not put the rind down the sink unless you own a disposal as this will cause a clog.

5. You can also try ½ cup of vinegar and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  After, run very hot water down the drain for about two minutes.  After that, add some baking soda and leave it sit for at least an hour or more.

6. Run hot water.

This is usually all it takes to get the smells out of your drains.  If you are still struggling, perhaps purchase a commercial drain cleaner.  Bleach is another alterative to the vinegar but it is much stronger and should be used in a well ventilated area.  This is sure to do the trick!  Your kitchen will be smelling great again in no time.

Try following these simple tips and tricks in order to help you keep your garbage disposal working as it should.

•    Always run water in it before and after you use it. This will help you keep it running smoothly.  The water will help things wash down smoothly and it will keep it clean.  You should allow the water to run for 20 second before and after the use of the garbage disposal.

•    Do not run hot water down the garbage disposal.  It is a common misconception that a lot of people do, but it is not advised.  It actually melts any fats and it then builds up on the disposal blades.

•    Only place food in it.  You should never try to crush bones or fabric materials.  The garbage disposal was designed for food only.

Some of these tips are common sense but that does not mean that people do everything they are supposed to with this equipment.  If you would like your garbage disposal to work properly for a long period of time you need to follow these tips. 

If you do run into an issue with your garbage disposal make sure you know quick fixes for common garbage disposal problems. Also, NEVER attempt to fix a broken disposal unless you have unhooked the power to it first. You should never place you hand down a running garbage disposal or a disposal that the power is still hooked up to. So go take care of that garbage disposal!

Clean floor drain strainers. Some tubs and showers have strainers that are screwed into the drain opening of the tub. Remove the strainers with a screwdriver and reach down into the drain with a vent wire to clear out accumulated hair. Make sure to scrub the strainer clean before putting it back in place.

Clean pop-up stoppers. Clean pop-up stoppers in the bathroom sink and tub frequently. Lift out and rinse the sink pop-ups at least once a week. This will also remove hair that is attached to the pop-up and will stop the hair from accumulating down within the pipe.

Clean out spring or rocker arm. Every few months remove the pop-up assembly to reach the spring or rocker arm. Remove the buildup of hair and rinse well with warm water to flush away any soap buildup.

If you find you have a hair clog within your drain you can use a plumbers snake or chemical drain cleaners to clear out the hair clogged drain.

Leaking or Broken Pipe:

• Turn off the house’s main shutoff valve to avoid water damage or further plumbing problems.
• Make temporary repairs to stop the leak; the pipe will have to be replaced as soon as it is suitable to do so.

Overflowing Toilet:

• Reach within the toilet tank, press the tank stopper down into the valve seat, and hold it there.
• Turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valve under the toilet. If theirs is no valve, turn off the house’s main shutoff valve.
• Unclog the toilet with a funnel-cup plunger or closet auger.

Clogged Sink:

• Shut off any faucet or appliance, such as a dishwasher, that drains into the sink.
• Unclog the sink using a plunger or snake. Don’t use a chemical drain cleaner if the blockage is entirety clogged.
• It is a good idea to keep a plumbing snake to fix numerous common pluming problems.

Faucet That Won’t Shut Off:

• Right away turn off the water at the fixture valve beneath the sink. If there’s no valve, turn off the house’s main shutoff valve.
• Repair or if necessary replace the faucet to stop any further pluming problems.

Steaming Hot-Water Faucet:

• Open every hot water faucets to relieve the overheated hot-water heater.
• Turn off the electric or gas supply to the heater.
• Let the faucet run until cold water flows from it. This a sign that the water in the heater is no longer overheated, then you can close them.
• Call in a professional to make any needed repairs to the heater.

Sleeve Clamp:

Adjustable Hose Clamp: Place an adjustable hose clamp over a rubber blanket over a small pipe leak and tighten the clamp.

C-Clap: Lock a C-clamp and a small block of wood on a rubber blanket for a small leak.

Epoxy Putty: Submit an application of epoxy putty to a leaking pipe joint (after turning off the water) using a putty knife or your fingers. Let the joint dry before turning back on the water.

Quick Fix-Up

Stopping A Small Leak: You can temporarily plug a small pipe leak with breaking off a pencil point in the leak hole. Then wrap the pipe with at least three layers of electrical tape, extending the tape 3 inches on each side of the leak.

The sink trap is always filled with water and used to prevent noxious gases from entering house.

The vents in the water drain system are constructed to eliminate sewer gas and to prohibit pressure buildup in the pipes. The vents come off the drainpipes further down from the traps and exit through the roof.  This maintains proper air pressure in the pipes and prevents the transport of water from the traps.

Each plumbing fixture in the home has to be vented.  Most often, a house has a main vent stack (the upper most part of the soil stack) with 1.5 – 2 inch vent pipes connecting to it.  In most houses, especially single story residences, widely separated fixtures make it unrealistic to use a single main vent stack.  In this scenario, each fixture or group of fixtures has its own waste connection and its own alternate vent stack.