Category Archives: DC Plumber

When It’s Time To Call An Emergency Plumber

August 18, 2018Commercial Plumbing, DC Plumber, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorized, Water Heatersmatt

Many people do not like calling professional technicians for assistance when things go wrong at home. Whether it’s an electrical or plumbing problem, some of us prefer DIY solutions to professional assistance. The main reason why professional technicians are not so popular is money. Remember that all professional services cost money. That is why it’s rather gratifying when you can fix a technical problem in your house without calling your local plumber or electrician. But as much as we love saving that extra buck buy handling various issues ourselves, there are serious problems which require the professional input of a trained technician. That is why you will need to call a professional plumber or electrician to your house from time to time. When it comes to plumbing issues, we can rely on general plumbers for all kinds of professional solutions. But sometimes the plumbing issue is too severe and hence requires immediate fixing to alleviate the mess. This is when we require the services of an emergency plumber. Not all plumbing problems qualify as plumbing emergencies. That is why you should always consider the nature and severity of your plumbing problem before requesting for emergency plumbing services in DC. Today we are going to look at five plumbing emergencies that necessitate the services of an emergency plumber.

Sewer Backups

Sewer backups are some of the most severe plumbing problems at home. Sewer line backups are mainly caused by clogs and leaks in the drainage and sewer lines. Sewer line clogs are caused by various agents including bad waste disposal and flushing habits, where people dispose of solid waste, fats, oils, and greases in the drainage sewer system. They are also caused by tree root intrusion or by damaged broken sewer lines. You can prevent sewer line clogs by adopting responsible waste disposal habits. You should also have all your sewer lines inspected regularly by a professional plumber to ensure that they are in good working condition. You should also have your drainage and sewer lines thoroughly cleaned at least once or twice a year by a professional sewer company to enhance their functionality. But if all these preventive measures fail and you find yourself with a severe sewer backup, then you need to call an emergency plumber to fix the mess as soon as possible. Sewer backups can be very messy and hazardous because they drain human waste back into the house.

Water Heater Problems

You can’t possible survive without a water heater during the cold season. Even during the hot season, you still need hot water for washing dishes and bathing. If your water heater is malfunctioning, call an emergency plumber immediately for a quick fix.

Water Supply Issues

If you ever turn on your taps and find them running dry, call your water supply company immediately to determine whether the problem is coming from their end. If the water supply company is not responsible for your water shortage, then you need to call an emergency plumber to determine the cause and fix it as soon as possible.

Heavy Leaks

Contrary to popular belief, all leaks are serious plumbing issues. And although you do not necessarily need a professional plumber to help you fix a slow-leaking tap, you will definitely need to call an emergency plumber if you have heavy leak in your pipes. Gas leaks are regarded as plumbing emergencies and hence you should call an emergency plumber any time you suspect or detect a gas leak in your house.

Types Of Services Offered By A Sewer & Drain Plumber In Washington DC

July 23, 2018DC Plumber, Helpful Hints, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

Professional plumbers in DC offer a myriad of plumbing services to residential and commercial/corporate clients in the Washington DC area. Most of these plumbers usually maintain active websites where they list all their plumbing services for online visitors to see. Some of the most common plumbing services include plumbing installations and repairs, water heater servicers, drain cleaning services, sewer services, remodeling and renovation services, and even gas line services. Plumbing repair services are the most popular services because they involve the diagnosis or troubleshooting of any plumbing problem or issue and the implementation of the most viable plumbing solution. Most established DC plumbers now offer emergency plumbing services. These emergency plumbers respond to plumbing service calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without any weekend or holiday breaks. Today we are going to focus on all the drain and sewer services offered by Washington DC plumbers.

Drain Unclogging & Cleaning

Professional plumbers who provide sewer line and drain cleaning services are usually referred to as sewer and drain plumbers. One of the most popular services provided by sewer and drain plumbers is drain clearing. Drain clearing involves the unclogging or unblocking of clogged drains. Professional sewer and drain plumbers use various plumbing equipment and technology, such as root snaking and hydro jetting, to unclog really serious drain and toilet clogs. Another common plumbing service offered by sewer and drain plumbers is drain cleaning. This is where you hire a professional plumber to clean out your drain and sewer pipes after a period of time. Drain clearing is a plumbing repair service unlike drain cleaning, which is a plumbing maintenance service. Most emergency plumbers in Washington DC include DC clog service under their emergency plumbing services.

Drain & Sewer System Installation

Another plumbing service offered by sewer and drain plumbers is drain and sewer system installation. This refers to all installation services for your home drain and sewer system. This includes the installation of all drainage fixtures, pipes and appliances, such as drain traps and pipes. It also includes the installation of all sewer system materials and fixtures, such as underground sewer lines, the main sewer line, and the septic tank. Sewer and drain plumbers handle all kinds of installations, repairs and replacements.

Underground Sewer Line Inspection

Established DC plumbing companies offer underground sewer line inspection services whereby they use specialized equipment to inspect underground sewer lines for clogs, leaks, and other defects. These plumbing specialists use remote controlled underground video cameras to inspect the entire length of your underground sewer line network.

Sewer Line Repairs & Replacements

Professional sewer line plumbers use modern equipment and technology to repair and replace underground sewer lines. These plumbers use trenchless technology to replace old and worn-out underground sewer lines without having to excavate your yard or lawn.

Main Sewer Line Inspection & Maintenance

And last but not least, professional sewer line plumbers also provide inspection and maintenance services for the main sewer line. The main sewer line is very important to your home sewer system because it drains all the waste from your private septic tank to the municipal waste tank. You should have your main sewer line inspected regularly to avoid any clogs or leaks that could undermine the functionality of your home plumbing system.

The Three Main Types Of Services Offered By Gas Plumbers In Washington DC

July 21, 2018DC Plumber, Energy Efficiency, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Uncategorizedmatt

Gas plumbing is an extended service package offered by established plumbers in the Washington DC area. Gas plumbers undergo a different kind of training than ordinary or general plumbers. Professional gas plumbers are trained in the gas industry but they still undergo the three basic levels of training just like general plumbers. Gas plumbers start at the apprenticeship level where they study in class and in the field for several years before taking exams and proceeding to the journeyman level. As journeymen, the trained gas plumbers work under a master gas fitter for several years before taking gas industry exams to graduate to the top level. Journeymen gas plumbers who pass their final exams become master gas fitters who can apply for practicing licenses in their individual states. A master gas fitter is required to have a clean criminal record and to have proper academic and technical credentials plus proper licensing and bonding before he can be issued with a practicing license at the state level. All gas plumbers in the Washington DC area offer the following services to their residential and commercial clients.

Gas Piping And Repairs

The most basic service package offered by every gas plumber in Washington DC is gas piping and repairs. Every DC gas plumber is trained to install, repair, and replace gas pipes/lines. You can hire a gas line plumber to install new gas pipes in your newly built home. The gas line plumber will lay down all the gas supply pipes and connect you to the main gas supply pipe from the utility gas company. You can also hire a professional gas line plumber to retrofit your old home with new gas pipes. This can be the case if you didn’t have gas supply pipes before and you now wish to supplement your electrical energy with natural gas or propane. Just like in general plumbing, the most popular gas service is repairs. Professional gas plumbers are hired to diagnose and fix all kinds of gas problems and issues including gas line leaks, gas appliance leaks, gas supply problems, and main gas supply line issues. You can hire a gas line plumber to replace your old, leaky and worn-out gas lines with new ones as part of the gas piping service package.

Gas Leak Detection And Repairs

Although gas leaks fall under the gas repair services, most gas plumbers in Washington DC offer this service as a separate package due to the sensitive nature of this problem. Gas leaks are quite dangerous because they can result in gas explosions in your home or in your workplace. You should call your local gas plumber as soon as you suspect or detect a gas leak in your home or place of business. Some signs of gas leaks include the smell of rotten eggs, hissing sounds, and dry dying vegetation cover where your gas lines run underground. Gas plumbers use specialized equipment to detect and pinpoint a gas leak and to repair leaky gas pipes or appliances.

Gas Line Inspection And Maintenance

You should commission a professional gas plumbing company to inspect your home or office gas supply system on a regular basis. These inspection runs should be conducted every few months and they should be very thorough covering the entire gas supply piping network and all gas fixtures, water heaters, and appliances. You should implement or recommended maintenance practices and activities immediately.

When To Call A Professional DC Plumber To Unclog Your Toilet

July 20, 2018DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Helpful Hints, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

DIY home solutions are the best. It really feels good to solve a technical problem in your home without hiring a professional. First of all you save money when you solve technical problems at home without the input of a professional. Second of all you feel great for being skilled enough to handle a technical problem without professional help. But although it’s all good to implement DIY solutions to technical home problems, sometimes you have no choice but to call a professional to help you fix a serious technical issue. This is usually the case with some serious plumbing issues at home. One of the most common and irritating plumbing problems at home is clogged toilets. Toilets get clogged due to many different reasons. Sometimes its careless flushing habits, other times its sewer line problems and it could also be caused by a faulty flushing unit. Whichever the cause of the toilet clog, it is always recommendable that you have it unclogged as soon as possible to avoid messy toilet backups. There are several DIY unclogging solutions that you can implement but sometimes you really have to call a professional plumber for help. We will now look at some of the times when you really have to call a professional DC drain plumber to help you unclog your toilet.

After All DIY Unclogging Solutions Have Failed

As mentioned above, there are several DIY unclogging solutions that you can try out when your toilet is clogged. You can start by using the toilet plunger to try and unclog the toilet. If the plunger fails, you can use a baking soda and vinegar solution with hot water to try to unclog the toilet. If the clog persists, then you can try using some of the available commercial unclogging detergents from your local hardware store. If all these DIY unclogging solutions fail, then its time to call your local plumber for assistance.

When The Clog Is Causing A Serious Backup

Another instance when its highly advisable that you call a professional plumber to clear your clogged toilet is when the clog is causing a serious sewer backup in your bathroom. Some toilet clogs are far much serious than they appear. The clog can originate deep down in your underground sewer lines, which could be leaking, blocked, or heavily corroded. If your toilet clogs starts causing a server sewer backup in your house, then it could pose physical damage and health hazards to your household. You should contact your local plumber immediately so that he can conduct underground sewer line inspections to determine the cause of this serious toilet clog and hence fix it.

When It’s The Most Convenient Solution

Sometimes calling a professional plumber to help you fix a plumbing issue in your home is the only convenient and reliable solution. When it comes to clogged toilets, there are some instances when you do not have a choice but to call for professional help. Some of these instances is when you do not know any DIY unclogging solutions or if you do not have the required equipment or products, such as the plunger, baking soda, vinegar, or any commercial unclogging detergent. You might also lack the time to implement any of these DIY unclogging solutions. In such instances, call your local plumber immediately for a timely, convenient, and viable unclogging solution.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Kitchen Remodeler

July 19, 2018DC Plumber, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Uncategorizedmatt

Most professional plumbers in Washington DC are now offering residential and commercial/corporate remodeling and renovation services to homeowners and business owners. These companies usually offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling services and office space renovation services to all residential and commercial clients in DC. Remodeling and renovation services cater to partial home or office remodels and full home or office makeovers. When you decide to only renovate a section of your house or business premises, then you are having a partial remodel. But if you wish to have your entire home or office building renovated, then you need a full home or office makeover. Depending on your budget and your remodeling needs and preferences, you can opt for any of these remodeling or renovation projects. If you only decide to have your kitchen remodeled, then you should look for an excellent DC kitchen plumber or remodeler for the project. In order to ensure that you hire the most qualified, reliable and trustworthy kitchen remodeler in Washington DC, you should always consider the following factors.

Qualifications & Licensing

Plumbing professionals are licensed at the state level after fulfilling various training and legal and regulatory requirements. The typical licensed plumber undergoes two training levels in order to qualify for a practicing license. He starts off as an apprentice plumber where he lasts for several years studying plumbing academically and technically. He then sits for his final exams and if he passes them he graduates into a journeyman plumber. The journeyman plumber undergoes additional academic and technical training for several years under a master plumber. Upon completion of the journeymen training, the trainee plumber sits for his exams and if he passes them he becomes a master plumber. A master plumber can apply for a practicing license from the state contractors” board. He is vetted by the board to ensure that he has a clean criminal record and that he has all the requisite academic and technical credentials. You should always check with the state licensing board to ensure that your kitchen remodeler is properly licensed and that he has proper insurance and bonding as required by the law.

Competence & Experience

You should always consider the competence and experience of your kitchen remodeler to ensure that he is the most qualified. To determine the competence of your kitchen remodeler, visit online customer review platforms like Yelp, Google, and Angie’s List. Past clients post their reviews and rate plumbers on these platforms. You can use these platforms to determine whether the plumber offers quality and satisfactory kitchen remodeling services. You should also check the date of licensing with the state licensing board to determine his experience level. Choose the most competent and experienced quality plumber for your kitchen remodeling project.

Terms Of Contract

The last factor that you should consider when hiring a kitchen remodeler is his terms of contract. You should negotiate favorable terms of contract for your kitchen remodeling project. Make sure that you get fair pricing for your project. You should also ensure that you get a reasonable project completion schedule and that the warranty of your project is reasonable and adequate. You should only sign the kitchen remodeling contract after reading, understanding, and accepting all the terms of contract.

How To Choose A New Hot Water Heater

July 18, 2018DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Energy Efficiency, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Save Money, Uncategorized, Water Heatersmatt

Nowadays there are so many models and brands of hot water heaters that the average customer requires some guidelines for choosing the right water heater for his home. We have water heaters of many different functional designs and fuel types. Basically, there are three main types of hot water heaters in the market today based on their functional design. We have the most popular water heater in the United States called the conventional storage or standard tank water heater. The conventional storage water heater comes with a reservoir or storage tank for holding the heated water for later consumption. We also have the tankless water heater also called the demand-type, on-demand, or instantaneous water heater. As you can tell from the names, the tankless water heater has no reservoir or storage tank for holding heated water but rather heats water ion demand after being switched on. And lastly we have the hybrid heat pump water heater. The hybrid heat pump water heater uses a reverse refrigeration technique to absorb heat energy from the environment to heat water. It’s called a hybrid model because it usually features an additional fuel source to supplement the environmental heat during the cold season. Just like conventional storage water heaters, hybrid heat pump water heaters have storage tanks. You should always consider the following factors when choosing a new hot water heater for your home or workplace, and talk it over with your local plumber for his expert advice for your specific situation.

Consider The Efficiency

Out of the three hot water heater models, the hybrid heat pump water heater is considered to be the most efficient because it does not necessarily require any fuel to heat water. The tankless water heater comes in second because it does not loose heat in stored hot water. The conventional storage water heater is the most inefficient model because it loses a lot of heat energy in the stored hot water. It is very important that you consider the efficiency of a water heater to avoid huge energy bills. The water heater accounts for almost 20% of your home energy bill, which means the more inefficient it is, the higher your energy bills. The efficiency factor also factors in the cost of the water heater. Generally the tankless water heater is more expensive to buy and install, but it ends up being the most economical option because of its low energy bills and because it’s easier and cheaper to maintain and it lasts longer than all the other models.

Consider The Installation Space

The tankless water heater has no reservoir or storage tank and hence takes up about a fifth of the total space used by a conventional storage or a hybrid heat pump water heater. This means that if you have limited space for installing your hot water heater, then the tankless model is the best. Before you buy a new hot water heater, you should consult a reliable DC water heater plumber for advice regarding the versatility of installation based on the available installation space.

Consider The Fuel Type

And last but not least, you should always consider the fuel type of the water heater. Most water heaters use gas or electricity but there are also some hybrid models that combine two or more fuels. We also have modern solar water heaters that use sunlight. You should always consider the availability, affordability, and efficiency of the fuel type of any water heater before purchase.

Useful Plumbing Hints and Tips For Homeowners

June 23, 2018Bathroom Remodeling, Commercial Plumbing, DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Energy Efficiency, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Save Money, Sewer Issues, Uncategorized, Water Heatersmatt

Most homeowners remember their plumbing system when there is a plumbing emergency. We usually take our bathrooms, sinks, water supply pipes, water heaters, and other plumbing appliances and fixtures for granted until there is a serious malfunction in the system. That is when we remember to call out local plumbers for a DC clog service or a DC water heater service. This should not be the case at all. You should be well acquainted with your home plumbing system and you should always take good care of all your home plumbing installations, fixtures, and appliances. Many homeowners could use a few tips and hints for maintaining an excellent home plumbing system. This article contains valuable advice on how to care and maintain the health of your home plumbing system.

Turn Off All Water And Power When Not In Use

You should never have a tap running when the water is not being used. You should always make sure that all faucets and showers are turned off before you leave the house or go to bed. Sometimes there are water shortages and you might find your taps running dry because of water rationing by the municipal utility. You should make sure that you turn all these taps and showers off before the water comes back. And in order to conserve energy, you should switch off all electric or gas powered plumbing appliances when not in use. Make sure that all lights are turned off when there is none in the room. And in order to ensure plumbing safety, you should turn off all power when you have a relevant plumbing emergency.

Install A High Quality Home Plumbing System

The most effective way of ensuring that your plumbing system is always in tiptop condition is top install a high quality system in the first place. This means that you should install high quality plumbing fixtures and appliances and use high quality plumbing materials. You want to make sure that every single component in your plumbing system is in excellent condition. This necessitates careful sourcing of all your plumbing pipes, faucets, sinks, showers, bathtubs, water heaters, sump pumps etc.

Know Your Home Plumbing System

There is no way you can maintain your plumbing system in excellent condition if you do not know it. You should know all the components and areas of your home plumbing system. Start by identifying the critical areas of your home plumbing system. These include the water meters, water shutoff valves and electrical breaker boxes, the water heater, the septic tank, and the water supply and drainage pipe network.

Hire Qualified Plumbers

You should always hire qualified, competent, and reliable plumbers for all your home plumbing projects. Make sure that your plumber has fulfilled the requisite academic and technical training and that he has all the proper licenses, insurance and bonding as required by law. Also ensure that you sign favorable plumbing contracts for all your home plumbing projects.

Observe Plumbing Care And Maintenance Best Practices

And last but not least, you should always observe the proper plumbing care and maintenance practices. This means that you should inspect your home plumbing system regularly. You should also hire a professional plumber to inspect your home plumbing system from time to time. You should also implement timely repairs in case there is any plumbing problem in our home.

How To Save On Water Heater Repair Bills

June 22, 2018DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Energy Efficiency, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Save Money, Uncategorized, Water Heatersmatt

Water heaters are some of the most important plumbing installations in any home. They are used to heat water and supply it for all your cleaning and washing needs. Like all other household appliances, water heaters are bound to break down and malfunction from time to time. This is especially so if the water heater is old. If you have an old water heater, then you might be incurring some heavy repair bills on a regular basis. Malfunctioning water heaters can cause a lot of problems. Firstly, these faulty water heaters compromise the supply of hot water in the house. They might not supply enough hot water or the water might not be sufficiently hot when it is supplied. Secondly, these old water heaters can be corroded and hence supply rusty water in the house. Another sign of a faulty water heater is leakage. You might find that your water heater is leaking, which will cost you lots of money when paying for the wasted water. Insulation problems are also present in old water heaters that have low thermal resistance. If you are suffering from any of these problems, then you have to call a professional plumber to repair or replace your water heater. You can save on these repair charges by doing the following.

Install A High Quality Water Heater

You can solve these problems before they even occur by preventing them. And how do you do that? Install a high quality water heater. When it comes to water heaters, there are three main types, namely conventional storage water heaters, tankless water heaters, and hybrid heat pump water heaters. Each of these water heater types has its own pros and cons. But regardless of the type of water heater that you install in your home, your major concern should always be quality. You should select highly rated water heaters with all the marks of quality. You can tell the quality of any water heater by checking its warranty guarantee. Buy a water heater that offers a long warranty guarantee to avoid frequent breakages and costly repairs.

Ensure Timely Repairs

You can also save on water heater repair bills by ensuring timely repairs. The moment you detect or suspect any problem in your home water heater, you should immediately call your local plumber for a timely fix. Whether it’s a leak or a hot water output problem, just call your local plumber for an immediate and viable solution.

Regular Inspection And Proper Maintenance

Professional plumbers offer water heater inspection and maintenance services. Like every other plumbing installation in your home, you water heater should be inspected regularly by a professional plumber. Actually you should also inspect the water heating unit on your own. But you should also schedule routine inspections with your local plumber. The plumber will also implement various maintenance measures on your water heater. You should abide by all the recommendations offered by the water heater inspector after the inception.

Hire Competent Water Heater Plumbers

You should never use unqualified plumbers for any home plumbing task. There are professional plumbers who specialize in water heater services. These plumbers usually advertise many services, including DC sewer inspection services, drain cleaning services, leak detection and repair services, installation of sump pumps and other plumbing appliances and fixtures, and many more. Make sure that water heater services are listed in these services catalog and that the plumber is qualified and licensed to practice in Washington DC.

Everything You Need To Know About Toilet Clogs

June 21, 2018Bathroom Remodeling, DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

It is not a pretty sight when you visit the bathroom and discover that your toilet is clogged and maybe even overflowing. Toilet clogs are some of the most common plumbing problems that affect the average homeowner. Sometimes you will require the services of a professional DC plumber to unclog your toilet but at other times you can unclog it yourself. It’s just like when you have to hire a professional DC gas plumber to detect and fix a gas leak while sometimes you can just smell the gas and discover the leak and then proceed to fix the leak on your own because it’s a loosely connected gas appliance. Anyway, toilet clogs are a mess. You should clear a clogged toilet as soon as possible to enable bathroom usage and also to avoid waste backups in your bathroom. The following article features everything you need to know about toilet clogs including their causes and how you can fix them on your own.

Causes

Toilet clogs are caused by many different things. Some of these causes are as a result of careless human behavior. Others are simply unavoidable issues that result in the blockage of your drain lines and sewer pipes. Let us look at the most common causes of toilet clogs.

Insoluble waste: Some of us have a habit of dumping everything in the toilet and flushing it away. The toilet is not meant for the disposal of insoluble waste. And although tissue paper is not quite soluble, it’s eaten away by the water due to its super soft fabric. Other seemingly soft products do not dissolve in water and can hence clog your toilet. You should avoid flushing cotton balls and swabs, feminine products, diapers, papers, dental floss etc, in your toilet.
Blocked drain trap: Sometimes it has nothing to do with the things that you flush down your toilet. A toilet clog can occur in the toilet drain trap. This is the u-shaped bend in the pipe that leads the water down the toilet. A drain trap is installed in all drain pipes to prevent bad odor from drifting upwards and back into the house. A drain trap can be jammed by something as soft as tissue paper.
Flapper problems: You toilet can get clogged if it is not flushing properly. This can be caused by a malfunctioning flapper. The flapper opens the toilet tank to allow water in the toilet. You can adjust the flapper to increase the pressure or power of the flush.
Other causes: Toilet clogs can also occur due to clogged toilet vents and also if you are using a low pressure low-flow toilet.

DIY Solutions

You can fix a clogged toilet using various household items. Let us look at the most basic ways of unclogging a toilet without the help of a professional plumber.

Plunger: You can use a plunger to clear the toilet. Just insert the plunger in the toilet and pull or suck in the clog.
Soap lubricants: You can also use ordinary liquid soap to lubricate the toilet pipes. You will need to pour a fair amount of liquid soap into the toilet and then to flush it in with hot water.
Baking soda and vinegar: The baking soda and vinegar solution is very effective in flushing clogged toilets. Pour one cup of vinegar and two cups of backing soda in the toilet and then flush the solution with hot water.
Snaking: A plumbing snake will also come in handy when you have a clogged toilet. This is a long, flexible metallic wire that is used to clear the clog inside the toilet pipes.

How To Clean Rust-Stained Plumbing Fixtures And Appliances

June 20, 2018DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advicematt

Rust stains in your home plumbing system can undermine the aesthetic appeal of your home. Rust stains usually occur in various plumbing fixtures and installations. Some of the most affected plumbing fixtures include sinks, toilets, and bathtubs. These fixtures are usually affected by rust stains because they are made of white porcelain. You might already have seen some rust stains in your toilet starting from where the water flows in and settling in the area where the water stands. Sinks and bathtubs usually have rust stains around the trap where the water drains out. Rust stains are can be caused by the flow of water through corroded pipes and fixtures and the presence of a corroded water heater in your home. They can also be caused by the flow of iron-rich water in your water pipes. This iron rich water is pretty harmless for drinking but it can scar your porcelain sinks, rubs, and toilets very severely with rust stains. Rust stains are not very easy to remove, but you can get rid of them using any of the following methods.

Scrub With An Abrasive Scouring Pad

You can scrub the stained surfaces with an abrasive scouring pad. Remember the standard kitchen cleaning sponge. That sponge usually features two sides; one is soft and absorbent and the other is quite rough and abrasive. You can remove light rust stains from your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs using the abrasive side of the kitchen scouring pad. There are special souring pads that are designed for this kind of thing. The main advantage of this solution is that it doesn’t involve the use of any chemicals and souring pads are quite cheap and readily available and they can be reused.

Scrub With Pumice

You can also use a pumice stick or scrubber to clean out rust stains from your plumbing fixtures and appliances. There are special pumice products that are designed specifically for removing rusty stains from plumbing installations that are made of porcelain. Pumice is an ethereal, friable volcanic rock that is popular in cleaning because of its scouring properties. You will need to use some elbow grease when cleaning with pumice, but the method is quite cost-effective because you can reuse the pumice stick or scrubber several times.

Clean With Lemon Juice And Salt

Rust stains can also be removed from porcelain fixtures and appliances using a solution of lemon and salt. You will need to mix some lemon juice with enough salt to create a nice paste, which you can then put on the stained surface. This mixture will have to set for sometime in order to attack the rust stains. The lemon juice and salt solution is best when used to clean the sink and tub drain areas because it can sit there for a while and eat away the stains. It doesn’t work very well in a toilet because it just drains and dissolves away.

Use Commercial Chemical Detergents

If all these eco-friendly methods do not work, then you can use commercial chemical detergents to clean out the rust stains from your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs. You should be very careful when buying these commercial chemical detergents to avoid harmful ones. You should even connect a professional DC drain plumber for advice on the right detergents to use. Tough rust stains require a detergent that contains hydrochloric acid. Make sure that the detergent is safe for cleaning porcelain tubs and tiles.