Sink Plumbing | Our Plumbing Blog

Tampa Plumbers From Roto-Rooter Talk About Clogs

November 11th, 2010 by pabrams

Is there any more helpless feeling than when a toilet, sink or shower clogs and begins backing up into your home? The sewer and drain experts at Roto-Rooter, your 24-hour plumbing company, knows clogs better than anyone. After all, we invented the electric drain cleaning machine in 1935 that started an entire sewer and drain cleaning industry. When you experience a clogged drain, here are some plumbing tips that should help.

For clogged toilets, if the bowl won't drain and threatens to overflow, quickly remove the tank lid and lift up the float ball to stop the flow of water from the tank to the bowl. Then reach down and turn off the water valve at the base of the toilet to prevent the tank from refilling itself. Get a plunger and fit the rubber cup over the drain hole tightly. Thrust downward four or five times then pull back. Repeat as necessary. Most clogs will clear this way.

For kitchen sink clogs, use a sink plunger, not a toilet plunger. Make sure there is enough water in the sink to cover the rubber cup of the plunger. Then thrust about ten times and pull the plunger loose. If the sink doesn't begin draining, repeat. If the plunger doesn't work, get a bucket and place it under the P-trap (the U-shaped drainpipe in the sink plumbing under the sink). Remove the slip nuts on the pipe and pull it free. Allow the sink to drain into the bucket. Run a bottle cleaning brush or wrap a rag around a flexible cable and clear the gunk and debris from the P-trap pipe. This is where most clogs form.

If your clog is deeper inside your plumbing, it is time to call in a professional for help. Roto-Rooter sewer and drain technicians have professional equipment that will not only clear the clog, it will thoroughly clean your drain pipes to prevent them from clogging for a long time. Call 813-980-6000 to have one of our experienced Tampa plumbers stop by. Or click here to schedule service on-line.

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Seattle Plumber Preferred Service Tech Program

October 29th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

Did you know that you can request a specific Roto-Rooter plumber when you call? Roto-Rooter’s preferred service tech program is in place because sometimes things just click between you and your plumber. Customers sometimes write us to say, "that guy was so attentive and he found the perfect bathroom plumbing solutions for us." We understand that when a customer develops a rapport with one of our plumbers, they want to continue using that plumber.

One of our Seattle plumbers was sent out to a remote location to fix some plumbing problems at a vacation home in the dead of winter. It was to be his last job of the day since it was getting late. He took care of the plumbing repair and went on his way. He didn’t get very far when troopers stopped him at a road block and informed him that the highway was closed for the night due to an avalanche of snow covering the road.

Repeated attempts to find a motel were fruitless so the technician called the customer he just visited to see if he could help. Lo and behold, the customer picked up the Roto-Rooter man in his four-wheel-drive vehicle and let him spend the night at one of his rental properties. The two developed a strong rapport and plenty of mutual respect. Guess who the customer calls whenever he has plumbing problems?

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Seattle Plumber Tips: Conserving water is everyone’s responsibility

October 29th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

Water is a precious resource, so we should all do our part to use less of it. I know water doesn’t seem to be in short supply especially in rainy areas, but it is. If your water bill seems higher than it used to be and you feel your house is using more water than it should be, hire a Seattle Plumber to do leak detection. Seattle is an area that gets a lot of rain and appears to have a healthy and abundant water supply, but one day may come when wet areas like Seattle need to pipe excess water to drier areas.

If you fix leaky faucets and toilets, you can easily save thousands of gallons of water per year. Don’t wait, do that faucet repair. Tacoma and other Northwestern cities have the potential to save a significant amount of water simply by fixing various undiscovered leaks. This can also limit the implementation of more extreme measures like lawn watering restrictions, etc.

If you would like assistance with these pluming problems, Roto-Rooter has the right plumber from DC to California and every state in between. They’re your 24 hour plumbing provider and can provide leak detection services, faucet repairs, bathroom plumbing solutions and any other necessary Seattle plumbing and drain service.

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Turn your old toilet into a water miser without replacing it

October 29th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

The newest toilets use only 1.28 gallons per flush. They save water but they’re not cheap. I’m testing new parts for Roto-Rooter and I recently replaced all of the guts inside the most used 1.6 gallon toilet in the house. I replaced the fill valve with a new valve that uses less water, has a leak detection system and automatically cleans the tank of scale and debris (not the bowl).

Next I installed a new dual-flush system that allows users to press one button for a low-power half flush that easily expels urine. A larger button handles solids and wads of toilet paper using a full flush. So far, so good. My toilet is now using a fraction of the water it used to at a fraction of the cost of a new toilet. This is one of the best bathroom plumbing solutions I ever saw and the most sensible toilet repair Cincinnati ever saw!

My water bills will no doubt reflect the savings. Soon a Boston plumber at a Roto-Rooter office and a Seattle plumber at Roto-Rooter and almost every location in between will be installing these and other sensible water-saving parts as we go greener than ever before.

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No more water wasting.

October 20th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

There are some things in your house that you don’t know about that may be costing you a lot of money. It has a lot to do with wasting water. Roto-Rooter’s Norfolk Plumbers can give you some helpful tips to indicate if you are wasting money and water. 1. Leaking faucets are a leak culprit. One drip per second ads up to 20 gallons wasted per day. A small steady stream can waste up to 30,000 gallons a year!

Faucet parts are easy to replace and you can find them at almost any local hardware store or you can call the professionals at Roto-Rooter, your reliable Norfolk plumber and we can repair your faucet for you. 2. “Running toilets." You may not always hear or see your water running in your toilet but to make sure that you don’t have this problem you can put a few drops of food coloring in a tank and wait 15 minutes. If colored water appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak.

3. Locate your water meter then turn off all the water in your house. Read the meter and write down the numbers. Wait an hour without using any water and then check the meter again. If the numbers have changed then you have a leak somewhere in your house that’s costing you money. Call your neighborhood Norfolk Plumbers at Roto-Rooter and we can come and fix your problem anywhere in the Hampton Roads area. We hope these tips will help you save money, if you cannot make repairs of your own call us. You will recover the repair costs on your water bill in no time!

Name: Norfolk Plumbers

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A happy customer is a repeat customer.

October 19th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

Last week a customer called the Sunnyvale, California Roto-Rooter office to compliment the level of service we had provided her. She mentioned it was really hard to find honest Sunnyvale plumbers. She had called another plumbing company and was quoted and exorbitant amount of money to solve a plumbing problem she didn’t really have.

She decided to get a second opinion and looked for another Sunnyvale plumbing company. She called Roto-Rooter Plumbing of Sunnyvale, California and we had a plumber at her house within the hour. When the plumber arrived he noticed there was a problem and proceeded to call a camera technician to inspect the clogged sewer pipe to help diagnose the problem. After all was done we gave her a quote for a sewer repair at a fraction of what the other company quoted. She called the very next day and she said, “I want to thank your plumbers for the excellent service they provided, for being honest and for not trying to rob my wallet.”

She has since had us do the work and is a happy and satisfied customer. We hope she’ll be a good customer for years to come, whether she needs a bathroom plumbing solution, kitchen plumbing jobs or just help with a clogged drain. The Roto-Rooter Plumbing Sunnyvale office is proud to have experienced Sunnyvale plumbers that strive to give the highest level of service and ensure every customer is satisfied.

Name: Erandy Gonzalez

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Very professional staff!

October 19th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

It’s always reassuring to get a complimentary letter from a satisfied Roto-Rooter customer. This one from Barbara H. of Grayslake, Illinois made my day.

"We had a sewer backup in October, so we called the local Roto-Rooter office in Glenview, IL to schedule an appointment for the plumber to come to our home. We didn’t know any particular Grayslake plumber to call but when we saw the ad for Roto-Rooter in the phone book, we recognized the name and took a chance.
They were very fast and the staff was very professional. We learned that not only does Roto-Rooter clean drains and sewers but they can also do sewer repair work and they are a full service Grayslake plumbing company. Fortunately, our problem wasn’t that serious. Thank you!"
- Barbara H. Grayslake IL

We’ve now provided plumbing service and sewer cleaning for this customer three times. Our local office in Glenview, IL prides itself in providing fast, professional and courtious plumbing service to its customers for all thier plumbing and drain cleaning needs. We at the Roto Rooter Plumbers Glenview office thank our customers for their feedback. We’re here to offer sewer cleaning, sewer repair, bathroom plumbing solutions and any kitchen plumbing jobs you may have.

Name: Glenn W. Roto Rooter Plumbers, Glenview IL

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Man falls into septic tank: Neighbor’s dog alerted rescuer

October 9th, 2009 by Debbie Smith

In the news recently there was a story about an 80-year-old man who fell into his septic tank while cleaning it. He was rescued after his neighbor’s dog wouldn’t stop barking in direction of the septic hole. The neighbor found the man in the hole and called 911. This elderly man was trapped in his septic tank for over five hours.

For those of you unfamiliar with a septic tank, it’s a system for disposing of sewage where public sewage systems are not available. Typically, it’s a buried watertight holding container in which waste solids settle to the bottom and become sludge. Enzyme and bacterial action break down liquid waste before it is discharged into a drain field for further treatment by the soil to remove harmful bacteria and viruses. Septic tanks require periodic pumping and cleaning of sludge in order to ensure proper water levels and treatment of wastewater. Flooding and drain backups can occur if the sludge is not removed and the water level gets too high.

Periodic inspections and regular pumping are important factors in maintaining a septic system. Septic systems should be inspected at least every three years by a professional who will check for leaks, measure the sludge level and recommend a pumping schedule based on the size of the system and number of people using the system. Failure to properly maintain a septic system can be expensive if the entire system has to be replaced and dangerous to humans and the environment if untreated wastewater leaches into the ground.

The man mentioned above was fortunate that he was rescued with only minor injury. He was swimming in wastewater—full of bacteria—and could have been overcome by toxic gases or been seriously injured in the fall. He is not the only person to become trapped in a septic system.

Lessons to be learned:

Septic system cleaning and maintenance should be performed by a professional with proper equipment.
Septic tanks should be kept covered with an approved lid.
Never enter closed spaces without proper safety equipment.

Rely on Roto-Rooter for complete plumbing and drain cleaning services, including septic and sewer cleaning, sewer repair, bathroom plumbing solutions, clogged drains – 24 hours a day, every day!

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Roto-Rooter Plumbers Rockville, MD

October 6th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

Roto-Rooter, Rockville’s neighborhood plumber is THE Rockville plumber to call when you need professional help with water conservation. This environmentally responsible approach to plumbing is what sets us apart from other Rockville plumbing companies. Your bathroom is probably the biggest user of water in your home or business. Roto-Rooter offers bathroom plumbing solutions that will green up your bathroom in no time by cutting your water usage as much as possible. We can provide a variety of ways to save water to fit any budget.

When you need a Rockville plumber, Roto-Rooter is the company to call. We feature products and services specifically designed to reduce water consumption in homes and businesses. Anyone interested in learning more about saving money through water consumption should contact Roto-Rooter at 1-866-960-ROTO for more information or click here to schedule service online when it fits your busy schedule.

Name: Harry Kresge

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Honolulu plumber compliment

September 25th, 2009 by Roto Rooter Bloggers

Need an experienced and knowledgable Hawaii plumber? Then look no further than Roto-Rooter. Our name has been known throughout the United States since 1935. And we’re the Hawaii plumbers to call for kitchen plumbing jobs, bathroom plumbing solutions, sewer repair and more. Here’s what one of our customers had to say:

"Daniel was great. His personality and knowledge is outstanding. This was my first time needing plumbing service calls of this type but if needed again, I will definitely call Roto-Rooter again and request Daniel. He is a great asset to the company. Yes, there are lots of local Hawaii plumbing companies in the phone book but there is only one plumbing contractor for me!"

- Paul T.
Honolulu, HI

Thanks to all of our customers who take the time to let us know what kind of job we’re doing. This feedback helps us tremendously. Feel free to call us when you need us. Estimates are always free and there is no extra charge for nights, weekends or holidays. Our office number is: 808-622-2501.
Roto-Rooter of Hawaii

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