Category Archives: DIY Plumbing

Know Your Dishwasher Safe Utensils In Washington DC

Avoid Cleaning The Following Dishes In Your Dishwasher In Washington DC

Washington DC homes use clean dishes courtesy of their functional dishwashers. The dishwasher is one of the most important plumbing appliances at home. It does the thankless chore of cleaning dirty dishes in Washington DC. But for your dishwasher to function properly, you need to take good care of it. In addition to routine care and maintenance, you have to ensure that you put the right dishes in for washing. Otherwise you will end up calling a professional DC plumber to come and repair your broken or clogged dishwasher.  You can also damage your dishes. You should avoid putting the following items in your dishwasher:

·       Food covered dishes

·       Delicate dishes and utensils

·       Fine china

·       Repaired dishes

·       Dishes with cavities or hollow handles

The following types of dishes will damage your dishwasher in Washington DC or get damaged during the cleaning process.

No Dishes With Food Remnants

You should always remember that your dishwasher is not your garbage disposal. As such, you should not put dishes with lots of food remnants in the dishwasher. Scrape or wipe off the food remnants before putting the dish into your dishwasher for cleaning. You can clog the drain line if you do not follow this tip, which can lead to a call to Plumber In DC to get your clog cleared. More information can be found at https://local.google.com/place?id=15489505116031154061&use=posts&lpsid=7324878549474845043.

Dishes With Labels

Remember those sticky labels that are usually affixed to your new dishes and utensils. Those ones should be removed before the dishes go into your dishwasher in Washington DC. These sticky labels should be peeled off by hand because they can clog the filter or drain.

Glued Dishes

We all love repairing broken mugs and or plates with glue in Washington DC. These glued dishes should never be cleaned in your dishwasher. The glue will melt in the dishwasher and cause a lot of problems.

No Wooden Utensils

Wooden utensils can warp, swell, and even crack when washed in a dishwasher. Clean your wooden spoons and chopping boards by hand under your tap to avoid damages.

No Fine China Dinnerware

Your fine china should not be cleaned in your dishwasher in Washington DC. These delicate cutlery and dinnerware will get scraped and damaged inside the dishwasher during the cleaning process.

No Fine Metallic Dinnerware

And just like your fine china, you should not wash any fine metallic dinnerware and utensils in the dishwasher. Dishes and utensils are bounced around during the cleaning process and this will chip off the fine silver or other metallic trimmings and damage your valuable dinnerware. These expensive utensils will dull permanently after one cleaning session in your dishwasher.plumbing service DC

No Hollow Plastics

Plastic dishes with hollow handles are another problem in Washington DC. This is mainly because these dishes do not dry properly. Water can be trapped in the hollow hook and remain there for long. This can create mold and damage your dishes.

No Insulated Travel Mugs

You should also avoid washing insulated travel mugs in your dishwasher in Washington DC. Moisture can seep in and get trapped in the insulation. This moisture will remain there and cause mold to form in your valued travel mug. Unless the insulated travel mug is labeled dishwasher safe, make a habit of washing it by hand.

No Cast Iron Skillets

Cats iron skillets should be cleaned carefully by hand to protect their seasoning. The dishwasher will remove the seasoning.

5 Modern And Innovative Toilet Designs

There are four important things that you should be concerned about when furnishing your bathroom; functionality, comfort, safety, and aesthetic appeal. The bathroom is one of the most visited rooms in the house. And it’s home to some of the most important fixtures and appliances in the home plumbing system. The first thing that you should ensure when furnishing your bathroom, especially during a bathroom remodeling project, is that all these plumbing fixtures and appliances are highly functional. This means that you should install high quality faucets, showerheads, bathtubs, toilets, urinals etc in your bathroom. You may want to install a tankless water heater for instant hotwater for showers and baths.

You should also ensure that your bathroom is as comfortable as possible. This means that you should upgrade to luxurious bathroom fixtures like walk-in bathtubs and smart toilets. Safety in the bathroom can be enhanced by installing slip-resistant tiles and floor mats and other safety features like grab-on bars in the shower. You should also mind the aesthetic appeal of your bathroom. Make sure that the floors and walls are beautiful. Bathroom cabinets should also compliment the overall decor of the room. And while you are implementing all these impressive changes, do not forget the toilet. This is one of the most important fixtures in the bathroom. Consider the following modern and innovative toilets when sprucing up your bathroom.

One-Piece Toilets

Most American homes feature the traditional two-piece toilet. A two-piece toilet comes with a separate toilet tank and bowl. These two essential parts are manufactured and installed separately. But nowadays we have the one-piece toilet that features a single unit with both the toilet tank and the bowl attached. The one-piece toilet has a classier sleeker design. Another advantage of the one-piece toilet is that it takes up less space than the two-piece toilet. However, one-piece toilets are a little bit more expensive than the two-piece models.

Wall-Mounted Toilets

dc-bathroom-renovationAnother impressive toilet design is the wall-mounted toilet. This toilet is mounted on the wall instead of being stuck to the floor. The floor-standing toilet is till very popular in the United States but people are looking for other options. The wall-mounted toilet comes in many stunning designs. The toilet bowl is hung a few inches from the floor and the toilet tank is hidden inside the wall. There is a control panel for flushing the toilet. This toilet saves a lot of space and offers a stylish look to your bathroom. The wall-mounted toilet is costlier than the floor-standing model. You will need a professional plumber who provides DC drain and sewer services to help you install this type of toilet.

Pressure-Assisted Toilets

Most of us are used to the traditional gravity-feed toilet that uses gravity propelled water to flush human waste. But now we have the water efficient and eco-friendly pressure-assisted toilets, such as flushometers and dual-flush toilets. These toilets consume very little water when disposing of human waste.

Comfort Height Toilets

While the standard toilet stands at about 14-15″ in height, a comfort height or seat height toilet is 17-19″ in height. These toilets are designed for comfort. They are ideal for people with limited physical mobility.

High-Tech Or Smart Toilets

Smart or high-tech toilets are very common in Japan and they are now gaining popularity in the West. They feature many luxurious features including heated seats, deodorizing seats, hands-free flushing, bidets, automatic overflow protection, toilet bowl nightlights, motion-activated lighting, self-cleaning wands, warm-air dryers, and many other tech-oriented features.

Common Types Of Plumbing Remodels And Renovations Done In Washington DC

Plumbing companies in Washington DC provide all the standard general plumbing services that you might expect. This means that these companies handle all kinds of plumbing installations, repairs, replacements, upgrades, inspections, and maintenance. This applies to all types of plumbing fixtures for bathroom remodels, such as faucets, sinks, showerheads, toilets, urinals, bathtubs etc. It also applies to all types of plumbing appliances and devices including washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, sump pumps, garbage disposal units, and many more.

The more established plumbing companies in DC also provide gas plumbing services. This means that they offer both general plumbing services and gas plumbing services. Some of the most basic gas services include new gas line installations, retrofitting, gas leak detection and repair, gas line repair and replacement, and gas appliance installation, repairs, and maintenance. All these general and gas plumbing services are available to both residential and commercial plumbing clients in the city. But some of the most established plumbing companies take it an extra notch higher. They provide specialty plumbing services, such as remodeling and renovation services. Today we are going to look at the various types of plumbing remodels and renovations that are conducted in Washington DC.

Home Remodels

Home or residential remodels and renovations are requested by homeowners and other private residents in the city. These are some of the most popular plumbing renovations in DC and they are handled by professional remodelers or professional plumbers specializing in remodeling and renovation. Most home remodels are implemented in the kitchen and in the bathroom. These are the residential kitchen and bathroom remodels discussed below.

Commercial Remodels

commercial plumbing service DCNot all remodelers and plumbers handle commercial remodels. Commercial remodels are requested by business owners and other commercial clients in DC. These projects are usually large-scale in scope and very demanding in nature. They require vast resources in terms of money, highly trained manpower, and remodeling equipment and materials. Commercial remodeling and renovation services in DC are only provided by the biggest plumbing companies that offer commercial plumbing and the most established remodelers in the city.

Kitchen Remodels

Kitchen remodeling and renovation services are provided to both homeowners and commercial clients in Washington DC. These are some of the most popular remodels in the city. Kitchen remodels involve the implementation of various floor and wall ideas. The remodel also involves the upgrading of various kitchen fixtures and appliances including the kitchen sinks, faucets, garbage disposals, dishwashers, cabinets etc. One of the main objectives of kitchen remodels is to become more water and energy efficient. This means that high efficiency water and energy saving fixtures and appliances should be installed during the kitchen remodel.

Bathroom Remodels

These are the most popular remodels for residential and commercial clients in Washington DC. Bathroom remodels include various floor and wall ideas, such as new wallpapers and tile and matting floor ideas. And like kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels also involve upgrading various bathroom fixtures and appliances. Common upgrades include the installation of low-flow bathroom faucets and showerheads, low-flush toilets, high efficiency Energy Star-rated water heaters and so on.

Office Remodels

Office remodels are usually requested by commercial plumbing clients in DC. This involves giving a commercial office or office building a facelift. Some private residents in DC also remodel the private offices in their homes. Office remodels are quite resource-intensive and customized to suit specific client tastes and preferences.

Common Dishwasher Problems And Their Solutions

The home plumbing system features very many types of plumbing fixtures and appliances. All these fixtures and appliances play an important functional role in the home plumbing system. Plumbing fixtures like faucets and showers play an important role in delivering clean water to the user. Other plumbing fixtures like toilets and urinals dispose of human waste in a convenient and hygienic way. Plumbing appliances play more specialized functional roles than the aforementioned fixtures. For example, a washing machine is specially designed to clean laundry. A garbage disposal is specially designed to shred and dispose of solid food waste. The water heater is only used for heating water and so on. All these plumbing fixtures and appliances break down over time. And because they are so important in our lives, we usually require the services of a professional DC emergency plumber when any of these plumbing fixtures and appliances malfunctions.DC plumber

One of the most important plumbing appliances is the dishwasher. This device is specially designed to clean and dry dishes. The typical dishwasher lasts about 7-12 years but some devices break down after only 4-5 years. You then have to spend a fortune in dishwasher repairs to keep the device working. That is why you need to know how to fix common dishwasher problems on your own to avoid hefty plumbing repair costs. Here are some of the most common dishwasher problems and their solutions.

Leaking

One of the most common dishwasher problems is leaking. Despite the fact that the dishwasher uses water to clean utensils, it should not spill even a drop on your floor. But if you start noticing pools of water under or near your dishwasher or a spray of water around the device, then you have a leak somewhere. Dishwasher leaks usually occur around the door, underneath the device, or at the water source. You can fix a door leak by replacing the rubber gasket. If the leak is at the water source, tighten the hose or replace the gasket. And if the leak occurs underneath your dishwasher, it could be happening at the water inlet or at the drain or at the seal around the pump. These leaks can be fixed by tightening or replacing the gaskets and/or hose clamps. You should also consider replacing the pump if it’s broken.

Unclean Dishes

If your dishwasher is not cleaning your dishes properly, there are several things that you should consider. There are several causes of this problem. You could be overloading your dishwasher. You should also ensure that you scrape of all food remnants from your dishes before putting them inside the device. The more technical cause of this problem is clogging in the door gasket, stain screen, or the spray arms. You can solve this problem by cleaning these areas.

Total Failure

You can put your dishes in your dishwasher and then try to turn it on only to realize that it’s not working. This could simply be a problem with the power source. Replacing a blown fuse can solve this problem. A dishwasher is also designed not to start if the door is not latched properly. And if there is no water in your dishwasher, you need to check and maybe replace the float switch.

4 Common Causes Of Commercial Sewer Backups

All professional plumbers in Washington DC can be divided into two main classes, namely residential plumbers and commercial plumbers. Residential plumbers only serve homeowners and other private residents in the city. Commercial plumbers offer their services to business owners, corporations, government bodies, institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, municipal bodies, industrial facilities, production sites, and many other commercial entities in DC. The most established plumbing companies in the city qualify as both residential and commercial plumbers. In other words, they provide both residential and commercial plumbing services in the city. Typically, all commercial plumbers in DC provide both residential and commercial plumbing services.

Commercial plumbing services are just like residential plumbing services except that they require more resources in terms of machinery, manpower, and plumbing technology. Some of the most common DC commercial plumbing services are commercial water heater services, commercial sump pump services, commercial drain cleaning, and commercial sewer services. This includes all types of commercial general and gas plumbing services. Today we are only interested in commercial sewer services. That is why we are going to look at the four most common causes of commercial sewer backups.

Huge Clogs

The most common cause of sewer backups both at home and in commercial buildings is clogs. Clogging is a general term referring to any blockage in the drainage and/or sewer system. Clogs occur when solid debris accumulates in the drainage and sewer pipes thereby blocking the flow of liquid waste in the sewer system. Commercial sewer systems are subjected to all manner of careless use. Many people are not as careful when using commercial or public restrooms as they are in their private bathrooms. They dump all manner of solid materials in the drainage and sewer system. All these solid materials end up in the commercial sewer system. Careless disposal of greases and oils in restaurants is another common cause of serious clogs in commercial sewer systems. The oils and greases coagulate and trap other solid debris thereby causing a huge clog in the sewer system. This prevents liquid waste from passing through resulting in a sewer backup. Call a professional plumber to unclog your commercial sewer lines before it’s too late.

Tree Root Infiltration

DC sewer serviceAnother common cause of commercial sewer backups is tree root infiltration. This is where monster roots penetrate underground sewer pipes and block the flow of liquid waste in these sewer lines. The monster tree roots grow inside the sewer lines and eventually break them up thereby ruining your commercial sewer system. Tree root infiltration can be prevented by planting aggressive trees further away from the sewer lines. There are chemical root growth inhibitors that can be applied to prevent this problem. Tree root infiltration can cause sewer backups. The tree roots should be removed as soon as possible.

Broken Sewer Lines

Underground sewer lines can get damaged over time. They can be broken by tree roots. They crack due to physical damage. They can also wear out and get damaged due to old age. This can cause sewer backups. Replace damaged sewer lines immediately.

Insufficient Sewer Line Capacity

As the urban population expands, old sewer lines might not cope with the additional waste. The smaller sewer lines can be overwhelmed by the increased liquid waste thereby causing sewer backups. Replace these small sewer lines with bigger ones to solve the problem once and for all.

 

DIY Plumbing Maintenance Calendar

The home plumbing system requires constant care and regular maintenance to enhance its functionality and ensure its longevity. There are very many sensitive parts or components in the home plumbing system. These are what we refer to as critical plumbing areas. These critical plumbing areas require special care and maintenance by the homeowner and also by a professional plumber. But although we keep insisting that you need to afford constant care and regular maintenance to your home plumbing system, we do not mean that you have to spend every single day caring for and maintaining your home plumbing system,. All you need to do is set aside some time during the week so that you can clean and maintain various parts of the home plumbing system.

For instance, you have to make sure that the bathroom and the kitchen are clean every day. This involves cleaning various fixtures in the toilet and the bathroom, such as the kitchen sinks, the shower areas, the toilet, and ensuring that there are no plumbing problems in the house. These are basic care and maintenance activities that should be done every day. But we have other scheduled maintenance routines that should be performed after a given period of time. We have included all these important routines in the following plumbing maintenance calendar.

Monthly Maintenance Tasks

There are several plumbing maintenance activities that you should do every month to ensure that your home plumbing system is always in tiptop condition. You can handle most of these maintenance activities on your own without having to hire a professional plumber. Let us now look at your monthly plumbing maintenance calendar. You should clean your garbage disposal unit every month. We have already discussed the DIY procedure for cleaning your garbage disposal in our previous blog posts. You should also run water and flush toilets in unused areas in the house every month. You should pour some water in various drains and drain traps in the house every month to prevent bad odors in the house. Another important monthly maintenance activity is gutter inspection and cleaning. You should also clean the dishwasher drain bin every month. HVAC filters should be inspected and changed on a monthly basis.

Yearly Maintenance Tasks

plumbing repair DCYour annual plumbing maintenance calendar includes very many activities. You can handle some of these maintenance activities on your own and you can also hire a professional plumber to assist you with the rest. Make a point of flushing your hot water heater at least once every year. Flushing your water heater will prolong its life and help you avoid DC water heater repair services.  You should also test your sump pump at least once every year. Pour a bucket of water on the device to see whether it starts automatically. Inspect the toilet seals annually. You should also remove the showerheads and clean them to remove accumulated sediments. In order to avoid frozen pipes, winterize your home plumbing system every year before the cold winter season starts. Annual drainage and sewer line inspections are highly recommendable.

Random Maintenance Tasks

Our plumbing maintenance calendar also includes random maintenance activities. For instance, you should make a point of inspecting all your water supply pipes at random to ensure that there are no leaks and that everything is in excellent condition. You should also conduct random inspections of all the critical plumbing parts, such as the fixtures, appliances, control systems etc, to ensure that everything is fine.

How To Remove A Clog In Your Shower Drains

Drain clogs are nasty plumbing issues. Drain clogs occur when there is a solid foreign object blocking the flow of waste water in your drainage and sewer system. Drain clogs usually occur in your kitchen sink drains and in your shower or bathtub drains. We have already discussed how to remove kitchen drain clogs in this blog. That is why today we are going to focus on shower drain clogs. Shower drain clogs are usually caused by hair, soap remnants, and other bathroom products. These solid objects are usually deposited in your shower drain pipes. Over time, the hair becomes entangled into a fine mess. This fine mess traps all the tiny bits of soap and other debris that passes through your shower drains. This is the main cause of shower drain clogs. But you should also note that dental floss is another major cause of drain clogs. Dental floss is just like hair. One piece cannot cause a drain clog but when you bring together many pieces, you will have a serious problem on your hands. You can try to prevent shower drain clogs by installing a screen trap on the shower drain. But there is still a chance of hair and other debris passing through. That is why you need to know how to unclog your shower drains when the inevitable clog occurs. This article will teach you how to remove clogs from your shower drains.

Use A Drain Claw

A drain claw is one of the most effective tools for removing a shower drain clog. The drain claw is specially designed to catch hair and other debris that might be clogging your shower drains. The drain claw looks like a wire with an auger at one end. The auger has very many interlocking hooks. If you ever have a shower drain clog, you can use the auger to remove it. Just insert the end with the hooked auger inside your clogged shower drain. You have to remove the screen trap before inserting the drain claw. After inserting the drain claw, move it or maneuver it inside the clogged drain pipe to reach the clog. Twist it around in the clogged drain pipe until you feel that you have attached a lot of solid waste on the hooks. Remove the drain claw and dispose the solid waste properly to clear your shower drains.local DC plumber

Use A Plunger

You can also use a shower drain plunger to unclog your shower drains. There are two main types of plungers. There is a toilet plunger and a kitchen sink drain plunger, which can also be used to unclog your shower drains. Make sure that you always have the two types of plungers in your house. We all know how to use a plunger. Just place it on your clogged shower drain and do the up and down movement. The plunger might be able to dislodge the clog.

Call A Professional Plumber

If all these DIY solution fail to dislodge the clog in your shower drains, call a professional plumber for assistance. Request professional DC plumbing services to remove the clog from your shower drains. Remember that a serious shower drain clog can cause a sewer backup in your bathroom. Stubborn clogs should be handled by professional plumbers ASAP.

Tree Root Intrusion/Infiltration In Sewer Pipes

The sewer system is one of the most functional parts of the home plumbing system. The sewer system receives all waste water and human waste from the drainage system. The sewer system is responsible for disposing of all this waste water and human waste. Your home sewer system either takes the waste water and human waste to the municipal sewer system or to your private septic tank. But like all other sections or parts of your home plumbing system, the sewer system can develop problems at any time. These problems are usually very serious and difficult to fix because the sewer system is usually burrowed deep in the ground. Most of your sewer lines are laid below the ground. That is why you need to request DC sewer and drain services any time you detect or suspect a problem in your home sewer system. One of the most common problems that affect many sewer systems in Washington DC is tree root intrusion or infiltration. Today you are going to learn everything you need to know about this serious but very common sewer line problem.

How It Happens

Tree roots live and thrive below the ground. And most sewer lines are laid below the ground. This means that tree roots and sewer lines are bound to interact in one way or the other. The problem of tree root intrusion or infiltration starts when young tree roots are looking for water and nutrients. The roots are naturally attracted to areas with a lot of moisture and nutrients. This is where they come into contact with your underground sewer lines. The underground sewer lines are always filled with sewage. And the sewage is very rich in nutrients and water. As such, the tree roots try to infiltrate the underground sewer lines as much as possible. Most of these underground sewer lines are constructed in such a way to prevent tree root infiltration. They have solid joints and very tough surfaces. But with time, the clay, iron, or concrete sewer pipes wear out with age. This gives the tree roots an advantage. They can now try to squeeze their way inside the old worn-out sewer lines. And that is how the problems described below occur.

The Problems

The main problem of tree root infiltration is clogging. The tree roots grow in size and block the flow of waste water and human waste in the sewer lines. This can cause a sever sewer backup in your house. You will need to conduct an underground sewer camera inspection to determine whether you have a tree root intrusion problem or not. As the tree roots grow bigger due to the massive intake of water and nutrients, they expand inside your sewer lines. This can cause the sewer lines to break, which will cause a serious leak in your home sewer system. This problem can only be fixed by replacing the broken sewer lines with new ones.DC sewer service

How To Prevent And/Or Solve

The problem of tree root infiltration can be prevented by regular lateral pipe cleaning. There are also effective root inhibition chemicals that you can flush down the toilet. Many professional plumbers use various tools to cut tree roots and remove them from your sewer lines. You should also remove or stop planting trees near your sewer lines.

Advantages Of Installing Low-Flow Fixtures

Many homeowners are now installing high efficiency plumbing appliances and fixtures to help conserve water and energy at home. High efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances are specially designed to save water and power. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues ratings to all high efficiency products that are designed to save water and energy. EPA issues the WaterSense rating to all high efficiency water-saving fixtures and appliances. These are usually low-flow plumbing fixtures that consume up to 60% less water than ordinary fixtures. EPA also issues an Energy Star rating to all plumbing appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters that are designed to save energy. You should always ensure that you buy these EPA rated high efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances to reduce your monthly water and energy bill. By upgrading to these high efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances, you will play an important role in conserving water and energy. You will also be assured that the product is of very high quality and will hence last for a very long time. Today we are going to look at the advantages of installing high efficiency low-flow plumbing fixtures like faucets, toilets, showerheads, urinals, and even sprinkler systems.

Save Water

The main advantage of installing low-flow plumbing fixtures is to save water. As mentioned above, low-flow fixtures can use 60% less water than standard plumbing fixtures. This means that you will be reducing the amount of water consumed in your home by more than half. One of the things that you should prioritize when doing bathroom remodeling in DC is to upgrade to high efficiency low-flow fixtures. You should make sure that all the plumbing fixtures you install in your home are WaterSense rated. Water is a very important natural resource. Water is also a limited resource. As such, we all have a personal responsibility to conserve water. And one of the most effective ways of conserving water is by reducing the amount we consume at home. High efficiency low-flow fixtures will help you save a lot of water at home. Make sure you buy WaterSense rated low-flow faucets, showerheads, urinals, and toilets. Your outdoor sprinkler system should also be low-flow and WaterSense rated.DC drain service

High Efficiency & Functionality

The other important benefit of installing high efficiency low-flow fixtures is efficiency. These EPA rated low-flow fixtures are very efficient or functional. Despite using very little water, these plumbing fixtures are highly efficient. This means that you will still get the right amount of water from your low-flow faucets and showerheads. Some of these low-flow faucets are touchless or hands-free. This minimizes the amount of water wasted when the tap is being turned on and off. Even the low-flow toilets and urinals are highly efficient. They still dispose of human waste efficiently while conserving a lot of water. Your high efficiency low-flow sprinkler system will still water your lawn or garden efficiently while still conserving water. Any questions that you may have can be answered by your local plumber.

High Quality

Before issuing the WaterSense rating or the Energy Star rating to high efficiency products, EPA considers the quality of such products. The products must have a long warranty. It must also be highly functional. It’s not just a matter of conserving water and energy; the product must also be of very high quality. You will get high quality and very durable products that are also low-flow. This means that you will get real value for your money when you buy low-flow plumbing fixtures.

Tips For Buying A Plunger

One of the most functional plumbing tools is the plunger. A plunger is used to dislodge clogs in drainage and sewer pipes. It features a very simple construction design consisting of a rubber suction cup and a plastic or wood handle or shaft. The plunger does many amazing things in the kitchen and bathroom and that is why it has earned such affectionate names like the plumber’s helper and the plumber’s friend. The plunger is used to unclog all types of drains including the kitchen sink drains, the shower drains, and more frequently the toilet drains. Plungers are very easy to use. You just hold the handle and insert the rubber end in the clogged sink or toilet drain. Ensure that you form a tight seal with the clogged drain because the plunger works on the principle of a vacuum. You should then apply pressure to “suck” and dislodge the clog from the drain. It’s quite easy in practice. You do not need a professional plumber to unclog your toilet with a plunger.

dc commercial-plumber

Consider The Type

The first thing that you need to know about plungers is that they come in two main types and they are both designed for different uses. These two different types of plungers feature different functional designs. A plunger will help you save money on DC sewer services when your drains are clogged. But you must first choose the right plunger for the job. Here is how to do it. Let us look at the two main types of plungers.

Flat-Bottomed Plunger

The classic flat-bottomed plunger is designed for unclogging kitchen sink drains and shower drains. This plunger features a rubber ending that looks like a rubber ball cut in half. This enables the plunger to seal tightly on the flat surface on the sink drain or shower drain. Make sure that you choose this type of plunger for your kitchen sinks drains and shower drains.

Flange Plunger

The flange plunger is specifically designed for unclogging toilets. This is the most widely used plunger because toilets get clogged more frequently. In addition to the typical half rubber ball at the end of the shaft, the flange plunger also features another extra bit protruding from the rubber end. This extra bit helps create a tight seal in the curved toilet drain.

Consider Drain Sealing

In order for the plunger to dislodge the clog, it must form a tight seal with the clogged drain pipe and create a vacuum. You should always ensure that you buy a plunger that seals tightly with the toilet, sink or shower drain. You can test the plunger in your local hardware store before purchase. You will note that old worn-out plungers are quite ineffective because they have holes and cracks that allow air to seep through.

Consider The Handle

Plungers come with either a wooden or plastic handle. You should ensure that the plunger’s handle or shaft offers an excellent grip to avoid discomfort while unclogging your drains. Some plungers need a little elbow grease on the handle to work. Choose a high quality plunger with a firm grip and a long-lasting handle to make work easier.