Our guide to keeping your drains clean and clear

Your home is your castle—a safe place where you can relax and experience life in real-time. With so many events, parties, milestones, and tasks to tend to, how often do you stop and think about your home’s plumbing and drains? Probably not too often, right? Before you stop reading and go back to scrolling Facebook, it’s time to STOP and listen—this information can save you time, hassle, and money down the road.

Think about the drains in your home right now. Can you picture them? You may be saying to yourself, “Sure, everything seems fine.” But what about the problems you CAN’T see?

Your drains are a major piece of your plumbing’s puzzle. One clog can cause a major headache. The solution is not always as easy as snaking the drain or pouring drain cleaner down into your sink. In fact, many DIY solutions actually cause larger problems down the road.

Our professional plumbing team at King Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is a phone call away for your drainage problems, no matter how big or small they may seem. Contact us for a free plumbing inspection here in Chicagoland.

Tips for better drains

You’ve probably experienced a clogged sink or stopped-up shower drain. First, you notice water pooling around the bottom of the shower or sink. Then, you stoop down to inspect the problem and maybe move the drain cover out of the way. You might reach in with your fingers to try to scoop out any surface debris. Some homeowners even have a wire hanger to snake their own drains when things get tough. After more confusion and wasted time, the water is still gathering and the drain is not clearing up.

First things first—you should call a professional team to come out and take a look. While you’re waiting for the team to arrive, take a minute to review some preventative tips you can use to avoid clogged drains altogether:

Install drain catchers: These handy drain features can catch hair, dirt, and more, leaving your drains clearer than ever.
Don’t overwork your appliances or faucets: If you run your pipes and faucets 24/7, you’ll eventually experience some breakdowns. Be conscious of your water conservation efforts.
Schedule regular maintenance: Maintenance can be the difference between thousands of dollars spent on a burst pipe and peace of mind knowing your plumbing is being looked after.

What not to put down your sink

Here are a few items you should avoid putting down your sinks, toilets, or drains:

Sanitary napkins or feminine products
Harsh chemicals
Grease, lard, or fatty substances
Rice, eggshells, large amounts of food, or oil
Hair, especially in large amounts
Toys, jewelry, crayons, etc. (watch out for those kids!)
Cotton balls or paper towels
Orange or lemon rinds
Medicine

Rely on our professional team

Above all, you should use a professional team of plumbers who are experienced, friendly, and affordable. That doesn’t mean you should find the cheapest person to do the job—careful research is crucial when picking a team to come into your home and inspect your home systems. In between maintenance visits, you can take these tips and tricks into account and use them on your own drains. Stay proactive as a homeowner and take a closer look at what’s going down your drains.

Here in Chicagoland, King Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is the clear-cut choice for your plumbing service needs. We handle drain cleaning jobs throughout Chicago’s Southlands, including Oak Forest, Joliet, and Frankfort. Contact us for a free plumbing inspection.

Our tips for avoiding plumbing issues in your home

1. Be aware of specific plumbing issue areas

There are a few key areas around your home that you should keep an eye on year-round to be able to catch any potential plumbing problems before they actually happen. These areas include your toilets, your water heater, and the state of outdoor faucets. All of these areas should be periodically inspected to ensure there are no leaks, cracks, or other visible damage.

We recommend that you set up a home maintenance checklist that includes checking these key plumbing areas. Go through your checklist monthly, or—if you don’t have time for that—at least quarterly. A little preventative maintenance on the front-end can prevent a huge plumbing headache later down the line. Or, at the very least, this will give you a chance to catch a big problem so you can call the team at King to deal with it before it becomes larger, more complex, or more expensive.

2. Pay close attention to your aging fixtures and pipes

Depending on your home’s age, your pipes might be getting to the point where they could start having problems. It’s especially important to keep an eye out for small pipe leaks in an older home. Leaks can originate from several different sources. One common scenario in older homes is when the actual pipe material has started to break down or corrode, which means that you’ll probably need to repipe your entire home in the near future.

Another issue many homeowners encounter is a clogged pipe, or—even worse—a clogged sewer drain. This happens because years of grease, oil, and other food waste has formed a clog in the pipe. In return, this causes all kinds of problems for your home, from increased pipe pressure to the worst-case scenario: a sewer line blockage and ensuing sewer backup into your home.

If you suspect that your home’s pipes are having any issues, your best course of action is turning off the water immediately and calling King so that our plumbers can come out, inspect the issue, and determine exactly what the problem is. Pipe repair and replacement are not projects you want to DIY, seeing as even the smallest mistake could cause a major water damage disaster inside of your home.

3. Replace old water heaters

As water heaters begin to age, there are many problems that can start to become apparent. The first thing you need to inspect is the anode rod. It’s very possible that the anode rod has been spent and that corrosion is now going to the water heater walls. This will weaken the tank structure, putting your water heater at risk for leaks, or worse, a burst.

Our plumbers can help with all of these issues. If your water heater is less than 10 years old, an anode rod replacement may be the best solution. However, if the corrosion is bad enough to be attacking the tank walls, we’ll probably recommend a water heater replacement. When it comes to choosing a new water heater, you have two options. First, you can either switch to a new, standard tank replacement unit, or you can upgrade to a tankless water heater that is more energy-efficient and can provide your home with unlimited hot water.

4. Call professionals when you need help

Honestly, one of the most important things you can do to prevent a plumbing catastrophe is to realize when you’re in over your head. Many homeowners can tackle simple plumbing fixes like unclogging a drain. But, anything more complicated than that should really be looked at by a professional first. We have friendly, certified plumbing professionals right here, ready to serve you. Sometimes, trying to fix a plumbing problem on your own can cause more harm than good.

Created by King Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

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