Blog — Plumbing Tips and News from DC Sewer and Drain

The kitchen drain is subjected to more wear and tear than any other drain in the average home. It is used to dispose of all different kinds of waste, including food and cooking byproducts. As such, it tends to suffer clogs and other problems far more often than other drains. Professional drain cleaning services are ideal for preventing this kind of thing from happening, but there are other things you can personally do to help maintain your kitchen drain.

Avoid F-O-G. FOG stands for Fats, Oils, and Grease. It is commonly used in cooking, and is poured down the drain in liquid form. Once the FOG cools, however, it congeals into a viscous semi-solid substance that can clog up the drain. If you want to significantly cut down on how often your kitchen drain clogs up, you should avoid pouring FOG into it. It's far better to freeze FOG and throw it away.

Pour Boiling Water Down the Drain. Drain clogs form as waste from various sources accumulates on the sides of the pipe. As the waste hardens and builds up, the flow of water through the drain is restricted until it is completely stopped. One easy way to get rid of waste buildup in your kitchen drain is to pour a pot of boiling water down it. The water loosens up the waste, allowing it to be washed down the drain much more easily. This won't get rid of all of the waste, but it's a good bit of maintenance to conduct every month or two.

With the arrival of cold weather and Old Man Winter upon us here in New York, so comes the arrival of a multitude of potential plumbing issues. As a 24 hour plumbing service in Westchester, we've seen it all when it comes to winter plumbing issues — from cracked or frozen pipes, broken radiators, cold showers, and flooding. Fortunately for you, we've got some tips on how you can minimize your risk of these winter plumbing problems.

Treat your sink and bathtub drains with this eco-friendly cleaning process once a week to prevent clogged drains: Make a mixture of 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of salt, and 1/4 cup of cream of tartar. Pour the same amount into each drain and then follow with 2 cups of boiling water.

Insulate your pipes to prevent freezing or cracking. We suggest using foam padding sleeves or a special insulating tape. If your pipes or plumbing fixtures are exposed, they need to be kept toasty with space heaters (at a safe distance).

Leave your water running from all the valves in your home at regular intervals throughout the winter. This will help to prevent your pipes from freezing or even worse — bursting. Don't forget about your outdoor hoses and spigots. Before temperatures drop below freezing, make sure your hoses are unattached from your spigots.

If possible, spread your showers out throughout the day. We suggest at least 10 minute intervals between showers to maintain hot water and proper water pressure. Plumbing issues? Drain problems? Sewer headaches? Call us today and let us help!

Water heaters can last quite a while, as long as they're taken care of properly. Eventually, though, the accumulated wear and tear of years of normal use will result in problems developing in the system. The sooner you can recognize signs of these problems, the sooner you can have them repaired and the more damage you can prevent.

Cracked Dip Tube. Tank water heaters contain a part called the dip tube, which runs from the water line down through the top of the tank and lets out near the bottom. The purpose of the dip tube is to direct all water entering the tank to the bottom, where it will remain separate from the hot water leaving the tank and will be able to warm up much faster since it's closer to the burner assembly. If the dip tube develops a crack, it can leak cold water into the mix. If you're suddenly getting blasts of cold water in the middle of an otherwise-warm stream, it might be because you have a problem with your water heater's dip tube.

Leaks. Leaks are a serious issue for any system that deals with water on a regular basis, but especially for water heaters. If the storage tank springs a leak and it isn't taken care of as soon as possible, there's a very real chance that it could rupture. If you don't want to pay for potentially thousands of dollars' worth of remediation services, you should call for repairs whenever you notice a leak in your water heater. The faster you can get the leak sealed, the better off your water heater will be.