Have Your Toilet Fixed by the Pros

Toilet plumbing problems are often ones that require immediate attention. When you need plumbing services near Northridge, CA , take some time to shop around so you can find a quote from a reputable company that suits your budget. Watch this video to learn more about hiring a plumber to repair your toilet.

If you’re wondering if you have a leaky toilet, an easy test you can perform is to add a few drops of food coloring to the tank and leave it overnight. Make sure that no one uses the toilet and in the morning, take a look in the bowl. If the color has made its way into the water filling the toilet bowl, then you should call a plumber about replacing the flapper.

The Benefits of Hydro Jetting

When your sinks, showers, or bathtubs drain more slowly than they once did, this can indicate that you have a clog in your pipes. If you’re dealing with a clogged drain near Northridge, CA, then you many benefit from hydro jet plumbing services. Hydro jetting is a type of drain cleaning method that can break up and dislodge clogs which are obstructing your pipes. This technology uses a retractable hose and pressurized water to take care of plumbing blockages and restore normal water flow.

If you suspect that your plumbing is clogged, hydro jetting can provide you with several benefits. Hydro jetting tends to be more affordable than other sewer cleaning methods, and it also offers long-term results compared to other drain clearing options. Hydro jetting gives the inside of your pipes a thorough cleaning and can even remove grease buildup, which commonly contributes to the formation of clogs. If you’re experiencing drainage problems, call your plumber about hydro jetting services as soon as possible.

Hydro Jetting

Tips for Clearing a Clogged Drain

Drain clogs are a problem that most homeowners will face at some point. Fortunately, there’s a good chance that you won’t need a plumber for your clogged drain near Northridge, CA. With the right tools and techniques, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to get your pipes flowing again without the need for professional plumbing services.

Clearing a Clogged Sink Clogged Drain

In many cases, you’ll be able to clear your clogged sink drain with only a bell or cup plunger. First, partially fill your sink with water and, using your plunger, vigorously move it up and down over the drain. After doing this a few times, quickly pull the plunger from the drain opening. For sinks with two drains, be sure to block the second one using a damp cloth. This measure can also be used on overflow holes if you’re working on a bathroom sink. Doing this will block air flow and allow to put more pressure on the clog.

Clearing a Clogged Tub

Blocked bathtubs typically build up over a period of weeks or longer. You may notice that the water drains from your tub a little more slowly after each use. This problem usually begins once a bit of buildup occurs and gradually collects debris. If you have a blocked tub drain, take a bent wire or drain cleaning tool and insert it into the pipe to fish out any scum and hair that you can reach. If this method fails, use a damp cloth to cover the holes of the overfill plate and try using a plunger to dislodge the clog.

Clearing a Clogged Toilet

Toilet blockages typically occur within the curved trap fixture and in some cases, using a plunger alone will provide enough pressure to dislodge a clog. If the plunger method fails, try using a toilet auger. Place the end of the auger into the bowl with the tip pointing upward. Next, push down on the handle and crank the entire length of the cable up through the drain. Finally, crank backward and pull up to retract the cable.

The Best Way to Plunge a Toilet

Are you dealing with a clogged toilet in Northridge, CA ? This plumbing problem is one that most people have to deal with at some point. Before calling a plumber for toilet unblocker services, watch this video to learn the best way to plunge a toilet.

Bell or cup style plungers are used to unclog sink and shower drains. Flange style plungers are designed for use on clogged toilets. Plumbers recommend blocking off other drains in the vicinity before you begin plunging, such as shower and sink drains. By preventing the air from escaping through these drains, you’ll gain more plunging power.

Causes of a Clogged Toilet

Poorly functioning toilets can be frustrating and messy. If you’re frequently dealing with a clogged toilet in Northridge, CA, there are several potential causes. How the toilet is used, its mechanics, and your drain line can each play a role in regular clogs.

A common cause of blocked toilets treated by plumbers is flushing the wrong materials. Flushed hair, floss, paper towels, plastic, and diapers can all cause your toilet to clog. In other cases, people try to flush more than a toilet is designed to handle. Older low flow toilets often clog when too much material is flushed at once.

Another cause of clogs seen by plumbers is a clogged drain line. When buildup or objects accumulate in the pipe, a clog can choke the water supply. If a clog affects the line to the septic or sewage system, it can prevent your toilet from flushing properly. Finally, make sure that your toilet is getting enough water. If the water supply line isn’t fully open, your toilet may not be filling correctly.

Clogged Toilet

What to Do About a Grease-Clogged Drain

Pouring your grease down the drain may seem like a convenient idea at the time, but it won’t seem that way when you find yourself dealing with a clogged drain near Northridge, CA. If you want to keep your drainage systems in top shape and allow your plumbing to enjoy a long and efficient working life, make sure you keep your drains clear. In the event that you do experience a grease clog in your drain, you’ll need to locate the problem and call your plumbing service. Keep reading to find out what to do about a grease-clogged drain.

Identify the Problem Grease-Clogged Drain

It is impossible to do anything about a clog that you don’t know about, so the first step in solving a drain problem is recognizing it. A grease clog is different from other types of clogs. Food scraps can cause a blockage as soon as you empty your dish after dinner, but these clogs tend to be easy to spot and alleviate. A grease clog, on the other hand, can build up over time and create a serious problem for your plumbing system. If you are dealing with a backup, consider whether you have introduced grease to the drain lately.

Call Your Plumber

A clogged drain may not seem like such a big deal; for this reason, many homeowners decide to try to take care of the problem on their own. Although you may have heard that running hot water through your drain can clear a grease clog, it can actually just move the grease further into the drain. If you experience a grease clog, it’s best to call your plumber as soon as you can. Your professional plumbing service can clear out the clog and help you prevent it from returning.

Use Your Drain Properly

There is no reason to deal with a grease clog on more than one occasion. A single grease clog will indicate that you should dispose of your grease in a more efficient way. Instead of washing it down the drain, put your grease waste into a garbage can and spare your plumbing systems.

What You Shouldn’t Put Down the Drain

Drainage in Northridge, CA is designed to remove wastewater from the home and keep your plumbing system working efficiently. If you want it to work the way it should, you need to know how to use it properly. Never dispose of grease by pouring it down the sink, and keep in mind that not all bathroom products can be flushed down the toilet. If you live with children, remind them not to play with their toys near drains. Continue reading for a closer look at what you shouldn’t put down the drain to help avoid emergency plumbing services.

Grease and Food Scraps Drain

If you tend to do a lot of cooking, you can end up with a great deal of grease. Many people decide to dispose of their cooking grease by dumping it down the sink or even the toilet, but this can wreak havoc on your drains. Grease will eventually build up on the interior of your drains, ultimately causing significant clogs and blockages. Instead of pouring your grease into the drain, you should dispose of it directly into a garbage can or another container. If you have a garbage disposal in your sink, it’s important to understand how to use that as well. While small food scraps can be okay to send down the disposal, larger food products can cause problems.

Diapers, Paper Towels, and Feminine Products

Just because you use something in the bathroom doesn’t mean it should end up in the toilet. While tissues and toilet paper are fine to flush down the drain, many other products should not be disposed of in this fashion. If you have just changed your baby’s diaper, make sure it ends up in a garbage. Paper towels and feminine products may be used in the bathroom, but they can cause clogs in your toilet if you try to flush them.

Children’s Toys

Although it seems obvious, toys should never end up in your drain. While you are well aware of this, your kids might not be. It’s a good idea to remind your kids not to play with their toys around toilets or sinks so you can avoid a plumbing service disaster.

Keeping Your Kitchen Drains Clear

In order to keep your plumbing system free of clogs and prevent your sewer line from backing up, you need to keep your drains clear at all times. This can be difficult when it comes to your kitchen, since it’s easy to send food particles, oil, grease, and other solids down the drain when you’re cooking. By doing regular drain cleaning and watching what you put down your drains, you can avoid plumbing problems. Here are some of the ways you can keep your kitchen plumbing near Northridge, CA, clear.

Place a Strainer Over Your Drain Kitchen Drains
If you spend enough time cooking in your kitchen, you’re going to find that it’s nearly impossible to prevent all food particles from falling into your sink and going down your drain. Therefore, you should install a strainer over the drain that catches them before they go down the sink. A good strainer will only cost you a few dollars, but it could save you hundreds of dollars in plumbing repairs down the line. Just make sure you clean your strainer out every day or two to stop food particles from slipping through the cracks and ending up in your drain.

Use Hot Water to Flush Your Drain
When most people think about doing drain cleaning, they think about using heavy-duty cleaners to do it. You can use something as simple as hot water to clear your drains, though. Hot water will break down oils and grease in your drain and push them through your plumbing system. Try to run your hot water for a few minutes at least once every week to clear your drains.

Call a Plumber at the First Sign of a Clogged Drain
Is your drain moving slowly or backing up frequently? If so, it’s time to have a plumber inspect your blocked drain and perform professional drain cleaning. Within a matter of just a few minutes, a plumber will be able to locate the source of your problem and get rid of it once and for all so that your drain is clear again.

Tips to Keep Your Drains Clear

Do you want to avoid a costly plumbing bill? If so, be sure to keep your drains clear. It doesn’t take much time, energy, or money to keep your drains clear, but it can save you a big headache (and costly repairs) later on down the road. This video explains how you can prevent your drains from developing a clog, and why you should contact a plumber when a clog does develop.

If you want to keep your pipes flowing and avoid major plumbing issues later on down the road, contact a residential plumbing company serving Northridge, CA and the surrounding areas. Plumbers who offer hydrojet drain cleaning services can blast away even the most stubborn blockages from your home’s plumbing system. A plumber might also utilize an inspection camera to get a look inside your home’s pipes, which means he can pinpoint trouble areas in your plumbing and recommend the best services to avoid a major problem later on.

Preventing Bathroom Drain Clogs

You can find countless resources on the web to help you deal with a clogged bathroom drain, but wouldn’t you prefer to avoid dealing with the problem in the first place? Keeping the water flowing through your sinks and shower drains is actually pretty easy and doesn’t require you to have any real plumbing skills or experience. If you detect the early signs of a blockage in the drains, call your Northridge plumber to prevent the clog getting any worse. That being said, here are some prevention tips that can help you avoid clogged bathroom drains.

Install Drain Screens Bathroom Drain Clogs
A drain screen is only a few bucks at your local hardware store, but it can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in plumbing repairs and water damage restoration down the road. These screens catch hair and other debris that can get trapped in your pipes. You’ll need to empty the drain screen once or twice a month, but it’s much preferred to dealing with a drain clog that might have been prevented with this simple and affordable device.

Flush the Drain Pipes
Another easy step you can take to keep your home’s pipes flowing like normal is to occasionally pour boiling water down the drains. This helps loosen hair, soap scum, grease, and other gunky deposits that can lead to clogged drains. To really get your pipes clean, pour baking soda down the drain and then flush with hot water and vinegar. Just be cautious of chemical drain cleaners since many of these products are known to damage pipes.

Don’t Ignore Blockage Signs
Drain clogs, like all other plumbing problems, won’t go away on their own. Quite the opposite, in fact; over time, drain clogs will only get worse and lead to bigger and more expensive problems down the road. That’s why it’s a good idea to contact a plumber in Northridge, CA and schedule professional drain cleaning when you notice the early warning signs of a drain clog .