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Garbage grinders, also known as garbage disposals, can be an excellent tool in the kitchen.  Gone are the days of using a messy sink trap, and having to get your hands dirty and nasty emptying it.  With a garbage grinder, you can safely wash minor food particles down the drain.

But how does this affect everything “downstream”?  For homeowners with a municipal water supply, the excess food sludge simply washes along the pipelines with the rest of the wastewater.  For homeowners with a septic tank, garbage grinders can cause a bit more concern.  After all, you already watch what you flush down drains and now you are suggesting adding more non-water materials to the mix.

The addition of a garbage grinder can affect a septic system, but with proper maintenance, the addition will not cause any harm.  While the actual impact varies from home to home, generic impact statements can help the homeowner plan for changes.  Experts say the addition of a garbage grinder is the equivalent to adding one bedroom to the home in terms of additional solid waste.  As long as homeowners avoid using the system as a means of disposing of household oil and grease, the greatest impact should be the additional waste. Read more

When your kitchen sink or bathtub does not want to drain properly, it can be quite a frustrating experience. A clogged drain can quickly go from a small hassle to a huge problem, especially if it is not resolved right away.

For many people, the first sign of a clogged drain means a trip to the store for a chemical drain cleaner. Before you decide to pour chemicals down your drain, examine the pros and cons of these kinds of cleaners.

Pros

There are three major pros for the use of chemical drain cleaners: price, ease of use, and speed of results. Chemical drain cleaners are easy enough for the average person to use – just read the directions and pour it down the drain. They also come at an affordable price tag when compared to hiring a plumber. Finally, they usually offer almost instantaneous results. After just a few minutes, clogs deteriorate and the drain is clear. Read more

It has happened to everyone at some point – you are taking a nice, refreshing shower when you notice that the water isn’t draining. Perhaps you pull the plug on the tub, only to see the water slowing, rather than swirling quickly down the drain. Or maybe you are washing dishes and see that the water is standing in the sink.

When a drain is plugged or partially plugged, it can be a headache. The first thing you have to decide is if you can handle the drain cleaning on your own or if you need professional help.

If you think you can tackle your slow or clogged drain on your own, you can try a number of solutions.

First, you can reach for drain cleaner. There are various drain cleaners on the market, each one designed to eat away at the clog until it pushes through. Follow the directions with care because these corrosive cleaners can be harmful to your skin, eyes and lungs.
Read more

Drain cleaner is a very effective tool when used properly, but unfortunately, it can be very harmful for humans.  If you ever suspect that a friend or loved one is suffering from drain cleaner poisoning, it is imperative you act right away.

The first thing you should know about drain cleaner poisoning, is the symptoms.  You can’t “diagnose” poisoning like this unless the person is showing some or all of these symptoms:

• Sever abdominal pain

• Throat swelling and difficulty breathing

• Collapse

• Mouth or throat pain

• Severe Tissue burns

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Rapid drop in blood pressure

If your loved one is displaying these symptoms, the first thing you should do is call medical help.  You can either call local emergency (911) or you can contact the National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222).  The NPCC number will link you to the nearest, local poison control center. Read more

You are probably aware of the large items that should never find their way into your pipes – but there are many everyday items that you may never give a second thought to throwing down your drain. What you may not know is that these items can cause havoc in your pipes, eventually leading to a major backup and expensive plumbing bills.

Garbage Disposal

You might think your garbage disposal is meant for all garbage, but it is not! Your garbage disposal should never see several items.

Pasta – You might think that pasta is harmless; after all it is soft and can grind right up. Unfortunately that is not true; rather than becoming ground up, it expands in the water, just like it does in your stomach. What this leads to is a clogged drain. Read more

Homeowners are constantly trying to find natural alternatives to traditional cleaners and household products. If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals to clean your sink, why would you want to put them down the drain to work on a clog?

While there are a variety of commercial products available, reading the list of ingredients often makes you feel as if you need a science degree. What are all of those chemicals? And will they affect your water supply? Or give you more problems with your plumbing system down the road?

If you find yourself with a clogged drain, try using lemon juice.
Read more

A garbage disposal is a handy appliance to have in your kitchen. It helps to make your life just a little bit easier. Instead of tossing leftovers into the trash, you can simply dispose of them down the sink and into the drain.

A garbage disposal is a great time-saver and anything that can buy you some extra time is a plus! However, it is still just an appliance and it can develop problems, especially if it is not being properly operated. The following tips will help you keep your disposal in tip-top shape.

• Use your garbage disposal on a regular basis to prevent rusting and corrosion.

• Keep it clean by adding a little bit of dish soap and cold water after each use.

• Use cold water when running your disposal and make sure you have a strong flow. Read more

Having a clogged drain is a big pain. One minute you are happily taking a bath and the next, your bathwater refuses to go down the drain. One minute you are finishing a sink full of dishes and the next, your dirty dishwater will not budge.

Your first instinct may be to run right out and buy the first drain cleaner you can find. Think again. There are other ways you can rid your drain of a clog. You can try a natural DIY drain cleaner.

Baking soda and cider vinegar – this mixture of one cup of baking soda and one cup of cider vinegar will create a foaming action that is great for cleaning drains. Add the mixture to the clogged drain and follow with plenty of hot water. You can utilize this mixture for regular maintenance of your drains to keep the water flowing. Read more

The dishes are done. You pull the plug. And the water doesn’t go down.

Then the fun begins.

This is a sign that there is some sort of blockage in your plumbing. It could be merely a minor problem – something solved by a quick use of a plunger. Or it could be something more.

The following four reasons may be the most common reason why your sink is draining slowly. Read more

With tighter times, people are taking a closer look at their spending.  They cut back on things they don’t need, and they look for alternate solutions for things they do.

Why call in a professional if there is a product on the market that claims to do the same thing for a fraction of the cost? Walk down the cleaning aisle of your local hardware or discount store and you’ll find a variety of products that make huge claims.   With such an affordable “Do-It-Yourself” solution available, why should we fork over the money to pay a professional for drain cleaning?

Drain Cleaners don’t always work – While it is true there are several excellent clog clearing chemicals available at your local store, these may not be the best choice for that clog gone awry.  If your clog is too big, the chemicals may not be enough to clear it.  While the chemicals may seem to fix the problem, they might just be delaying and causing a more difficult problem that will surface at a later date. Read more

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