If someone asked you to describe what the plumbing under your bathroom or kitchen sink looks like, you would probably mention that the drainpipe has a “U”-shaped bend to it. It’s something everyone can recognize about household plumbing but which few people think much about.
Well, we’re going to talk about that bend in the pipe, which is known as a p-trap. It’s an important part of your kitchen and bathroom plumbing and the more you know about it, the easier it’ll be to avoid problems with it.
We’ve written posts before about the best ways to unclog drains. This is one of the most common types of plumbing problems that affect homes, and people want quick solutions.
But there’s an even better way to handle clogged drains in a home, and that’s to prevent them from starting in the first place! Prevention is the best tool of all when it comes to your plumbing.
There is no way that you can prevent all clogged drains. Some debris will manage to slip down the drains, and sometimes large objects may accidentally fall down into drain pipes (or intentionally, as is often the case with young children wondering what they can flush down a toilet). But, if you follow our tips below, you can significantly reduce the chance you’ll have to deal with an annoying clogged drain in Des Plaines, IL in the future.
If you’re looking for the best plumbing information from a skilled plumber in Winnetka, IL, you’ve come to the right people. Today, we’re going to look at a common questions people have about the plumbing in their home:
Why does the drainpipe under the sink have a curve in it?
Maybe you haven’t asked this out loud, but the thought has probably crossed your mind if you don’t already know the answer. We’ll explain in this post the important purpose of the drainpipe’s shape, as well as some problems you may run into with it.
It’s December, and we think that’s a great time to make our own “Naughty and Nice” list. We’re not Santa Claus, so we can’t make any judgments about people’s behavior. But we are exceptional plumbing professionals, so we can make judgments about the tools and methods used to clean drains. We’ve got a list with three “nice” ways to clean your drains and one extremely “naughty” one that might as well be a lump of coal jammed down a drain.
Okay, let’s make that list, check it twice, and help you make the best decision when it comes to drain cleaning in Evanston, IL.
Bathrooms contain the highest concentration of plumbing pipes and fixtures in a house. Consider how much is compressed into this space: a sink, a faucet, a toilet, a bathtub or shower (sometimes both), supply lines for the fixtures and multiple drainpipes to remove wastewater. Bathroom plumbing can run into a range of issues, and you won’t be able to DIY most of them. They’ll require the knowledge and tools of professionals.
Below are a few of the most common troubles you may run into with the plumbing in your bathroom that will probably require a plumber in Winnetka, IL to correctly repair.
One of the key services we offer our clients is professional drain cleaning in Evanston, IL, and throughout our wide service area. We recommend drain cleaning as part of regular annual maintenance for your plumbing.
But drain cleaning is most often deployed as a way to thoroughly remove drain clogs and get rid of slow drains. If you’ve got a stopped drain that you can’t open with a plunger or a simple drain snake, don’t reach for chemical drain cleaners! Instead, reach for your phone and give us a call for drain cleaning, any time of the day or night.
Let’s look a bit closer into what’s clogged your drain in the first place. You may already know the problem, like an object that accidentally rolled down the drain like a children’s toy or the cap of a bottle near the bathroom sink. But other types of clogging can sneak up on you, like…
The job of your dishwasher is to make keeping clean easy—specifically, cleaning your dishes. A dishwasher is not only a time-saving device, it can also help reduce water consumption compared to hand-washing dishes. Dishwashers also use hotter water for cleaning than you can get out of your sink faucet, which more effectively kills off bacteria and gives the dishes a deep cleaning that makes them safer to use as well as more pleasant smelling.
So a dishwasher that doesn’t smell nice … that’s going against expectations. Unfortunately, dishwasher odors are a problem that can often strike kitchen plumbing in Winnetka, IL and in some cases may require professional cleaning or even a replacement.
We’re not implying that you would ever purchase drain cleaners as a gift for someone, no matter the holiday! No, what we want to get across to you today is that you can give yourself that gift of a fully-working plumbing system in great shape … by avoiding store-bought drain cleaners.
These bottles of chemicals may have “drain cleaner” in their name, but this is a result of marketing from the companies that make them. No professional plumber recommends anyone use drain cleaners for unclogging sinks, showers, toilets, or any other drain. These drain cleaners don’t really “clean” either—except in the most blunt-force way. Using a drain cleaner on a clog is similar to using a flame-thrower to remove a tree stump from your yard. Yes, you might get the stump, but you’ll also torch most of your property and might put yourself and your house in danger.
The #1 thing you should know about drain cleaning solutions is that if using them is your method to clean your drains on a regular basis, then you’re actually doing more harm than good to your plumbing system.
Let us elaborate!
First off, we understand. One of the most irritating plumbing issues a homeowner deals with is clogged or backed-up drains. You may be doing something as seemingly benign as brushing your teeth when all of the sudden you have a backed-up and overflowing sink. It’s only natural that you want a quick and simple fix. And nothing is faster and easier than using a bottle of store-bought drain cleaning solution, right?
Unfortunately, fast or even affordable does not necessarily mean effective. Read on to learn more!
When we refer to “drain cleaning in Des Plaines, IL,” what we are talking about is methods to remove clogs from your drain pipes. This is one of the most frustrating problems there is for a homeowner to deal with. You might be doing something totally benign, like brushing your teeth or taking a shower, when all of the sudden a drain backs up and you’re dealing with a huge pool of water you can’t get rid of.
And sure, it’s easy to look for a quick solution, but there are problems with that! So, what should you do when your drains are clogged? How do you clean your drains?