Tag: Plumber

Quick & Easy Drain Cleaning Tips

Posted on by Larry & Sons

While many people are spending this Black Friday getting a jump start on their holiday shopping, today is known as something completely different to plumbers – Brown Friday. The day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for plumbers, and many of our technicians will be spending their days dealing with clogged drains. Clogs are extremely common today because of all the cooking and cleanup that many of us did yesterday. Clogs may also occur as the result of houseguests putting additional strain on your home’s plumbing system. If you are having problems with your clogs today, here are a few tips to help you get things flowing smoothly again.

Easy Ways to Unclog a Drain clogged drain

When you have a clogged drain, you may be tempted to reach for a bottle of chemical drain cleaner. Stop! These products are extremely dangerous. In addition to damaging your pipes, they can be deadly if accidentally ingested. Rather than having these toxic chemicals in your home, try this:

  1. Pour baking soda down your drain.
  2. Add white vinegar.
  3. Wait approximately.
  4. Flush with hot water.

This safe, all-natural drain cleaning method works for many clogs, and it deodorizes your drain in the process.

If that didn’t work, try using a plunger. When plunging a sink, shower or toilet, make sure the plunger you use fits completely over the drain opening and forms a good seal. If you are plunging something like a double sink, plug the other drain with a wet rag. Hold the plunger upright, and plunge 6 to 10 times using vigorous strokes.

When you are dealing with a clogged shower or bathtub drain, a buildup of hair is likely the problem. One way to remove this type of clog is by unbending a metal clothes hanger and inserting it in your drain.

Clogged Drain in Hagerstown

If you are dealing with a clogged drain in Hagerstown and none of the techniques listed above have helped, contact Larry & Sons for professional drain cleaning. We can safely eliminate any clog without damaging your home’s plumbing system. Call 301-733-5428.

Ask a Frederick, MD Plumber: Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Slow Moving Drains

Posted on by Larry & Sons
Sink with Slow Drain in Frederick, MD

From fresh water, washing clothes or dishes to properly flushing toilets our plumbing systems make it all possible. For some reason, though, many homeowners still dismiss problems with their plumbing as being too “minor” to contact a plumbing professional in Frederick, MD about. This is your choice, of course, but doing so is inadvisable and can lead to some pretty serious plumbing issues. Here is some information from Larry & Sons about why you cannot afford to overlook problems with your plumbing, including slow moving drains.

Small Problems Lead to Bigger Problems

While a slow moving drain in your sink or shower may seem like a relatively minor inconvenience, you must keep in mind that all plumbing issues tend to start out small. By allowing a clog to develop by ignoring this early warning sign, you are putting not only your convenience but the condition of your plumbing system at risk. Once a drain begins moving slowly, whatever is causing this obstruction will not simply go away on its own. Over time the situation will worsen, developing into a full clog most likely. This can disrupt the pressure within your pipes, which can lead to cracks and bursts in some cases.

Plus, there are a lot of different reasons that your drains may be moving slowly. Sure, there may be some hair in your drain trap. It is also possible, though, that tree roots have worked their way into your system. This is a more serious issue and can lead to some real complications. The only way to be sure that your plumbing and your drains are in no danger is to schedule service with a professional plumber at the first sign of trouble.

Call Larry & Sons For Your Slow Moving Drains in Frederick!

For more information about the causes of slow moving drains, and what you can do to avoid such issues, contact a professional Frederick, MD plumber at Larry & Sons.

We have the tools and services necessary to help you get the best performance possible from your plumbing system. Let us know what problems you are experiencing with the plumbing in your home.

As a Chambersburg, PA Plumber: Is Corrosion a Serious Problem?

Posted on by Larry & Sons

Corrosion is something that no homeowner wants to deal with. Corrosion occurs naturally and it can be a very serious problem. It can do huge damage to your home’s plumbing system, and you will need a professional plumber to diagnosis and repair your pipes. Here at Larry and Sons, we offer fast and reliable plumbing services and we can help you with any sort of repair. We wanted to put together a quick explanation of the common causes of corrosion and how you can prevent it.

Corrosion can occur at pipe joints where two different metals connect. In older homes, we often see copper pipes and steel pipes connected. In this case, the steel will usually start to corrode as electrons from the copper enter it.

But corrosion can also occur between your pipes and the soil and between your pipes and the water passing through it. This is one reason why many homes are piped with plastic or PVC. These types of materials are highly resistant to corrosion and tend to last a very long time.

If your pipes start to corrode it can cause big problems for your home. Not only will you have water leaks, but you may also experience a drop in water pressure. If your pipes are corroding you will undoubtedly need a professional plumber to examine the problem. Your plumber may be able to replace the corroded section of pipe. In extreme cases, they may have to repipe the entire house.

If you need a  plumber in Chambersburg, PA, make sure that you call the plumbing experts at Larry & Sons.

Ask a Martinsburg, WV Plumber: What is a Drain Trap?

Posted on by Larry & Sons

If you’ve ever peeked under your bathroom vanity or kitchen sink cabinet to see a funny looking bend in the pipe, and wondered what it’s doing there, you wouldn’t be the first. The P-shaped or U-shaped bend in the drain pipe is known as a “trap,” and it’s responsible for ensuring that your home doesn’t begin to stink. We’d like to use this post to explain to our customers about what a drain trap is and why it’s important to your home plumbing system. For more information, ask a Martinsburg, WV plumber—call Larry & Sons today for comprehensive plumbing services, including drain repair.

Unlike your water supply system, which operates by being pressurized, your wastewater disposal system works by means of gravity. So, you may ask, why doesn’t my second-floor bathroom drainpipe go straight down into my basement? If you can imagine a straight pipe connecting straight in your sewer line, it seems as though it might be more efficient than having the drain trap. But what goes down can also come up. That includes smells. Indeed, the principle purpose behind the development of the drain trap is to prevent the smell of septic tank and sewage from entering our homes.

A drain trap works by creating a water seal. The vertical dip allows a small amount of water to fill this space. This seals the drain from sewer gases and fumes. But because it’s water, it does not block the flow of the drainpipe. It’s an ingenious bit of engineering invented in the 18th century, and has saved our modern noses since. Unfortunately, there are some things that may disrupt its effectiveness. For some drains that are not used very often, basement drains for example, the water seal can periodically dry out. If the seal is partially or totally lost, it can cause bad smells to enter your home.

If your drains smell funky, you might have more to worry about than just a broken water seal in the drain trap. Call Larry & Sons to speak to an excellent Martinsburg, WV plumber today!