No thanks to faulty plumbing, leaky washers, damaged pipes, cracks in the wall, excess moisture, rainy weather and melting snow, basements are almost always damp, moist and moldy. A moist or flooded basement does not only cause headache, it also reduces the value of a home and puts to risk the health of the people living in the house.

Problem #1: Clogging

Leaks and flooding can be avoided by regular plumbing maintenance work and reliable basement waterproofing. But if the basement gets flooded anyway, it is extremely important that the floor drain is unclogged so that floodwater moves into it and onto the sewer system.

Clogging is the leading basement drain problem that families contend with. This, however, is easy to avoid. Here are just three steps to make sure floor drains are working properly.

Steps to avoid clogging:

One, keep the strainer in place. Since the basement drain is located on the floor, it is often trampled on, causing dirt, dust and debris to accumulate. The strainer catches debris to make sure they don’t go down the drain.

Two, don’t use the drain as garbage pit. For some reason people seem to love throwing pieces of trash into any hole they see on the floor.

Three, clean as you go. Human hair, animal fur and clothing materials often accumulate over the drain. It is important that families be mindful of this and make sure to clean the drain after using the basement.

Steps to unclog the basement floor drain:

To unclog the floor drain here are three things you can do:

One, open the plug or clean-out access port. See if you can pull out the clog from there or cause it to drip out.

Two, if the clog appears to be located deeper into the drainage system, use a plumbers snake to pull it out. Slowly push the snake into the pipes as far as you can, and then retract as carefully to hopefully pull out what’s causing the clog. You might need to repeat this process more than once.

Three, don’t try to flush the clog deeper into the drainage. But it could help if you pour boiling water or a mixture of vinegar and baking soda into the drain pipe.

Meanwhile, if all systems (pipes and basement waterproofing) are good, a flooded basement may not be a problem at all. But this does not mean the basement floor drain is good for nothing. It has one other function that is as important as draining away floodwater.

The floor drain’s other purpose

The basement floor drain prevents harmful sewer fumes from escaping the sewers and getting into the home. Here’s how.

Just below the strainer is the drain pipe. The drain pipe has a curved section that is known as the S-trap or P-trap. The curved portion is never without stored water. It is this water that serves as a seal that blocks sewer gas and fumes from drifting away from the sewer, into the basement and eventually into the house.  Not only are the fumes noxious, they are also poisonous and highly toxic. Keeping them sealed at the other end of the P-trap is a must.

Problem #2: A dried up P-trap

There is a problem when it never rains and the stored water inside the P-trap dries up completely. If this happens, you should quickly fill it with water to block the fumes from escaping. Pour half a bucket of water directly into the drain. If this doesn’t work, there could be a problem with the P-trap and calling a plumber becomes necessary. The plumber might need to do some siphoning or pipe repairs.

The post All You Need to Know about Basement Drain Problems appeared first on Dzhingarov

There are many such homeowners that are obsessed with the plumbing issues and in order to save money they prefer doing the work by themselves. For example if there is blockage in the drains, they prefer using the drain opening solutions or opt for any of the homemade remedy. This is true that the drain opening solutions can work but if the blockage is major then this remedy will go useless. You will have to hire the emergency plumbers at some point of time whether you like it or not.

Here are some of the reasons why you will need a professional plumber to fix the problems related to house plumbing:

Experience:

It is obvious that experience will be the first difference between a layman and a plumber. You cannot have the necessary knowledge for handling each plumbing issue. You may not even have proper understanding of the plumbing system. The plumber on the other hand will not only be educated in plumbing but he will have practical experience of the job too. They can bring better and safer results because it’s a part of their profession to do the installation and repair work.

License to work:

One of the major reasons you are asked to hire a plumber is that they are licensed to perform the plumbing tasks. Plumbers get license of working after they have provided the necessary training. You would be aware of it that gas boilers and heating systems can be checked by the plumbers only just because they are licensed to do so. By law, no homeowner is allowed to check the heating system for potential damages or repairs. As they are trained in the work, they are required to perform the job instead of an ordinary homeowner.

Technology as well as equipment:

By the progress of time, the field of plumbing has been revolutionized with technology too. There are special equipment and machines required to perform the tasks. Furthermore, various new techniques have been introduced to perform the tasks that were done manually before. When a reliable way is already present then why wasting your time in believing that you can do that job well yourself? Even using the equipment requires proper knowledge and a layman will never be aware of it.

Better, safe and fast services:

An experienced plumber will always be efficient and so he will be able to perform the task better and faster than you. Your DIY project will turn out to be costly and slow. That’s not all, you can even hurt yourself. What if you get stuck while experimenting your own ways? You will have to call a professional plumber after all. Then why not calling professionals in the first place?

Maintenance of the house is important and it all lies in your hand. When you find something fishy in your house then immediately call a plumber. Make sure the person you hire is licensed. You might have to do a little research regarding it. Do not waste your money on hiring an inexperienced person. Do proper homework to get the best plumber.

The post Why Should I Hire A Plumber? appeared first on Dzhingarov

There are several reasons why you need to hire a professional plumber or installer. Here are five important reasons why I feel, a professional ought to do the job.

Reason#1 They Have the Experience

Professional plumbers have the necessary experience when it comes to plumbing and gas installations. They won’t commit the mistakes that you and I can probably make if we do a DIY installation. If you discover that the scope of the installation work is beyond your capability and experience then I strong advice that you hire a professional plumber. I believe that the job can be done better and the results will come in safer for you.

Reason#2 They Have all the Necessary Training

DIY enthusiasts like you and I do not have the necessary training. We may love to do it and we may some a little background about plumbing and other installations but we have to admit that we do not possess the necessary training. In plumbing and gas installations, there are situations where techniques learned in training need to be used to make the installation trustworthy and guaranteed.

Reason#3 They Are Licensed to do the Work

I believe that this the most important reason why in some cases, you really need to hire a professional plumber. They are licensed to do the work, after undergoing the necessary training. To get a license you need to be proficient in the theoretical aspect of plumbing and gas installation. Aside from the theoretical aspect, you also need to be proficient in the practical and actual installation. When in doubt if you can do a DIY installation, then hire a professional plumber.

Reason#4 They Possess the Necessary Equipment

Certain portions or scope of an installation may require equipment that you do not possess. You cannot just buy equipment for one DIY project that may cost you much and use it only for one time. If you decide on doing this, I find it very impractical and expensive. The best option again is to hire a professional plumber. They cannot get a license to practice if they do not have a complete set of required equipment. You will be better off hiring someone than buying equipment to use for a one-time DIY plumbing project.

Reason #5 They Can Give You Faster Service

DIY project are costly in terms of time and effort. I should know because I have spent too much time and effort in some DIY projects myself. To save on time and effort, I hired a professional plumber for some projects that may be time consuming for me to do. You should do the same thing. If you discover that the project is not just changing a busted faucet but something more, then by all means hire a professional. You will be glad that you did because you can save much on time and effort.

To prevent instances where the work becomes complex and time-consuming, you need to practice good maintenance principles. Do not wait for the water lines or gas lines to develop a leak before working on it. If you discover a dripping faucet or a gas line that smells of gas then call a professional plumber and installer. You will save a lot of bills if you fix before it breaks.

The post Why You Need Professionals for Your Plumbing and Gas Installation appeared first on Dzhingarov