Tag: Waynesboro

How to Avoid Drain Clogs

Posted on by Larry & Sons

Many homeowners have experienced the inconvenience of drain clogs. When you want to take a long shower, standing in a pool of water is unpleasant, and when your sink won’t drain, a simple task like doing the dishes becomes difficult.

If you have a drain clog, one of the worst things you can do is purchase a liquid drain cleaner from a hardware or grocery store. Liquid cleaners emit toxic fumes, may seriously damage your pipes, and often do not even remove the clog. For some small problems, a plunger may do the trick, but for others, you’ll need to call a plumber for professional drain cleaning. Here are some tips to prevent such problems from occurring.

  • Get a Drain Cover: One of the most common causes of drain clogs in showers and sinks is hair. Hair can become caught in the p-trap, the curved section of pipe beneath a sink, or it may become stuck onto the sludge that builds up on the interior of drain pipes. While a drain cover may not completely prevent drain problems from occurring, it can significantly decrease buildup to reduce the likelihood of frequent clogs. You can purchase a drain cover for your sink or shower at most hardware stores.
  • Avoid Letting Certain Items Down the Drain: Your garbage disposal breaks up food into smaller pieces so that it can travel to the sewage system with the rest of your home’s wastewater. However, if the food you throw down the drain is too bulky, or if your disposal cannot break down the food properly, it may clog your drain. Avoid putting any non-food items down the garbage disposal as well as hard food items like popcorn kernels that your disposal may be unable to process. Dump fat, oil, or grease in a trash receptacle as these may solidify and cause drain clogs as well.
  • Schedule Professional Drain Cleaning: Scheduling professional drain cleaning is one of the best ways to ensure water and waste moves down your drain with ease. Professionals are equipped with special tools that can remove clogs deep within your pipes.

If you have problems with your drain in Waynesboro, call Larry & Sons, Inc. today!

Signs That You Need Drain Repair

Posted on by Larry & Sons

The drainage system on your property plays a crucial part in keeping your home pleasant and hygienic. Whether you drains empty into the municipal sewer system, or into a septic system, it is important to keep the drainage in good condition. Should your sewer line start to develop issues such as breaks, clogs, corrosion, or root infestation, call for professionals to handle the repair work immediately.

There are a number of warning signs you should watch out for that will indicate you need to schedule drain repair service for your home in Waynesboro, PA. When you notice any of these signs, put in a call to Larry & Sons, Inc. We have more than 50 years of experience protecting homes with quality sewer and septic repairs.

Warning Signs That It is Time for Drain Repair in Waynesboro, PA

  • Consistent clogs throughout the house: When the sewer line from your home becomes clogged, it will cause a backup in the drains throughout the house. You will find slow drains and clogs in sinks, showers, and toilets. A single clog usually means an obstruction in the drainpipe, but if the clogs are everywhere it usually means an emergency issue in the sewer line that will need professional plumbers.
  • Foul odors: If the drains in your home are emitting unpleasant, sewage-like smells, you need to call for plumbers immediately. This often indicates a sewage backup from poor drainage that is forcing sewer gases up through the p-traps in the sinks.
  • Damps spot and pools in the yard: If the sewer line or septic tank line springs a leak, the wastewater will begin to rise to the surface and create damp pools that emit noxious odors. When you notice this occurring on your lawn, it’s time to call for plumbers to look into the matter.
  • Water stains in the basement: Be cautious about any water stains that start to show up in your basement, which indicates that sewage is starting to backup because of poor drainage. An increase in vermin like rats will also point toward a problem.

Drainage issues are serious and need immediate attention from professionals; if you let the signs of trouble go without taking action, you risk serious damage to your home from sewage backflow. Even if the drainage problem ends up as an issue in the municipal system (this can sometimes happen), you will still need to hire professionals to reduce the damage in your home.

Give us a call and reach out to Larry & Sons, Inc. whenever you have needs for drain repair or other plumbing services in Waynesboro, PA.

How High Pressure Jetting Is Used in Drain Cleaning

Posted on by Larry & Sons

High pressure jetting is an exciting development in the plumbing field, and in towns like Waynesboro, drain cleaning operations are much more efficient as a result. The process uses high pressure water to scour the drains, a process that possesses numerous advantages over more traditional drain cleaning methods like chemical cleansers and mechanical snakes. If you’re facing a tough clog in your plumbing, you might consider letting a professional handle it instead of relying on an inadequate solution bought off the shelf at your hardware store. Here’s how high pressure jetting is used in drain cleaning.

As you may suspect, the process boils down to shooting water at very high pressures down the pipes. The hydro-jet array as affixed to your sink and the water is “fired” down the pipes in steady pulses. The force of the pressure scours the pipes clean, removing all traces of the clog and pushing it completely out of the pipe. Moreover, the water will clean off any further build-up elsewhere in the pipe: things that aren’t a problem right now, but could result in a clog further on down the line. That helps hydro-jetting become a very cost-effective solution for your plumbing problems.

Moreover, because the method doesn’t use caustic chemicals or harsh scraping tools like mechanical snakes, it’s very safe for your system. The pipes aren’t damaged at all by the process, and you don’t need to worry about chemical cleansers triggering some toxic reaction deeper in your pipes. Coupled with its environmentally friendly format (you can’t get any greener than plain old fashioned water), it makes the practice extremely attractive.

High pressure jetting requires proper training to use properly. Otherwise, the sheer pressure of the water can damage your furnishings if the hose gets loose, and may even cause injury if you aren’t careful. That’s why you should contact the experts at Larry & Sons, Inc. when you have trouble with your drain. Drain cleaning and plumbing services in Waynesboro are some of our specialties, and we can explain how high pressure jetting is used in drain cleaning before performing the operation with courtesy and care. Give us a call today and let us help you finish off those clogs in proper fashion!

How Often Should I Have My Septic Tank Pumped?

Posted on by Larry & Sons

The septic tank acts as a waste treatment system for your home. Whenever wasted water is removed (by flushing the toilet, through the shower drain or the like), it enters the septic tank. Lighter materials float to the top while heavier ones sink to the bottom: leaving a large pool of relatively clean water called effluent in the middle. The effluent can then be released into a drain field: a series of pipes designed to spread the water into a field of soil, fertilizing it in the process. As you may imagine, that leaves a fair amount of sludge and scum behind, and unless the septic tank is pumped out, it can create serious problems in the septic tank’s ability to function. Here in Waynesboro, PA, septic tanks can be pumped out by the qualified plumbers at Larry & Sons, Inc. But how often should you have your septic tank pumped? Some general answers can be found below.

The exact timing depends on how many people are in your household and how often they use the plumbing. A vacation home, for instance, won’t see as much activity as a normal home, and houses with large families will require pumping more than those with smaller families. Add to that a thousand other vagaries, and the timing becomes very dependent on your individual circumstances. The best solution is to schedule a yearly inspection of your septic tank from a trusted service. They will measure the levels in your tank, check the pipes and other components of the system and make sure that the drain field is working as it should. From there, you can establish a reasonable schedule based on the amount of use involved and the particular needs of your home. According to the EPA, most septic tanks need to be pumped every 1 to 3 years. An inspection will establish that number for you.

For more advice on how often you should have your septic tank pumped, contact Larry & Sons Inc. In towns like Waynesboro, PA, septic tanks are quite common and you need a trusted service to do the job right. Call us today and let us show you what a difference we can make!