5 WAYS TO AVOID CLOGGED DRAINS

One thing most everybody can agree upon is that indoor plumbing is a wonderful thing.  Remember there was a time not too long ago in the overall scheme of things where people relieved themselves in backyard outhouses instead of indoor bathrooms.  While we now have the luxury of toilets and sinks in our houses not taking precautions to avoid clogged drains can lead to some unpleasant experiences.  No one wants their home looking or smelling like an outhouse.  Here are five ways to avoid this plumbing problem in your house:

UTILIZE A LINT CATCHER ON YOUR WASHING MACHINE DRAINAGE HOSE

Avoid messy drain backups in your basement, laundry room or wherever else you may have a washing machine in your home by installing a lint catcher on the hose where water is discharged.  Scraps of fabric, thread, items left in pockets, and even the occasional sock can get sucked out of the washer and end up creating a blockage in your drain.  This could cause the room to flood or even cause backups throughout the rest of the house.

Picking up an inexpensive mesh lint catcher from a grocery or hardware store can potentially save you from a lot of grief.  Attach it to the end of the washing machine's drainage hose with a zip tie to keep it secure.  Don't just do this and forget about it though.  Check the lint catcher regularly and  make sure to change when full.

DON'T DUMP GREASE DOWN THE DRAIN

Warm grease leftover from cooking family meals may seem like it will rinse right through your pipes into the sewer but beware that doesn't normally happen.  Instead the grease cools and solidifies before exiting your house creating a clog.  The clog will then get bigger and bigger as other things make their way through the pipe and get stuck in the congealed grease. 

This can become a big headache and expensive repair when you could have just avoided pouring grease down the kitchen sink in the first place. The best way to dispose of grease is to place it in a jar or can which should then be placed in the freezer.  When garbage day comes around pull the grease out of the freezer and throw it in the trash.

KEEP POP-UP STOPPERS CLEAN

Take a look at the pop-up water stopper in your bathroom sink.  It is probably covered with hair, dental floss and other icky stuff.  Allowing buildup underneath the pop-up stopper causes multiple problems.  First of all that in itself can clog the drain causing the sink to empty slowly or not at all. Second, when water flow from the sink is slowed by a dirty pop-up stopper than there often isn't adequate pressure to flush other things out further down the pipe making it easy for additional clogs to occur along the route to the sewer.  Being proactive in keeping pop-up stoppers clean is one of the best ways to keep the water flowing properly in bathroom sinks.

DON'T TREAT YOUR TOILET LIKE A GARBAGE CAN

Lots of people figure if they flush something down the toilet it goes away.  Just because an item disappears from the bowl though doesn't mean it was swept out to the sewer.  Often times things flushed down the toilet get snagged and caught in your home's pipes causing clogs.  Just don't do it.  Only flush excrement and toilet paper.

DIY CLOG REMOVAL

If you have stubborn clogs caused by soap scum, grease and other gunk blocking up your drains try one of Roto-Rooter's Drain Care products before calling a plumber to snake them out. It is an easy and affordable way to fix the problem.  Roto-Rooter's clog removers have the precise viscosity to power through what has plugged up your drain.  In addition to being useful in bathrooms this product is also great for kitchen sinks because in addition to not harming pipes it also can be used without worrying about damaging a garbage disposal.  Note though that neither of these products are meant to be used for stopped up toilets or pipes that are blocked by tree roots.

Roto-Rooter Hair Clog Remover is a go to item I've used to deal with a bathroom sink in our house that my wife and daughter brush their hair over and where I shave at that kept backing up.  It was really easy to use. Just poured 1/4 of the bottle down the drain, wait 10 minutes, then flush out the plumbing with hot water.  Whoosh simple as that the water ran straight through the drain and the clog was gone!

Wow that really was impressive!  No more having to continually pour and flush the drain over and over again as I've experienced with other liquid clog removers in the past or having to spend a half hour or an hour trying to scrape the hair all out of the pipe myself by hand with a snake.  Of course we won't even go into the expense of having a plumber come out to fix the problem.  Using Roto-Rooter Clog Remover was a quick, efficient and clean way to accomplish a task that can be a pain to deal with.

Roto Rooter also has products to help efficiently clear out other gunk beyond hair that accumulates in the pipes draining out of your home's bathtubs, showers, and sinks.  For more information and to check out all their product options, please visit rotorooter-products.com

AVOID EXPENSIVE HOME REPAIR BILLS WITH DO IT YOURSELF FIXES

** Roto-Rooter Drain Care Products sponsored this post **

Home repairs can be daunting for those of us who aren't handy at fixing things.  That being said there are often things that at first glance look difficult to do that in fact are relatively easy for people to do themselves.  Here are four examples of do it yourself fixes to avoid an expensive bill from a handyman, plumber or electrician:

REPLACE A LIGHT SWITCH

When it comes to electrical work in most cases it is really worth the cost to hire a professional to make sure a project is done safely and properly.  You absolutely don't want to electrocute yourself or have your house burn down trying to save a few bucks.  That being said, switching a light switch is a very low-risk thing to do yourself that can save your checkbook a hundred dollars or more when avoiding an electrician to come out to do it.

All you need to accomplish this task are a pair of standard sized flathead and phillips head screwdrivers, a replacement light switch and if you desire a new faceplate.  Remove the faceplate covering the switch with your flathead screwdriver.  Next use the phillips head screwdriver to take the switch out of the wall.  Turn off the power to the switch on your circuit board. Then flip the switch to make sure the electricity has been cut off.  Remove the two wires connected to the switch and attach them to the new one.  Reinsert the switch back into the wall, cover it with a faceplate and you're all done.

AIR CONDITIONER / FURNACE FIX

If you air conditioner or heater stop working ask yourself when was the last time you changed the air filter in your furnace?  The furnace directs the air flow for both your home's heating and cooling systems.  If the air flow is being restricted or clogged it can shut everything down.  You don't want to pay for an expensive repair visit to find out all that needed to be done was change your air filter.  Try this fix yourself before making a service call.

An air conditioner's evaporator coil will begin freezing up when it is not getting the proper air flow and it will stop cooling your home.  Turn off the conditioner for a few hours to allow it to thaw. Replace your furnace's air filter, turn your central air back on and your problem should be solved.

Restricted air flow will also impact your furnace's ability to generate heat.  Clogged air filters will cause the heat exchanger's temperature to get too hot and the furnace's safety guards will trigger its burners to turn off.  Letting the furnace cool down then replacing the air filter could be the fix to your problem.

FIXING A LEAKY FAUCET

Instead of paying for an expensive plumber visit, give it a shot first at fixing a leaky faucet yourself.  In most cases fixing a deteriorated washer or o-ring is the heart of your problem.  Shut off the water to your house.  Find the concealed screw for the faucet hand and remove it.  Next use pliers to remove the packing nut. Take out the valve stem and any screws that are holding a washer or o-ring in place.  Grab the deteriorated washer/o-ring to the hardware store and find a matching replacement.  Replace the part and put everything back together again.

Do a youtube search if you need more detailed instructions as this is a popular topic for do it yourself repair videos.  Also the dummies-learning made easy website has a variety of useful instructional pages for tips on doing home repairs yourself.

CLOGGED DRAINS

If you have stubborn clogs caused by soap scum, grease and other gunk blocking up your drains try one of Roto-Rooter's Drain Care products before calling a plumber to snake them out. It is an easy and affordable way to fix the problem.  Roto-Rooter's clog removers have the precise viscosity to power through what has plugged up your drain.  In addition to being useful in bathrooms this product is also great for kitchen sinks because in addition to not harming pipes it also can be used without worrying about damaging a garbage disposal.  Note though that neither of these products are meant to be used for stopped up toilets or pipes that are blocked by tree roots.

 
I've used Roto-Rooter Hair Clog Remover to deal with a bathroom sink in our house that my wife and daughter brush their hair over and where I shave at that kept backing up.  Following the directions on the packaging,  I poured 1/4 of the bottle down the drain, waited 10 minutes, then flushed the plumbing with hot water.  Whoosh the water ran straight through the drain and the clog was gone!

 

Wow that really was impressive!  No more having to continually pour and flush the drain over and over again as I've experienced with other liquid clog removers in the past or having to spend a half hour or an hour trying to scrape the hair all out of the pipe myself by hand with a snake.  Of course we won't even go into the expense of having a plumber come out to fix the problem.  Using Roto-Rooter Clog Remover was a quick, efficient and clean way to accomplish a task that can be a pain to deal with.

In fact, Roto-Rooter is so confident its line of home drain care products will satisfy you they provide a double guarantee.  If you are not completely satisfied with the product they will refund your money. Plus if you need to call in a Roto-Rooter plumber for help give your bottle to the visiting service tech to receive 10% off your next service call. For complete details on how to redeem a refund on this guarantee please visit rotorooter-products.com for more information.

I've been so impressed by my experience using these products, I'm serving as a 2017 Brand Ambassador for Roto-Rooter Drain Care Products.  Throughout the year, I will be posting sponsored content featuring their different products, providing tips on simple plumbing problem fixes you can do yourself, and hosting some great giveaways.  Whether is it discussing routine maintenance by providing simple steps to protect your pipes or giving an overview about the most common ways clogs occur, A Geek Daddy will be providing a lot of useful information through this partnership with Roto-Rooter Drain Care Products to help you save money and keep your plumbing flowing smoothly.

For more information, please visit rotorooter-products.com

Change the air filter in your central heat and air unit often, especially during peak usage months. Thirty days is the absolute longest you should ever leave an air filter in place; two weeks is maximum for high-usage months.
Using cheap fiberglass filters is actually preferred as opposed to more expensive HEPA filters for two reasons: First, replacing the more expensive filters often isn’t cost-effective. Second, the fiberglass filters actually allow for more air to flow into your climate-controlled unit, reducing the amount of energy needed to effectively heat or cool your home.