Sunday 4 May 2014

Drain Cleaner – What and What Not’s you Need to Know

It has been a week or maybe two. You saw that mesh of hair swirling around your drainage. You always choose putting off the dirty work for some other day. That grunge soiling your sink, well you thought it will wash itself away. Alas, now it is too late. That mesh has now clogged the drainage. Grunge is not being kind either. It is now choking the flow of water, blocking crumbs and left-over food bits and giving off noxious odor. To your dissatisfaction now you have a much bigger task on your hands.


So before you start caving in under the pressure of unclogging your pipe and ultimately cleaning it with a heavy heart, here are some pointers that will help you while dealing with the dirt devil of your drains and sink. Here we go-

Nip the problem in the bud- Be proactive rather than ending up doing damage control. Clean your drains and sink at least once a week. All it takes is boiling water along with some vinegar and lemon juice to wash away dust, oil (see a guide to this). And don’t feel repulsive- Wear gloves and pick up that ball of hair from the drain.

One shoe fits all does not work- Now if you are in contingency area, you might like to know that your drain and sink might be choked because of various factors. The mass of hair can be one of the reasons. Other can be left over food blocking the pipes. Another is due to dust and oil that stick to the surface of pipes over a course of time. So before taking to the task of drain cleaning, decide about the kind of drain cleaners which will give maximum result with minimum effort. Choose from chemical based drain cleaners or organic based cleaners depending upon the kind of clogging problem you are facing and the kind of drain fittings you are using.

Choosing which drain cleaner to buy from the store or online can be tricky as there's such a large number to choose from. This site lists a few good ones, though it's important to read more reviews before making a purchase, as you don't want to be stuck with ineffective drain opener.


Keep DIY close to your heart- In order to limit the dent to your pocket you should remember some quick fix solution of pipe clearing. For e.g. Combination of baking soda, vinegar and salt is a potent drain cleaner which will help you to unclog those stubborn drains without breaking much sweat. You can also use baking soda, salt and cream of tartar to relinquish the metal part of any traces of slimy substance. Just keep these tips at your disposal to get the work done in a smart way.

Last resort- If you think the work is getting better of you, it is always wise to fall back on professionals who know ins and outs of drainpipe and sink cleaning. From the type of drain cleaner to cleaning up the outer surface, a well seasoned team of cleaning professionals will take care of it all.

Saturday 3 May 2014

Essential Tips on how to Choose a Good Plumber for your Home

A house has numerous components. Each has a specific purpose and is important in its own way. While discussing the aspects of a house, it is important not to forget that a house needs to have a flawless plumbing system.

Unless the pipe fittings of a house are performing well, it becomes very difficult to find comfort. Suppose you wish to take a shower on a hot Sunday afternoon, but find that the shower is not working. Or the pipe carrying waste water away from the kitchen sink has sprung a leak. It is situations such as these that make plumbers so important.


Things You Need to Remember Before Finalizing a Plumber

A good plumber should possess the appropriate know how of the piping system. It is common for people to make the mistake of hiring personnel with inadequate skills. You must remember a few things before deciding on a plumber.
  • Go for a plumber with a good reputation – Normally, plumbing services are provided by agencies that have a number of plumbers tied to their payroll. If this is the case, then you would do well to talk with the agency to provide only reliable workman who know the trade well. If your commission is big enough, the agency may send a combination of amateur and experience. This is fine, provided that the experienced plumbers would be able to guide the newbie.
  • Expertise – The plumber should be skilled at handling all type of piping requirements. Though it is not possible to examine this before hiring, you can ask friends and colleagues for advice. Since you would be requiring the services of a plumber many times, it is better to identify a couple of expert workmen who can be relied upon to deliver quality services.
  • Tools – It is often taken for granted that a plumber would possess the requisite tools. Many a time this is not the case. Agencies are better in this respect. They can be expected to possess every tool. These are things like industrial sized drain snakes, and powerful pipe cleaning tools.
  • Work ethics – There are agencies who deliver unprofessional services. They may cause delays and overspendings, thereby causing great inconvenience for the owners.

The market is filled with plumbers, most of whom are not skilled enough to handle major issues. Experience can be a key factor to consider while choosing a plumber. Though amateur plumbers can be trusted for minor works, it is better to go for experience for major issues in your system. There can be a cost for experience and this is compensated by the better quality of work. A more recent post on this blog gives some proactive tips on drain cleaning to help avoid the dreaded call to the plumber.