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5 Guides On How To Snake Your Own Drain

Residential Plumbing

January 11, 2023 by Warren Lentz

Whether you’re finding a clog in your kitchen sink or a clog in a shower drain, it can easily dampen your day. The last thing you want to do is spend hours trying to get your plumbing working again. However, with a few simple tools, reliable methods, and a little practice, you can become an expert at removing dirt that clogs pipes.

Learn how to snake your own drain simply by following our DIY tips and fix your clogged drain in no time!

When Would You Need to Snake Your Own Drain? 

Knowing how to snail your own drain is important when dealing with a plumbing emergency. A drain snake, also known as a hand drill, is a tool used to unclog small drains like bathroom or kitchen sinks. For larger pipes, like your toilet, you may need a larger auger to get the job done.

Dirt like food, hair or soap scum can easily clog your small drains in the drain pipe or U-shaped siphon just under the sink. These clogs are usually minor and can be fixed with a simple DIY snake drain repair. If the clog seems tight and cannot be cleared through the snake drain, or if you find that the siphon and pipes were clear despite a clogged drain, then you may have a more serious plumbing problem that should be left to a professional plumber.

Five Tips On How To Snake Your Own Drain

Follow these guidelines for snaking your own drain, and you’ll become a pro at solving your own plumbing problems with a drain snake!

Tools For the Job

Of course, to snake your own drain, the most important tool you need is a drain snake. If the clog seems fairly insignificant, you may not want to spend money on such a tool. If this is your situation, then it may be good to grab a hanger from the closet. Just disassemble the hanger so it becomes a fairly straight long strip. However, it’s important to keep the original hook shape at the end – this is good for catching dirt deep in the drain. You may want to make the hook a bit narrower so it fits properly in the tube.

If you’re dealing with a much more intense constipation, chances are a hangup won’t. As already mentioned. You will need a drain snake. For general use, a 3/8″ and 20′ long model should work fine for you. If your local hardware store only seems to have a 1/4″ that will most likely work fine too. If you’re at the store, grab one a plastic bag

Bucket to put under your drain, along with a flashlight and rubber gloves.

Use The Drain Snake Properly

Many people think that the tool is so simple that they can use it however they want and that there is no right way to use a drainage snake. It’s just not true. Indeed, following a specific procedure produces the best results.

First, if you have a tub strainer or hair catcher covering your drain, move it out of the way. Then slowly push the snake cord down the drain, turning the handle clockwise while squeezing. If you have trouble pushing (maybe the drain is too clogged), try holding the handle with both hands. As you lower the “snake” mechanism, vary your grip until it’s about two or three inches from the mouth of the drain – this allows you to control your movement and get a better feel for the nature of the hoof.

As you get closer to the obstacle, you might hear a decent scrape, or it might sound like the cable hit a wall. At this point you are about to come to a bend in the pipe – just keep going past it.

When you feel significant resistance, you’ll know you’ve hit the special barrier that’s giving you trouble in your pipe. The clog should give a little compared to the resistance of the pipe itself, which should not give at all.

Then you should try to hook the hoof. As you continue to twist the cord clockwise, pull up slightly to see if you’ve caught any dirt. You should feel a little more weight on the snail if you do it right. Then keep pushing the material to break it up. After doing this for a while, you should eventually pierce the other end. If the clog just doesn’t allow you to pierce it, it could very well be a solid object you got hold of in the first place.

Pull the snake out of the drain very carefully so you don’t lose the clog that’s attached to the drain snake. After that, use a towel to clean the snake of the debris when it comes out of the drain. Empty this excess dirt into the bucket. Shoot as many hooves as you can until the snake is free!

Use Hot Water

If the drain is still clogged, it’s a good idea to run hot water through it. Fill a standard-sized tea kettle with water and set on the stove until it’s almost boiling. Slowly pour this hot water down the drain. It may take a moment to flush the debris out of the clog, but it should quickly slow down with this method.

If the clog is in your shower drain, you might be wondering why you can’t just run hot water through the shower head. The problem is that, aside from the fact that the water in the shower often doesn’t get that hot, showerheads often can’t shoot straight down the drain and close enough to be really effective. You still need to pour water from the kettle straight down the shower drain, just like any other drain.

Use A Homemade Concoction

If nearly boiling hot water still isn’t enough, you can always add 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar to the hot water, pour it down the drain and see what happens. Let it sit for fifteen minutes. This method is known to be extremely efficient. So if you’re ready to part with some of your cooking essentials, give them a try!

Use Chemicals

As a last resort to clear a drain, you can always go the chemical route. Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is a harmful chemical that can definitely cause a bunch of scale to end up down your drain pipe. Pour 3/4 gallon of cold water into a mop bucket, then add 3 cups of caustic soda. Give the mixture a good stir and it will soon start bubbling. Then pour it down the clogged drain and leave it there for 20-30 minutes, then rinse with clean warm water – repeat if needed.

When to Call A Professional Plumber For Your Drain Clogs 

Have you followed all of these tips and still have a clogged drain? If none of these options seem to work for you, don’t be discouraged. It could be a hard blockage that a simple DIY can’t fix. At this point, it’s time to call in a professional plumber to get your clogged drain working properly again.

Leave your tough clogs to Wisler Plumbing & Air. Our experienced plumbers can solve any plumbing problem you have, including stubborn clogged drains. Call Wisler Plumbing & Air today!

Filed Under: Plumbing Tips, Residential Plumbing

December 27, 2022 by Warren Lentz

Your kitchen sink takes more stress than any other drain in your home. We tend to use our kitchen sink as a trash can. Over time, your kitchen sink can become clogged, causing it to drain slowly or not at all.

This article covers the five most common causes of a clogged kitchen sink. In this blog, you will learn how to unclog your kitchen sink. To find out why it’s clogged, read on!

 

5 Reasons Why You Have a Clogged Kitchen Sink

Kitchen sinks are constantly clogged. I mean why shouldn’t they? We’re constantly throwing things down the kitchen sink drain — whether intentionally or by accident — that shouldn’t go. But there are other reasons too. Let’s look at the top 5.

 

  1. CorrosionHow Does a Chemical Drain Cleaner Actually Remove Clogs

If you live in an older house with metal pipes, your pipes are definitely affected by corrosion. Corrosion does two things that increase your chances of a clogged kitchen sink.

When pipes rust, they become rough on the inside, just like velcro. Over time, junk gets stuck in your pipes, then junk gets stuck to other junk, and so on. It is a doom-loop!.

Did you also know that your pipes are shrinking? But it’s probably not what you’re imagining. As the pipes rust, the thickness of their walls increases. In fact, rust is much less dense than cast iron.

The thicker the walls of a whistle, the smaller (or narrower) the interior space. This increases the chance of constipation.

 

  1. GreaseMost Common Reasons: Why Is My Kitchen Sink Always Clogged

Cooking fat is the oily liquid you find on your pots, pans, and baking sheets after cooking meat. It also forms when cooking with butter and vegetable oils. Flushing with grease will solidify the grease in your pipes. As the fat increases in thickness, so does the likelihood of a clogged kitchen sink.

Fat is usually a liquid when we’re working (or cooking) with it. However, when it mixes with water and cools, it turns from an oily liquid into a hard, sticky solid that gets stuck in your kitchen sink drain.

 

  1. Foods That ExpandMost Common Reasons: Why Is My Kitchen Sink Always Clogged

The longer you soak rice, pasta, beans, lentils, Brussels sprouts, or potatoes, the larger they will grow. Most of these foods can grow to many times their original size.

Here’s what we usually see: A homeowner scrapes and washes some leftover food in the kitchen sink just before bed. The next morning, the food expands so much that the kitchen sink is completely clogged.

High-fiber foods like rice or broccoli, or foods that expand in water like pasta, should never be flushed down the drain. This also applies if you have a trash can.

 

  1. Heavy ObjectsMost Common Reasons: Why Is My Kitchen Sink Always Clogged

You should never wash heavy items in your sink. Common heavy objects include bones, egg shells, coffee grounds, and sand. Those heavy objects in your kitchen drain will mix with the grease in your pipes and cause a clump. Due to the weight of the floes, some will get stuck in the horizontal sections of your pipes.

Although it’s hard to believe, the weight of some objects — even eggshells — creates obstacles in the horizontal sections of your pipe that slope just half an inch per foot. A 48 foot hose only drops 1 foot.

 

  1. Hasn’t Been Used In a WhileMost Common Reasons: Why Is My Kitchen Sink Always Clogged

We see this all the time: A homeowner goes on vacation and when he comes back his kitchen sink is clogged.

Of course, this is confusing for many. How could that happen? Well the answer is simple. Water used to be able to pass through all the sludge that had built up in your drains. But once the pipes dry out from inactivity, the sludge, grease, and deposits become rock hard. This causes your kitchen sink to become completely clogged.

 

Call Wisler Plumbing And Air

If you have a clogged kitchen sink, feel free to contact us here or call us at Wisler Plumbing And Air (540) 402-9785.

Wisler Plumbing’s team of certified plumbers and technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing issue, drain cleaning or water damage. We also take care of the excavation of underground water pipes and main sewers. Our immediate response team is available day and night all year round, including public holidays.

 

Filed Under: Plumbing Tips, Residential Plumbing

December 26, 2022 by Warren Lentz

This chemical drain cleaner promises to clear your clog. But how does it actually work? Did you know it can potentially cause damage? Find out before you pay out!

Every owner has been there. You shower and stand in water up to your ankles.

Your drain is clogged, but how to fix it? There are many ways to unclog your drain, but some may be better than others.

One option is to use a chemical drain cleaner. Read on to learn how liquid drain cleaners work and how to prevent damage to your plumbing system.

 

Types of Chemical Drain Cleaners

There are many types of chemical drain cleaner that you can use in a variety of situations. Most often, a small clog will only require a caustic or oxidizing cleaner, but large clogs may require an acidic cleaner.

 

Corrosive

How Does a Chemical Drain Cleaner Actually Remove Clogs

Caustic cleaners contain ingredients like lye that donate electrons to the material causing the clog. This creates a chemical reaction that generates heat and makes the fat more liquid and easier to dissolve. They are especially useful for grease-clogged drains like kitchen sinks or grease traps.

Oxidizing How Does a Chemical Drain Cleaner Actually Remove Clogs

Oxidizing drain cleaners are similar to caustic drain cleaners, but there is a slight difference. Instead of donating electrons, they accept electrons from organic matter in a process called oxidation.

Containing ingredients like bleach and nitrates, they are among the most popular types of liquid cleaners. They work by combining with water to generate heat and break down clogged material.

Because they work well on organic materials, oxidizing drain cleaners are useful for shower drains, toilets, or sinks to remove hair and other clog-causing materials.

Acid

How Does a Chemical Drain Cleaner Actually Remove Clogs

Acidic drain cleaners are the most aggressive and are rarely used. They contain ingredients such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid and work by creating hydronium ions in a chemical reaction with the clogged material.

This type of cleaner should only be used in worst-case scenarios. Not only can they be very harmful to your plumbing system, but also to your health.

 

Problems with Chemical Drain Cleaners

Because most chemical drain cleaners generate heat when they react chemically, they can damage your plumbing system. Most newer pipes are made of PVC plastic, which can warp or melt if exposed to too much heat.

Even if your pipes are not made of PVC, metal pipes can also swell from too much heat. Over time, heat and pressure can cause metal tubing to crack or burst.

If your plumbing system includes a septic tank, chemical drain cleaners are never a good choice. Septic tanks use bacteria to break down organic matter, but harsh chemicals can kill bacteria in your tank and render it ineffective.

Chemical drain cleaners can not only damage your plumbing system, they can also be harmful to your health. When you use them, you release a lot of corrosive chemical fumes into the air, which you then breathe.

These caustic chemical fumes can be even worse if the area you are working in is not well ventilated, such as in a B. Your bathroom. Inhaling chemicals over a long period of time or in large quantities can damage your respiratory system.

Repeated exposure to harsh chemicals can also lead to brain damage over time.

In addition to possible breathing problems, the chemicals in drain cleaners can damage your skin or eyes. Since most of them are designed to react with organic material, they have no problem reacting with those body parts.

If misused, they can lead to chemical burns or even blindness. It is important to always wear gloves when handling these chemicals. It’s also a good idea to wear goggles or a mask to protect against serious eye damage.

 

Alternatives to Chemical Drain Cleaner

There are many alternatives to using a liquid drain cleaner, whether you want to try simple methods at home or hire a professional drain cleaning service.

One thing to try is hot and cold water. Pour very hot water down the drain first to flush any clogged material down the pipe. Then pour cold water to rinse.

Another idea you can use is baking soda and vinegar. It works similar to commercial chemical drain cleaner in that it relies on a chemical reaction, but it requires nothing more than household items.

How Does a Chemical Drain Cleaner Actually Remove ClogsPour the baking soda down the drain first, then the vinegar and leave overnight. This causes a chemical reaction that helps clear the clog. Rinse with water the next morning to remove the clog.

If none of these methods work, you can try a drain plunger or snake. Almost everyone has a plunger they can use, but a drain snake is a little less common. In both cases, they can be good alternatives to using chemical drain cleaner.

If your drain is clogged with hair, which is typical in showers or sinks, you can try pulling the hair out manually. Depending on the type, you may be able to better access the clog by removing the drain cover.

Try removing the hair with a small hooked object like a coat hanger. It might not get rid of all the hair, but it can be a temporary fix to clean up your drain a bit.

If none of these methods work, it may be time to contact your local plumber. They have professional methods and tools to clear clogged drains.

 

If your drain is clogged and you need help repairing it, call us at (540) 402-9785. We will find a solution for all your plumbing needs.

Now that you know all about the types of chemical drain cleaners, their problems, and their alternatives, feel free to do some additional research on your own to learn more. 

Filed Under: Plumbing Tips, Residential Plumbing

November 17, 2022 by Warren Lentz

Ideally, when a toilet gets clogged, you reach for the nearest flanged plunger and clean things out in a minute or two. But what to do if your toilet is clogged and there is no plunger? Maybe you just moved to a new place. Maybe you’re at your friend’s house without a butt. Are there ways to free a toilet behind the plunger?

Luckily, unclogging a toilet without a plug isn’t as difficult (or disgusting) as you might think! In fact, there are several surprisingly easy ways to clear even the most stubborn clogs without a plunger. Here are the top ways to clean a toilet, in the recommended order, to try:

How to unclog a toilet with hot water

First, take a large bucket of hot water. Important Note: You want hot, but NOT boiling hot. Boiling water could break the porcelain of the toilet bowl. Instead, just fill a bucket with the hottest water your faucet can provide. Pour this hot water into the toilet bowl until it is almost full and let it soak.

The heat should help break down the solid waste enough to flush the toilet. If that doesn’t work, don’t panic, just move on to the next methods. The “hot water toilet trick” is just a start.

Clean the toilet with dish soap

Squeeze a bunch of dishwashing soap into the toilet bowl. Use a Dawn brand heavy-duty grease cutter. Leave for fifteen minutes. The soap helps break down solids. This will also lubricate the bowl and pipes themselves, making it easier to push the clog down the drain.

After pouring the dish soap down the toilet, try the “hot water trick” again. Pour a pot of hot (not boiling!) water into the bowl and let sit for another 30 minutes.

After giving the soap and water time to clear the clog, try rinsing again. If that still doesn’t solve the problem, try repeating this process or leave the detergent in the toilet overnight.

Epsom salts to unclog the toilet

If you have Epsom salts lying around, you’re in luck. Pouring Epsom salts into water triggers a chemical reaction that causes the water to fizz and bubble. All that hissing and bubbling can seriously help clear clogs.

Pour a good amount of Epsom salts into your toilet bowl. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and then try rinsing it off. You should see positive results after the first rinse. You can also combine this technique with dish soap and the “hot water trick”.

Use a wire hanger or toilet brush

This is the most direct way to clear a blockage. If you’ve tried heat and chemical reactions to no avail, it’s time to give it a try. If you have a toilet brush handy, use it, if not, flip open a wire hanger. Insert the tool of your choice into the toilet bowl and wiggle it into the opening.

Depending on what’s causing the clog, it can be a little rough, so we recommend wearing gloves. Be careful not to accidentally damage the toilet bowl while working. Metal hangers can easily scratch porcelain if you are too rough or haphazard.

Buy a toilet plunger

I hope you managed to unclog your toilet. Now that it’s working, there are a few things you should do.

First, go out and buy a flanged piston. These pistonless techniques will suffice in a pinch, but are not a substitute for the original product.

Second, determine why your toilet is clogged in the first place. Does this happen often? If so, it may be because there is a larger problem with the plumbing in your home.

Call your local plumber

Sometimes drain plugs, with or without pistons, just can’t be removed without professional help. In other cases, major plumbing problems cause frustrating recurrent clogs and other problems. In any case, contact the experts at Wisler Plumbing and Air. We’ll examine your home’s plumbing and determine why you’re dealing with those clogs. We can help ensure you don’t need that new piston for a while.

 

Filed Under: Plumbing Tips, Residential Plumbing Tagged With: Plumbing, Toilet, Toilet Repair

November 12, 2022 by Warren Lentz

A rental home often has plumbing issues. That said, homeowners can control the situation by being aware of the most common issues and how to protect their property. We’ll provide expert advice in the section below that attempts to protect your investment property from these issues.

 

Leaking or Dripping Water

Leaky pipes/faucets are a common problem in rental properties. Leaks can present as a steady stream of water, or they can be more subtle, like a dripping faucet. As a landlord, it is important to protect your investment property from any damage to the home. Be proactive and schedule routine plumbing maintenance to have a licensed plumber inspect your fixtures to make sure they are working properly so you can try to catch any leaks early before they start causing harm. damage. Another pro tip is to find out where your appliance shutoff valves are located as well as the main shutoff valve in the house and pass this information on to your tenant. This way your tenant knows how to shut off the water in case of an emergency. Potentially, you avoid any damage to the house. Saves you time and money.

Running Toilets

Another typical plumbing problem that homeowners frequently encounter is the constant running of the toilet. Even a seemingly minor problem, like a leaking toilet, can cause greater frustration for landlords and tenants. Thousands of liters of water are wasted with every flush. If not fixed, you or the tenant can be stuck with a high water bill. This might upset a tenant and expect you to fix the problem immediately, which bothers you, the landlord.

 

Clog Drains

As a landlord, it’s important to communicate to your tenants what to throw and what not to throw down their drains. By this we mean in particular for toilet and kitchen drains. For kitchen drain lines, it is recommended that food waste such as grease, coffee grounds, eggshells and more be thrown away in the trash rather than put down the drain line from the kitchen. This helps prevent the kitchen drain from getting clogged or the garbage disposal getting stuck. It is also important to inform your tenants to only flush toilet paper down the drains of their toilets. This means flushable wipes, feminine products and paper towels should be properly disposed of elsewhere. As a landlord, it’s important to educate your tenants on what to flush, as tenants may not be aware of the sensitivity of drain lines and throw anything in them, leading to repairs. frequent and costly.

 

Show Plumbing Can Help

Show Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency plumbing service in Roanoke, VA. Call us at any time for quick and reliable plumbing service. We also offer a variety of maintenance services to help you and your tenants avoid emergency repairs. Whether you are wanting to schedule maintenance or need repairs, we are here to help. To book an appointment, call us at (540) 483-9382.

Filed Under: Plumbing Tips, Residential Plumbing

April 8, 2022 by James Wisler

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When we go fill our vehicle up with gas, it’s expensive. When we go to the doctor, we’re always surprised of how expensive it is. Rising prices are a reality. For plumbing specifically, you don’t hire a plumber very frequently. It might have been five years ago when, when you had the plumber in your home last time. So your perception of what it’s going to cost today might be based on what it cost five years ago or 10 years ago.

There’s a wide range of expertise out there when it comes to plumbing. So, you may not be comparing apples to apples all the time. A plumber that’s in a one truck operation, that’s just working out of his home is probably going to be less expensive, but he may not be insured! He may not be available. He may not have warranties on the project. So, make sure that you’re comparing apples to apples whenever you’re thinking of pricing. Just because a company gives you a quote twice as much, doesn’t mean that they’re ripping you off. The question to ask is what’s included in that cost and making sure that you break that down and understand what the value points are.

And we’re currently in a time where demand is high for plumbers, and there’s just not many skilled people out there to do the work. And so therefore that raises the costs of a company to provide that service because there’s just such a high demand and not much supply of competence. So, they have to train people and all those costs get rolled into the business. So that does increase the cost as well.

A company that wants to keep good, competent plumbers on hand has to pay them enough that they’re happy.

So…is this is a good time to become a plumber?

Absolutely. At Wisler Plumbing and Air we have an apprenticeship program. So you don’t have to have experience to come to work for us. We’re looking for humble, hungry, and smart people to join our team. And we provide training for them and get them in a career that’s going to be very fulfilling for years to come.

Filed Under: Customer Service, job opportunites, Residential Plumbing Tagged With: customer satisfaction, Plumbing

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