Tag Archives: frozen pipes

Solving problems drains pluming

To get the most force , plug the overflow fitting with a wet towel when plunging a bathtub. Standing water also helps.

Cleaners
A plumber’s auger is the safest way to clear stubborn jams in household pipes , which is a risk with the some caustic chemical drain cleaners , such as those that contain acid or lye . An auger is simply a flexible wound wire cable that you turn into the pipe either by hand or with a special drill. Another option is to used water and air pneumatic to dislodge a jam . These pneumatic devices typically fit over the stopped drain and release a charge of air into the standing water .

Clearing the clog
Tubs fitted with an a internal drain stopper , called a trip waste , require extra attention when they become clogged. Removing the linkage helps you diagnose the problem . Check the drainage flow by running water down the drain. If the drain fails to empty properly , the clog is farther down the line . If the drain flows freely , the trip waste is stretched and the stopper is too low in the drain tee, blocking flow even when open. Shorten the linkage by 1/4 inch ; tighten the lockout, and replace the linkage- the drain should work fine.

To access a trip waste linkage for cleaning . remove both screws ; grip the overflow plate and lift out linkage.

Sluggish tub drainage may be caused by a stretched trip waste linkage . Remove the linkage, and shorten it shorten it about 1/4 inch.

Pop up plugs often clog with hair . Lift out the plug and linkage; remove the hair ; and replace the assembly .

When snaking a kitchen sink line , remove the trap , and bore directly into the line with a hand held drain auger .

To snake out a bath drain , remove the overflow plate ; pull out the trip waste linkage; and bore through the overflow .

When plumbing won’t clear a clogged floor drain , it’s best remove the plug and auger the line through the cleanout.

To reduce the noise from supply and drainpipes , wrap them with foam tubes and pack the wall cavities with insulation . ( Cast iron drains are quieter than plastic ones.) Severe pipe banging called water hammer, is caused by excessive water pressure or the abrupt shut off produced by the solenoid valves on dishwashers and clothes washers. To fix hammer , anchor the pipes to the framing with hangers or install a shock absorber . You can make a simple one by cutting in a T-fitting and a capped stem of pipe . Gas and oil filled shock absorber fittings also provide damping action.

To support water pipes and prevent rattling and banging against framing , use clip on pipe hangers .

Heat cables for sillcock wil help frozen pipes.

Drain Plumbing Water Damage Clean up Sewage Back up Problems

Drain problems causation and trouble shooting

What could cause gurgling in a rarely used wet-bar sink when water drains in the kitchen at one end of the house or in a bath at the other end? Chances are that the wet bar isn t vented or that its vent stack is blocked. You could check by looking for a plumbing vent pipe protruding through the roof above the area. It will look like the ones above kitchen and bath.

Sluggish drainage is one symptom of this problem. Sewer smell is another . When water drains in the kitchen or bath , it siphons water out of the wet bar s drain trap , which produces a gurgling noise. Without the seal provided by water in the drain trap , sewer gas can rise up through the sink and into the house .

If you don t use the wet-bar sink because of these problems , call a plumber to install an auto-vent. With this in place, the other drains won t siphon water out the trap. If you don t use it and don t really want it , have the plumber remove it and close the drain connection . In the meantime you can reduce the sewer gas smell by periodically pouring some water in the wet bar drain to keep the trap full.

Big Backups

Even with vapor venting, trap placement , and pipe sizing , drains still may be slow. This indicates a big blockage farther down the line. The best indicator that a blockage is in the waste line is sewage gurgling up through floor drains and basement fixtures. Solving this problem depends on your septic system type.

If you have a septic system with a leach field , your septic tank may need to be pumped out . This is a job for professional, but it s important to be around when the pumping concludes . Ask the pump operator if the tank was filled with enough greasy scum to cause the drain problems. If not , the pipes in the leach field itself may be the problem . Digging them up may be the only solution .

If your tied into a municipal sewage system , check to see whether any work has been done on your branch line lately . If so , it could have caused problems with your drainage , If not, tree roots may have gotten in the pipes . Hire a professional to auger the line and pull out the tree roots; thereafter , flush copper sulfate root treatment through the line twice year .

Do it yourself

There is snaking the kitchen line , clean out the pop up drain plugs hair clogged.. To access the trip waste linkage above the drain tub. If you cant get your toilet unclogged may have to remove the toilet snake it apply a new wax ring and reset it . Don t understand that process let a plumber handle it is just cheaper and safer, good luck.