Category Archives: Sewer Issues

How To Prevent And Remove Limescale In Your Water

October 20, 2018DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

Limescale is a common nuisance in areas with hard water problems. Limescale refers to the mineral deposits that are found in hard water. Hard water is water with above-average concentration of various minerals including iron, magnesium, and calcium. Limescale appears as a white or green chalky residue in or on plumbing fixtures and appliances. Limescale is not harmful to the body. But the main problem with water with limestone is that it has an unpleasant taste. The rich mineral deposits also prevent lather from forming properly and also the water from rinsing properly. This means that if you use water with limescale to bathe or wash clothes, then they will neither wash well nor rinse properly. Your skin will be left all dry and itchy and your clothes will be stiff and scratchy. Limescale buildup in your faucets, showerheads, and pipe joints leaves ugly spots on these fixtures and pipes and it can also cause clogging if not removed. That is why we have decided to teach you how to prevent and remove limescale from your water.

How To Prevent Limescale

As the old adage goes, protection is better than cure. You should always try to prevent plumbing problems before they occur. In the case of limescale, a water softening system will do the trick. If you realize that you have a hard water problem, you do not have to wait for the limescale to clog your fixtures and pipes so that you can call a professional DC drain and sewer plumber. You can call a professional plumber immediately and have a water softening system installed in your house. All the clean water will pass through this system and the limescale will be removed. These water softening systems contain sodium-based solutions that neutralize the damaging effects of limescale buildup in your fixtures and pipe joints. The water comes out all clean and fresh and it’s now limescale-free so you can use it to drink, bathe, and wash clothes properly.

How To Remove Limescale

If prevention fails, you can always opt for the cure. If limescale has already pervaded your house and your taps, showerheads, and pipe joints are all chalky and clogged, then you need to deal with it accordingly. You need to remove the limescale buildup from your taps, showerheads, pipes, and other fixtures using one of two ways.

Use Vinegar

Limescale is very stubborn and it can’t be removed by an ordinary detergent and a wet rag. It needs to be weakened and dissolved in a mild acidic solution. Vinegar is one of the most effective chemicals for removing limescale. All the affected faucets, showerheads, pipes, and other fixtures should be removed and dipped in vinegar for an hour or so. You should then remove them and scrub the affected areas vigorously with a brush or an old toothbrush. You will be able to remove all limescale buildup inside and outside your pipes and fixtures using this method. If you can’t detach or remove the affected fixtures, then you can put some vinegar in a plastic bag and tie it around the affected parts of your fixtures. Let it sit for about an hour and then start scrubbing.

Use A Chemical Cleaning Solution

You can also use a chemical cleaning solution to remove limescale buildup from your plumbing fixtures. Choose a commercial detergent formulated for calcium, rust, and lime removal.

Care And Maintenance Tips For Your Home Sewer System

August 23, 2018DC Plumber, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

The sewer system is one of the most critical sections of your home plumbing system. The home sewer system is responsible for disposing of all liquid waste in the house. The sewer system consists of a series of drainage and sewer pipes that carry liquid waste away from the house. The home sewer system is usually connected to a private septic tank or to the municipal sewer line via a main sewer line. In order to ensure that all the liquid waste produced in your home is properly disposed, you should always maintain an excellent sewer system. This means that you need to invest some of your time and some considerable resources to ensure that your home sewer system is always in tiptop condition. Today we have compiled some useful care and maintenance tips for your home sewer system. Read on to learn what you should do to ensure the functionality and enhance the health of your home sewer system.

Proper Waste Disposal

One of the most common problems in the home sewer system is clogging. Your drainage and underground sewer lines can clog from time to time. This can cause very serious sewer backups in your bathroom and kitchen. One of the most common causes of sewer line clogs is poor waste disposal habits. You can avoid sewer line clogs by ensuring that you dispose all your waste responsibly. Firstly, you should never dispose any solid waste down your drainage and sewer lines. You should also avoid disposing of fats, oils, and greases via your sinks as you wash your utensils. This fatty waste coagulates and forms a muck which clogs your sewer lines. All solid waste should go into your garbage can for collection.

Proper Flushing Habits

The toilet is one of the key components of your sewer system. Many sewer line clogs are caused by poor flushing habits. This is where you find people dumping all kinds of trash and waste in the toilet. You should never flush any solid waste or materials in the toilet. This includes all towels, hygiene products, feminine products, and so on. Make sure that you observe proper flushing habits to avoid clogging your home sewer system.

Regular Drain Cleaning

You should have your drainage and sewer lines cleaned from time to time. You can hire a professional plumber who provides DC sewer and drain cleaning services to clean your drains once or twice a year. This is a kind of maintenance service for your home sewer system.

Regular Camera Inspections

Many plumbing companies now offer underground sewer camera inspection services. In order to ensure that all your drainage and sewer lines are in good working condition, have them inspected regularly using underground video camera technology.

Timely Repairs

You should not hesitate to call your local plumber any time you notice or suspect a fault in your home sewer system. Whether you are suspecting a leak or a clog in your sewer lines, call a professional plumber as soon as possible to fix the problem before it becomes too serious.

Removal Of Tree Roots

Tree roots cause a lot of damage to underground sewer liners. These roots infiltrate the pipes and cause them to leak or clog. You should remove all big trees that are planted over your sewer lines to avoid underground root intrusion.

5 Common Causes Of Sewer Line Clogs

August 20, 2018Commercial Plumbing, DC Plumber, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

Sewer line clogs are some of the most expensive and disastrous plumbing problems at home. This is mainly because most sewer lines run underground. This creates a problem of access, which makes diagnosis of various sewer line problems almost impossible to an amateur. Plumbing companies use cutting edge plumbing technologies to diagnose and solve various sewer line issues. In order to diagnose a clogging problem in your sewer lines, the plumbing company will use underground video camera inspection. This is where the plumber will install a video camera inside your sewer lines and moves it along remotely until he finds the clog. The plumber monitors the movement of the video camera and sees everything inside the sewer lines using a video screen above the ground. Nowadays every established residential and commercial plumber in DC offers video camera sewer inspections. Plumbing companies use various technologies to unclog sewer lines. The most commonly used sewer line unclogging technologies include hydro jetting, and sewer snaking or rodding. Today we are going to look at the five main causes of sewer line clogs.

Broken Or Damaged Sewer Lines

Sewer lines wear out with time. After many years of usage, sewer lines get damaged and broken like all other installations. This is mainly caused by continued usage, corrosion, weight pressure by overlying structures and soil, and so on. If your sewer lines are broken or damaged, then you will suffer very serious clogging problems. This is mainly because the broken sewer lines do not drain liquid waste as well as they should. You will find that the damaged pipes maybe leaking or could have caved thereby blocking the flow of liquid waste from your house to the septic tank or municipal main sewer system. You should have all your sewer lines inspected regularly by a licensed plumber, to repair or replace any old damaged pipes in your sewer system to avoid sewer line clogs.

Tree Root Intrusion

Tree roots are another major cause of sewer line clogging. Big trees have very long and strong roots. These roots usually grow downwards and infiltrate your sewer line network. The roots can even penetrate the sewer lines and clog the sewer system by blocking the flow of liquid waste in the pipes. You should remove all big trees that grow above your sewer lines to prevent tree root intrusion.

Bad Flushing Habits

One of the most common causes of sewer line clogs is bad flushing habits. This is where people flush all kinds of waste down the toilet. The toilet should only be used to flush human waste. All other items including paper and cloth napkins, feminine products, and so on should not be flushed down the toilet to avoid clogging.

Bad Waste Disposal Habits

Just like bad flushing habits, bad waste disposal habits are a negligent and careless cause of sewer line clogs. Many people dispose solid waste in their sink drains. This is a major cause of drainage and sewer line clogging. You should also avoid dumping oils, fats, and greases in your sink because these coagulate inside your sewer lines thereby clogging the entire sewer system.

Sagging Sewer Lines

Underground sewer lines tend to sag after some time. This is mainly caused by natural and environmental factors like soil shifts. There is nothing you can do to prevent sagging sewer lines except having them inspected and replaced as soon as possible.

4 Telltale Signs That Your Water Heater Needs Repairs Or Replacement

August 19, 2018Commercial Plumbing, DC Plumber, DIY Plumbing, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorized, Water Heatersmatt

Water heaters and boilers require constant care and proper maintenance to ensure that they furnish all your hot water and air conditioning needs. There are three main types of water heaters, namely conventional storage water heaters, tankless water heaters, and hybrid heat pump water heaters. Tankless and heat pump water heaters can be expensive to buy and install but they have very low operational costs. Conventional storage water heaters are the most popular models because they are cheaper to buy and install. However, conventional storage water heaters are highly inefficient because they are prone to standby heat loss. When choosing a new water heater, you should always consider these factors. You should also consider the type of fuel that you are going to use. Water heaters use electricity, natural gas or propane, geothermal energy, fuel oil, or solar to heat water. Some hybrid models use two or more types of fuels. You should always ensure that your home water heater is in good working condition to avoid hot water problems. Look out for the following signs because they indicate that you need to repair or replace your water heater. These tips apply to businesses and commercial properties, as well. Any water heater issues or concerns should be checked out immediately by a professional commercial plumber to avoid costly repairs, safety concerns, and liabilities.

Water Heating Problems

If your water heater is not heating water properly, then you need to call your local plumber for repairs. There are many different types of water heating problems. You might notice that your water heater is not heating the water to the required or expected temperature despite the control dials showing these temperatures. This means that the water heater could be producing water at a lower temperature than the one you have set. This could be an issue with the heating element or the temperature control dials. If you notice such a problem, contact a professional plumber for DC water heater repair services. You might also notice that the water heater, especially the standard tank model, is producing lower amounts of water than expected. This could be an indication of a leak in the tank or the connecting pipes. Call your local plumber as soon as you notice any of these water heating issues.

Corrosion

Another key indication that your water heater requires repairs or replacement is corrosion. You can detect corrosion in your standard tank water heater from the quality of the heated water. If your water heater produces rusty-looking or rusty-tasting water, then the tank is corroded. Conventional storage water heaters have an anode rod that attracts all corrosive elements from the water. This rusty water is an indication that the anode rod is worn-out and needs replacing.

Leaking Tank Or Pipes

As mentioned above, one indication that your water heater is leaking is low hot water supply. You can inspect your water heater on your own to determine whether it’s leaking or not. Check the tank and the connecting pipes carefully for any leaks. You should call a professional plumber for assistance if you notice or suspect any leaks in your water heater.

Expired Warranty

Tankless water heaters last longer than conventional storage models. Standard tank water heaters last about 10 years, while tankless models last 20 years or more. You should consider replacing your water heater as soon as the warranty expires. This is to avoid costly repairs and functional inconveniences.

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.

Why You Should Conduct Regular Sewer Inspections

July 22, 2018Commercial Plumbing, Helpful Hints, How To, Plumbing Advice, Sewer Issues, Uncategorizedmatt

You should conduct regular and routine inspections of your home plumbing system to ensure that everything is always in good working condition. You should start by conducting regular inspections on your own every few weeks. You should also hire a professional plumber to thoroughly inspect your home plumbing system every few months. You should focus all these DIY and professional inspection runs on the most critical areas of your plumbing system. Typically, there are four most critical areas of any plumbing system. The first most critical area of any plumbing system is the plumbing control systems, which include the water meter, the main water shutoff valve, the gas meter, the main gas shutoff valve, the electric meter, and even the electrical breaker boxes. The other most critical area of your home plumbing system is the water supply piping network. The third most critical plumbing component is the hot water heater. And the fourth most critical area is the drainage and sewer system. In this article we will look at the benefits of conducting regular and routine inspections of your home drainage and sewer system.

Avoid Sewer Emergencies

Many Washington DC plumbing companies offer DC sewer inspection services to their residential and commercial/industrial clients. One of the main advantages of conducting regular sewer inspections is to avoid sewer emergencies at home or in your place of business. Sewer inspections are conducted to identify any existing or potential faults or defects in your sewer system. The sewer inspection focuses on all the critical parts of your sewer system including the underground sewer lines, the septic tank, and the main sewer line. Sewer line plumbers use specialized plumbing equipment and technology to conduct thorough inspections of your underground sewer system. They use underground video cameras that are controlled remotely to inspect all your sewer lines and the main sewer line for clogs, cracks, leaks, and any other faults. This means that these sewer inspections will identify any pending fault or malfunction before it happens; thereby averting potential sewer and plumbing emergencies in your home or in your workplace.

Ensure Timely Repairs

Regular and routine sewer inspections will help you implement timely repairs in your sewer system. Whether it’s at home or in your workplace, implementing timely repairs in your plumbing system is very important. Sewer plumbers identify potential faults in your plumbing system before they deteriorate and become too serious for your plumbing system. This is advantageous in two ways. Firstly, identifying sewer defects early enables you to fix them as soon as possible thereby preventing a sewer catastrophe in your house. Secondly, fixing these sewer line problems early helps you avoid costly repair bills due to a seriously damaged sewer system.

Reduce Sewer Maintenance Costs

Sewer inspections are part of your basic plumbing maintenance practices. By conducting regular and routine sewer inspections, you will be ensuring that your home plumbing system is well maintained. Even if you conduct these inspection runs on your own, you will still have a positive effect on your home plumbing system because you can detect any fault before it becomes too serious. Similarly, if you hire a professional plumber to inspect your home sewer system, you will be able to fix any existing and potential faults before the whole sewer system breaks down.

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.

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.

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.