Category: Plumbing

When you have a clogged toilet in your home, all activities stop until the problem is resolved. Homeowners must often rely on the services of a reliable plumbing company to take care of the problem. You can avoid these clogging issues if you pay attention to the top five causes of toilet clogs that professional plumbers often find at fault:

1 – Unsuitable Toilet Paper

The supermarket aisles are full of toilet paper choices, but some of these products may contribute to toilet clogs. Professional plumbing contractors recommend the simplest kind of one-ply tissue, which will break down easily in the water. Using “extra-thick,” “quilted,” or other luxury paper products are more like to contribute to clogging problems.

2 – Fallen Objects

Another common cause of toilet clogs is random objects that fall into the toilet bowl. These objects may fall into the bowl unnoticed, and then get flushed into the system.
Some homeowners soon learn that their vanity sinks present a troublesome trajectory that bounces objects directly off the counter and into the toilet. Alerting family members to the problem, and removing all objects from the vanity counter after use can help to eliminate this problem of random objects falling into the toilet. Another problem in households with children is toys that somehow find their way into the toilet. Keeping a basket under the sink specifically for bath toys can help to resolve the problem of toys falling into the toilet.

3 – Toilet Bowl Cleaner Products

Consumers have a number of new toilet cleaning and deodorizing products available in stores. However, these products can be the cause of frequent toilet clogs. Many of these products have a gel consistency that does not dissolve completely as it goes through the drain system. The gel can collect on small turns and irregularities on the lining and can obstruct the normal flow of water and debris. Removing these clogs may require the services of a professional plumber.

4 – Feminine Hygiene Products

The instructions on the packages of feminine hygiene products may say that they are flushable, but in fact, they may not dissolve sufficiently for your drain system. Always provide a separate container for these products and inform household members about proper disposal.

5 – Wiper Sheets

The market also offers a number of wiper sheets for babies, as well as adults, that substitute for ordinary toilet paper. These wiper sheets often do not break down in the water and easily snag on any small irregularity in the toilet drain. Disposing of these sheets in a suitable receptacle, rather than flushing down the toilet, will help to prevent toilet clogs.

Avoid the embarrassment of an untimely toilet clog, call Valley Plumbing at 801-341-4222 to keep your Salt Lake City throne flushing!

The plumbing in your home is an important part of keeping the dishes, clothes washed and showers for everyone in the home. However, there are common myths in the plumbing industry that are simply not true.
Read about the five most common myths to learn more about keeping your home plumbing system running smoothly.

Everything Can Go Down the Drain

This myth is especially not true since grease, eggshells and other food items will damage your garbage disposal.
Most homeowners believe that as long as the water is running, then everything will break up in the garbage disposal. The only food items that are appropriate for the garbage disposal include soft foods. Deposit grease and other food items into the trash.

Lemon Cleans and Disinfects the Kitchen Drain

Lemon can make the drain smell better but it will not make it clean. Disconnect the garbage disposal from its power source before cleaning the drain. Spray a heavy-duty cleaning solution in the disposal and let it sit to make it clean and smell fresh

Maintenance-Free Plumbing Fixtures

Many homeowners simply think there is no maintenance required for plumbing fixtures. However, clogged drains can and will occur if they are not maintained.
You should inspect your plumbing fixtures for signs of damage due to tree roots, sewer problems or other concerns on a regular basis. If your water is not running fast enough, then find out why. Hire a plumbing contractor to inspect your plumbing system to save you from future, costly plumbing bills.

In-Tank Cleaners

This is a myth because most homeowners think that in-tank cleaners is all that is needed to keep the toilet clean. The only thing in-tank cleaners do is keep scum to a minimum.
You should clean the toilet bowl with white vinegar to disinfectant the entire toilet. You can also use heavy-duty toilet bowl cleaners once a week to keep your toilet bowl shining.

Hot Water Dissolves Grease

Many people turn on the hot water before dumping grease down the drain. They believe the hot water breaks up the grease but it does not. If you pour grease down your drain, it will likely stick to the bottom and sides of the drain and eventually back up causing drain problems.
Keep your drains clear by pouring grease into a sealed container before dumping it into the trash. Maintain your drains with regular cleaning and disinfecting products.

Don't be fooled by plumbing myths! Call Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning at 801-341-4222 for great advice and service in the Salt Lake City Utah area.

Do you ever worry that you are using your water foolishly? Have you ever felt like your plumbing system could be much more efficient? If so, you're right. Today, many homeowners use their water completely inefficiently.
Thankfully, though, there are steps you can take to combat this issue. Check out some tips for making your plumbing system much more efficient below:

1. Analyze Your Appliances

What few people realize is that old appliances have a tendency of not working as efficiently as we need them to. They may be causing your water bills to go up high or slowly destroying your plumbing system.
Either way, you need to ditch the appliances in order to make your plumbing system more efficient. While this may sound costly, it will actually save you money in the long run.
Besides this, old appliances also require more water to run than is necessary and they don't even drain effectively. This is a problem that is especially found in dishwasher.
That's because the food that is coming off of your dishes is sliping into the drainage system. This causes a buildup to develop further down the pipeline. New applianes that come with a built-in disposal will really make a big difference.

2. Get Maintenance Performed Annually

Regular maintenance is crucial for your household because it ensures that your plumbing system is working just as it should. This maintenance helps your system run better as a whole. However, maintenance can be complicated which is why you should always leave this tip to a professional plumber.
They'll be able to use items like a drain snake on older systems and stubborn pipes. These individuals know exactly what they're doing. The plumber may also take off the drain cover and look for any clogs. This will help make sure that all the drains are flowing properly which will help keep the whole system more efficient.

3. Keep the Flow of Your Toilet Low

Unfortunately, as toilets start to age, they reduce their efficiency by half. One side effect of this is that your toilet may end up running continuously, which will cause your water bills to go way up. Think about all that water that is now being wasted.
That's why many different plumbers decide to improve the plumbing system by installing a dual-flush or low-flush toilet.
These toilets help fix these plumbing issues because they require less water on every flush. Obviously, if less water is being used, your system is being more efficient.

Interested in going green? Call Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning at 801-341-4222 to make your Salt Lake City home more energy efficient.

Remodeling a bathroom is a big project, and it is the perfect way to make upgrades to your room's style and ambiance. With a closer inspection of the features in your bathroom, you will find that many of them are plumbing features. Because of this, you will likely need to work with a professional plumber as you complete your home's bathroom remodeling project.

Upgrading Ideas for Your Bathtub

Replacing Your Shower

Remembering the Toilet

 
When a buildings pipes and sewer lines become clogged with debris, hydrojetting is a highly effective method of cleaning out the plumbing system. Clogs are one of the most troublesome problems in plumbing, but hydrojetting is a good way of cleaning the out of a system and allowing water to flow freely once again. Hydrojetting relies on high pressures to blast away debris that is creating obstacles to the free flow of water through pipes and sewer lines.

How is it beneficial?

• Provides a complete clean- There is perhaps no other way to get pipes and sewer lines as clean as they become after the hydrojetting process is carried out to remove clogs and buildup.

• Offers cost savings- A clean plumbing system is less likely to experience malfunctions. Hydrojetting can cut down on plumbing maintenance needs in the future by keeping a plumbing system optimally functioning for a long time after the cleaning.

• Uses maneuverable equipment- Equipment used in the hydrojetting process can easily be maneuvered and positioned to target persistent clogs.

• Blasts away bacteria- Hydrojetting doesn't only blast away large blockages and buildup. It also cuts back on bacteria present in pipes and sewer lines. Bacteria can cause health problems and foul odors in a home's drains and pipes, so keeping it under control is important.

• Gets rid of blockages caused from a variety of materials- Hydrojetting is effective at cleaning out just about any blockage, whether it's composed of soap, mud, ice, grease, or any other material.

How does it work?

The hydrojetting process generally begins with an inspection during which a plumber will scope out the situation and see where clogs are forming. After inspection, a nozzle and hose are connected to plumbing lines through an opening in the plumbing system. Then, water is blasted through at very high pressures until debris is cleaned out.
In some cases, tree roots can grow into sewer lines, and this can pose some added complications for the hydrojetting process. If tree roots have invaded, a mechanical drain snake will typically need to be used before hydrojetting to tear at roots so that they can be blasted away.

If you suspect a build-up in your lines, don't hesitate to schedule hydrojetting services. Call 801-341-4222 and let Valley plumbing clear the pipes of your Salt Lake City area home.