CLOGGED DRAINS

Clogged drains are not an uncommon thing in households, and in general are no reason to panic. This usually happens in a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower or tub drain, or laundry/utility room sink. In washrooms, for example, a buildup of hair and other runoff waste is the typical culprit of drain clogs. Bathroom sinks usually have a drain stopper that you can pull up – if you haven’t cleaned this in a while, chances are good that it will be full of hair and gunk. Time to give it a good cleaning and wiping. Put the stopper back in place and run the water. If you don’t see improvement in water buildup, you probably have a clog further down the line. Stores sell ‘drain snakes’ and the cost is minimal. If the clog isn’t too far down, the snake will do the trick, pulling out hair and other debris. If that doesn’t work, the clog is likely deeper – that’s when it’s time to call a professional plumber.

*note: avoid using chemical ‘cleaners’ as they are abrasive and usually toxic*

Small leaks can be fixed in a DIY manner, however we recommend taking a look to see what might be causing the leak. Then give us a call and we can get some details and, if possible, pictures from you so that our plumber can arrive prepared to fix it! Some older fixtures have been discontinued, or configurations have changed, so the pictures give us an idea if we need to suggest an alternative solution for you.

1. First, go to the water shut off valve at or around the toilet base. Turn valve until water shuts off. If the toilet does not have a valve, open the tank and rig the float to stay in its position – this way no more water will flow in.
2. Next use towels or a Shop-Vac to clean up the water that’s spilled onto the floor. Thoroughly wash all surfaces that were affected.
3. Either reach into the toilet (wearing rubber gloves) use a toilet plunger to try to remove the object(s) blocking the toilet.

If this doesn’t work, give us a call. Toilet overflowing could be a sign of a larger plumbing issue. The clog may be located farther down the pipes. We can diagnose the issue and resolve it promptly and professionally.