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How to Maintain Clean Drains

August 24, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

drain

Prevention is the best treatment for keeping your drains clean and maintaining a healthy drainage system. This includes paying attention to what you pour down your drains and ensuring that you regularly flush your drains with drain cleaners to prevent the accumulation of grease and debris.

By incorporating the following suggestions into your regular cleaning practices, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of having to deal with a clogged drain.

What you’ll require

To prevent blockages in your drains, you should have the following items on hand:

• Safety glasses • Rubber gloves (elbow-length if possible) • Baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) • Soda crystals • White vinegar • A kettle • A fat-collection container

Make the necessary preparations

As with any cleaning task involving chemicals or microorganisms, it is always prudent to be well-prepared. Gloves made of rubber will protect your hands and make it easier to pick up clumps of hair and other unpleasant materials. Additionally, protective glasses are required to prevent chemicals such as bleach or bacterial-laden water from entering the eyes.

Not all drains are equal

Some drains in your home will require more frequent inspection than others, such as the bathroom sink, shower, and bathtub. This is where hair from shaving and washing can accumulate, especially when combined with soap scum, grease, and toothpaste.

In most cases, drains become clogged due to a combination of soap scum, dirt, and hair. However, over the years, some unusual objects have been the cause of clogged drains and the need for emergency drain cleaning. Here are a few uncommon causes of clogged drains:

Weekly, pour boiling water down your drains

Boiling water is a simple and effective natural drain cleaner and a great way to prevent fat, grease, and oil buildup in your pipes. Just be careful not to trip when carrying a boiling kettle of water to the bathroom on the second floor…

Use a biological cleaner to treat your drains.

A biological cleaner containing enzymes is the best drain cleaner for hair and an excellent way to treat the accumulation of fats, bacteria, mold, and other organic substances. They are also significantly more environmentally friendly than harsher chemicals like bleach or caustic soda.

Most home improvement stores sell enzymatic drain cleaners relatively cheaply. Follow the instructions on the back of the package when applying the product to your drains.

 Flush drains with sodium bicarbonate and white vinegar

If you prefer, you can use baking soda and white vinegar instead of a biological cleaner. You can also substitute baking soda for baking powder. Hopefully, you already possess both of these items in your kitchen cabinets.

Simply combine a few tablespoons of baking soda with one cup of white vinegar, and then pour the solution down the drain. Allow the mixture to fizz for approximately five minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water from the kettle.

Use soda crystals to maintain clear drains.

Soda crystals are an additional effective method for preventing the accumulation of fats, oils, and grease in drains. Simply stir a cup of soda crystals into a bowl of boiling water until the soda crystals have completely dissolved. Now, slowly pour the solution into the drains.

Transfer fats to a container.

Prevention is preferable to treatment, so you should always dispose of cooking fat in a container rather than down the drain. Congealed oil from deep fat fryers, combined with other debris such as food and plastics, is one of the most common causes of clogged kitchen drains.

Brush your hair prior to taking a bath or shower

Before you take a bath or shower, brushing your hair will help remove the majority of loose hairs that could potentially clog your drain.

Clean your pet outdoors

If you bathe your pets, you should be aware that they lose more hair than humans, particularly during molting seasons. If possible, you should wash your cat, dog, or rabbit outside, or you should cover the drain in your bathtub with a towel to collect any hairs shed during the washing process.When in doubt, do not flush the following items:

• Plastic • Cigarettes and ash • Food • Sanitary products • Kitchen roll and standard paper • Cardboard packaging • Harsh chemicals including acid

The majority of the time, these suggestions should be sufficient to keep your drains running smoothly. However, if you need additional advice on keeping your drains clear or assistance unclogging them, a local plumber is only a phone call away.

Contact an emergency plumber immediately if you require further assistance.

Filed Under: Drain Cleaning Tagged With: drain cleaning st paul, drain cleaning st paul mn, minnesota drain cleaning company, St Paul Drain Cleaning

What is Hydro-Jetting?

August 24, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

water jetting services st paul mn

If you frequently deal with annoyingly clogged drains, high-pressure hydro-jetting may be an ideal solution for your home.

Although hydro-jetting may sound like an exciting water sport or an extreme way to carve stone more efficiently, you may find it to be less exciting than you anticipated. Unless, of course, you truly value a clean drain line.

Hydro-jetting is one of the best ways to unclog drains, eliminate lingering odors in pipes, and maintain a clean drain system.

Still, the fact that hydro-jetting involves plumbing does not make it dull.

Why Hydro-Jetting is the Best Method for Cleaning Pipes

Hydro-jetting is the process of inserting a pressurized water hose into your pipes and then releasing high-velocity water that blasts the interiors of your pipes until all of the accumulated gunk and grime dies.

In the world of plumbing, jetting was once considered a highly futuristic technique. Nevertheless, the price of jet equipment has decreased. Hydro-jetting has become increasingly common over time.

Hydro-jetting is now recognized as an effective method for cleaning and preventing clogs in water and sewer lines; it can even prevent tree roots from entering. Nevertheless, hydro-jetting is probably not a good idea if tree roots have already damaged your pipes. In this situation, pipe replacement is the best course of action.

Is It Hazardous?

Hydro-jetting, like most activities involving highly pressurized water, can be hazardous to your pipes if you overpressurize the line. Because of this, we always advise either hiring an experienced plumber or keeping cash on hand (just in case).

Despite the destructive nature of this cleaning method, you should be in little physical danger. The greatest concern when hydro-jetting a clogged sink drain, sewer line, or other pipes in your home is that excessive water pressure will cause the pipes to crack.

Any competent plumber will be able to hydro-jet your pipes with minimal risk to themselves, you, and the pipes.

Is Hydrojetting environmentally friendly?

Hydro-jetting is as environmentally friendly as the substances you’ve been flushing down the drains.

Consider the matter carefully. The only thing that jetting adds to clogged pipes and drains is water. Hydro-jetting machines do not utilize harsh chemicals such as Drano, caustic soda, or other toxic substances typically found in drain clog removers. It consists solely of water and nothing else.

In the event that a pipe breaks, you will not contaminate the local groundwater with your plumbing practices (unless you poured a whole gallon of chemical drain cleaner down right before).

Common Indications That You Should Jet Your Pipes

How do you know when to call a plumber to hydro-jet your drains?

Well, there are a few common symptoms that you should watch out for.

Your Pipes Continue to Clog

Hydro-jetting is frequently employed to unclog drains that repeatedly clog. When your pipes continue to clog, it’s usually due to a significant amount of buildup on the interior pipe walls. Consequently, while you may be able to remove large obstructions from your pipes with a drain snake, you will almost certainly not be addressing the cause of the issue. To thoroughly clean the interior of your pipes, you will need to hydro-jet them. This will remove any debris that your snake cannot reach.

You Cannot Remember When You Last Cleaned Your Lines.

It seems obvious when we say it out loud, but think about it for a moment. When was your last sewer line cleaning? When was the last time you gave your sewer lines any thought? Obviously, we don’t want you to constantly think about your pipes, but we do recommend routine maintenance. Every couple of years, you should consider hydro-jetting your sewer lines and other high-traffic drains to avoid a plumbing emergency.

Hydro-jetting is a long-term solution, so once you begin your routine maintenance there should be no more issues.

Your Pipes No Longer Drain Normally

Does your bathroom sink no longer drain normally? Fill the shower tub without inserting the stopper?

In this case, it is time to contact a plumber! It appears that these pipes require hydro-jetting.

Slow drains are a possible sign of undesirable buildup in your pipes. Slow drains may also indicate a more extensive obstruction. If your pipes are acting up, you should contact a professional.

Your Pipes Hiss or Make a Great Deal of Noise.

If your pipes are hissing, you likely have an air quality issue. There are multiple methods for getting air into your pipes. Root-caused cracks can allow air to enter your pipes, or a clogged vent stack can trap air inside. If your pipe is broken, you should not hydro-jet. You can make matters worse. However, if your vent stack is obstructed, you may proceed. The pipes should be blasted to your heart’s content.

We will explain what a vent stack is if you do not already know.

A vent stack is a pipe that extends from your home’s sewer system to the roof (or sometimes out into the drainage field if you live in the country). A vent stack allows a small amount of air to enter your sewer system, which is necessary for wastewater to flow. If your vent stack becomes obstructed, water cannot flow, and your entire system is thrown out of whack!

Schedule an Appointment for Hydro-Jetting Today!

So there you go! Hydro-jetting is not particularly frightening so long as a competent individual is in charge.

Therefore, if you observe any signs of clogged drains in your home, give us a call. We would love to discuss hydro-jetting and pipe maintenance with you.

Filed Under: Hydro-jetting Tagged With: drain cleaning st paul, hydro-jetting st. paul, minnesota drain cleaning company

What You Should Know About Drain Cleaning

August 24, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Drain Cleaning St. Paul MN

Professional drain cleaning is an essential plumbing service for homes and businesses. It is also misunderstood, which results in many St .Paul homeowners failing to have it done at the appropriate time or attempting to do it incorrectly, thereby causing more issues.

Drain Cleaning Should Be Routine Maintenance

You are correct if you believe that drain cleaning is only necessary when there is a major clog in a toilet, sink, shower, or other drains in the home. However, drain cleaning is not limited to only emergency situations. We strongly suggest that you schedule an annual drain cleaning with us. Similar to changing the oil in the family car or receiving an annual flu shot for yourself and your loved ones, drain cleaning should be a routine part of the maintenance schedule.

As long as water flows regularly through it (i.e., it is not clogged by soap scum or other debris), your drain line should remain clear without the need for costly excavation work that could cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars! It is important to keep in mind that many drains do occasionally become clogged, and a plunger may resolve the majority of minor sink, tub, shower, and toilet clogs with minimal effort from homeowners.

Store-Bought Drain Cleaners May Cause Greater Damage to Your Plumbing System

We understand why many homeowners believe that commercial drain cleaners are the solution to their drain cleaning issues, as they are heavily promoted on television and the internet. However, no licensed plumber uses or recommends the use of these chemicals. They can temporarily clear a clogged drain, but they do not eliminate the buildup. In addition, they do not clean very well, and the clogs will soon return.

Additionally, drain cleaners can corrode metal pipes and degrade rubber hoses, causing issues with both the house’s water and sewer lines.

To be fair, there are some drain cleaning products that, when used correctly (according to label instructions), cause minimal or no damage to plumbing systems when used by homeowners. However, these chemicals should not be considered a permanent solution for clogs because they only clean the surface of clogged drains, making future blockages more likely than ever.

The best way to avoid plumbing problems is to ensure that you have professional assistance when you need it, so that residents do not waste money on expensive “over-the-counter” chemicals that never completely resolve the issue.

Drain snakes are excellent, but professional plumbers have superior equipment.

Aside from the plunger, the drain snake, also known as the drain auger, is a useful tool for simple clogs. Inserting a hand-cranked drain snake into a drain can frequently remove obstructions. However, professional plumbers have motorized drain snakes that can break through the most stubborn clogs. They can be significantly quicker and more thorough than hand-cranked versions sold in stores.

Motorized drain snakes are expensive tools that should only be used by licensed plumbers. If a professional plumber must crawl beneath your home or into the sewer with one of these tools, he does so.

Hydro-Jetting is the best method for drain cleaning.

Our plumbers use drain snakes when they believe they are the most effective method for clearing clogs. However, when it comes to preventative drain cleaning, we utilize hydro-jetting equipment. Water jetters clean the interior of drainpipes with powerful, high-pressure water blasts. It is safe for drains and leaves them free of debris and buildup. Your sewer lines will be in “like-new” condition. Hydro-jetting is what distinguishes professional drain cleaning as… professional.

Your Plumbing System May Have an Effect on Your Health.

Clogs can negatively impact your health, but you should never attempt to resolve the issue on your own. A clogged sewer line is a breeding ground for bacteria and mold, as well as other dangerous contaminants that can make you extremely ill. A clogged drain is not a job for the do-it-yourselfer; for your own health and safety, call a professional plumber immediately to clear the obstruction.

When to Contact Drain or Sewer Cleaning Professionals

There are numerous indicators that a person’s sewer line requires cleaning. A clogged sewer line may result in unpleasant sewer odors, unusually sluggish drains, bubbling-sounding pipes, and water backups. You should also consider having your sewer inspected to ensure its proper operation.

If your drain is severely clogged and draining slowly despite using every available tool, including a drain snake, and you have tried snaking from both ends without success, you should contact a professional.

The problem appears to be more than a simple clog; it may be caused by roots, which require extremely powerful drain tools!

Filed Under: Drain Cleaning Tagged With: drain cleaning st paul, drain cleaning st paul mn, minnesota drain cleaning company, St Paul Drain Cleaning

Minnesota Drain Cleaning and Camera Video Inspections

March 30, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

Hey, what’s new in drain cleaning?

This question is thrown into many a conversation to start the flow of gibby gab, you know, to get the “small talk” flowing. However, most times the listener is caught off guard and says: “ah, um, . . . not much” and “same old same old”. Well, not this time!

Guess what, in the sewer and drain business there is something new that is also old or is it better said that something old is now new again. Confused? Let me lift that cloud of double talk doubtfulness from you. Cameras, I’m talking about cameras.

Cameras have been around now since 1826 or 1827 (according to Wikipedia). With moving pictures coming along in 1889. What a wild concept at the time; pictures that could move and tell a story. Believe it or not, Thomas Edison had a hand in the next step of development; getting the crazy moving pictures camera adapted to be handheld and easily portable. The handheld video camera was eventually marketed to the general public (made famous by private citizen Abraham Zapruder in Dallas, November of 1963) to make home movies.

Today we have glamorized that moving picture machine by putting it on the end of a long cable and shoving it down your drain. Beautiful thought isn’t it? Who hasn’t wanted to see that imagery? What is really driving this new phenomena is the digital aspects of today’s camera capabilities. We all know how simple it is with our smart phones. Everybody now has a camera for both images and video right there in their purse or pocket almost all the time. And storage, that tiny little micro disc is amazing! Well, this is so much better for putting in the hands of a Minnesota Sewer Drain Technician.

Video Cameras and Drain Cleaning

Just 4 years ago, video cameras for the drain cleaning business were just as archaic as the first moving picture cameras over a century earlier. To record a video of your drain that Tech. had to lug a heavy machine around that was mounted on wheels and place a 7 3/8″ x 4 1/16″ x 1″ plastic cartridge (remember the VHS) into the camera. But wait for it, here is the big reason they were not mainstream; That camera cost over $20,000! And the picture, was black and white. Don’t you want to see the colors in your drain? We actually do! Simply because then it is easier to determine what the clog is and then how to go about removing the clog. Plus it was not user friendly, would break a lot, the VHS tapes would get wet or damaged and the VHS tapes were bulky to carry around. . . etc.

Fast forward to today and we have hand held units, full color! They are lightweight, very reliable and so much easier to use. Plus all that we need to carry around to record on is a tiny little flash drive. And, AND, the best part is the cost 90% less! That’s right, you can get a really decent camera for about $2,500. One other really neat feature on some of these new cameras, the lens is fitted with a membrane that works like an eyelid. You press a button and it blinks to clear the, um, goop (for lack of a really disgusting truthful word) off of the lens.

So at McDonough’s, Minneapolis/St Paul Water jetting and Drain Cleaning, you know; The unclogdrains.com Guys, we have gotten a camera for each of our technicians. And we have them use that camera on every job to double check that they succeeded in getting the drain unclogged. So rest easy knowing that whenever you want now, you can easily and affordably see what is in your drain. Then we can put it on a flash drive that you can upload to Facebook and show your friends and family. Technology is a beautiful thing (just not necessarily in this case)!

Filed Under: Drain Cleaning Tagged With: drain cleaning st paul, drain cleaning st paul mn, Minneapolis drain cleaning, minnesota drain cleaning company, sewer drain video inspection st paul mn, St Paul Drain Cleaning

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