Kitchen sink has a clogged drain

Radle Rooter (727) 265-1911
Serving St. Pete, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Pinellas County.

A kitchen without a properly working kitchen sink drain is a real nightmare.

Here are some common problems that create clogged drains in the kitchen:

  • Pouring oil or grease down the drain. While I would not recommend pouring grease down the drain, never pour grease down the drain with followed by cold water! The grease will almost surely harden around your drain plumbing and prevent proper flow.
  • Many if not most clogged drains can be attributed to the buildup of food or organic matter.
  • Your garbage disposal unit has stopped working properly. This can create an issue with the drain.
  • Buildups of any type of debris in your kitchen sink drain will reduce the regular flow of water just like cholesterol throughout the body’s bloodstream.

When debris travels down your drain plumbing that already has a partial blockage, the debris may catch on to the blockage and completely prevent your drain from working properly.

The above are just a few possibilities of what could happen. If your kitchen sink is really clogged give Radle Rooter Sewer & Drain a call. 727-265-1911  for St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Pinellas County Florida.

Toilet Plumbing Do’s and Dont’s

Serving Pinellas County, FL
by Rooter
Phone: (727) 265-1911

Toilet Plumbing – Do’s and Dont’s

Radle Rooter Coupon ($70 Any Drain)
Dennis Radle, Radle Rooter, Owner & Operator

Here are some general do’s and don’t for toilet plumbing:

  1. Do not use chemicals in your toilet. Chemicals may clear that clogged toilet, but those same chemicals will harm your plumbing and eat away at your toilet seal (wax ring) that is hidden underneath your toilet. It is especially bad to pour chemicals into the tank, this could harm your plumbing seals and make your toilet continuously run or leak. Also, the chemicals are bad for our environment.
  2. NEVER pour grease or any other hardening compounds like drywall compound or wax down the toilet. These chemicals will simply harden within the plumbing lines and restrict water flow until the lines are cleared using a rooter machine.
  3. If you have small children, avoid leaving the lid open as you will be amazed what the plumber or drain professional will pull out the the toilet plumbing. 🙂
  4. If your toilet drain is clogged or your having toilet drain plumbing issues, see the “toilet clogged” information and “how to fix a clogged toilet” on this site.

Free Clogged Drain Tips

by Dennis (Rooter)
Radle Rooter |  (727) 265-1911
Serving beautiful Florida Pinellas County!
Family owned, Insured and Honest!

Free Drain Cleaning Tips!

Radle Rooter Coupon ($70 Any Drain)
Dennis Radle, Radle Rooter, Owner & Operator

Do you have a clogged drain? I know how it feels! 🙂 The water starts building up around the clogged drain and you get a bad feeling about your plumbing. Many people are strapped for cash and decide to forgo the drain professional and try to clear the clogged drain yourself. There is some good news! Many clogged drain problems are easily corrected without having to call someone to fix your plumbing.

Just about any homeowner should be able to clear most drain clogs in a very short amount of time. Anyone can use these free do-it-yourself household drain cleaning tips!

Before you attempt to pour pollutant chemicals down the drain, try pouring salt down your drain followed by hot boiling water. Continue to flush with very hot tap water until the clog is clear.

A number of drain clogs are caused due to grease buildup. You can try something as simple as pouring dish soap (i.e. Dawn) down your drain followed by hot water.

Drains that drain slowly, you can shake half box of baking soda down the drain. Follow this by using one cup of vinegar. The mix will start to bubble and foam. When the foaming ceases, try running hot water down the drain for a minute or two.

I you believe your drains are clogged with hair and you have the leg hair remover called Nair in your house, you can attempt to pour it down your drain and do not run water through the drain for about a half hour. After allowing the time to pass, pour hot water down the drain. The Nair will continue to work on the build up and hair as it goes further down the drains and pipes.

This one requires a little bit more effort, but if you are able to get to the drain pipe itself, open it up and try using a water hose. Put the hose in the drain pipe and turn the water on. The rushing water will hit the clog and push it through the drain plumbing. And you’ve cleaned your drains with no chemicals!

Another good drain cleaning tip is the old plunger! Buy a second plunger that you will not use in the toilet.  Most people believe that plungers are for the toilet, but keep in mind you can use your separate plunger for different uses, like drain cleaning a sink.  You can also drain clean the bathtub covering the top drain overflow with a wet rag (it must be a wet rag/wash cloth) and plunging the tub drain.  You must plug the overflow in order to be able to plunge the bathtub.  Sometimes this requires removal of the overflow drain cover and sticking the rag in the drain hole.  Be careful not to stick the rag to far in the pipe.  You need to use some pressure when plunging a drain to move the drain obstruction that has created the clog.  After plunging, wait a minute and see if the clog has cleared.  If the clog remains, repeat as necessary.

Are you still having problems will a clogged drain?  No chemical or clogged drain tip will work better than a $30 drain “snake” cleaning  drains.  You can purchase these at your local plumbing or hardware store.  If you are still unable to open your drain clog and you are in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa Bay, Palm Harbor, Pinellas County, then by all means please call!

Common Sewer Problems

Radle Rooter Coupon ($70 Any Drain)
Dennis Radle, Radle Rooter, Owner & Operator

After over 20 years of working on sewer & drain issues, I have seen many sewer and drain problems. If you are in Pinellas county and have sewer or drain issues, I offer 24/7 emergency service. Please feel free to call me 727-265-1911. Click here for information on drain cleaning service or sewer cleaning services.

 

 

 

I will describe some of the most common problems I’ve seen below:

Collapsed Sewer Line

When a sewer line collapses it is not an easy fix. Sewer line collapses are usually due to a lack of maintenance and some kind of persistent damage. Your drain expert must first locate the problem and the replace the damaged sewer line. Some companies will attempt to sell you on a very expensive dig and attempt to replace your entire line from the house all the way to the street. While this is a good solution to a problem, it is also very costly. Before accepting some costly bid to replace your entire drainage line, you should get a second opinion.

Tree Roots

Vegetation of any kind will seek out water for survival regardless of the source. Trees commonly find their way into your main line through the joints in the sewer line. Without maintenance tree roots will cause clogs in your main line and if continued to be untreated will cause your main sewer line to completely collapse or almost completely prevent water from flowing due to blockages.

Drain Clogging

A clog in your main sewer line will make your toilets, tubs and floor drains back up. You may at first notice your drains gurgling. Gurgling is a sign of problems somewhere in your drainage system. Preventative maintenance is a good idea when you first notice problems. There are many different causes of a sewer main line back up. A sewer line may be clogged due to too much paper being flushed, foreign objects being flushed or grease being poured down the sink drain. There are many reasons. A simple snake or drain cleaner may fix the problem. For more serious problems, a good drain expert will need to be called.

Septic Tanks

Septic tanks usually require a someone who specializes in septic tanks. When problems occur with your septic tank you generally notice bad smells or odor in the area of your septic field. Septic fields are usually found in more rural areas where sewage services are generally not found. When the tank is full of solid waste the tank will begin to fail. Preventative maintenance on tanks should also be routine in order to prevent tank failure.

How to fix a sewer backup?

Sewer backups typically happens when debris, roots, grease, hair or other objects block drains.  You should call your local sewer professional to correct the sewer backup issue right away.  Most clogged drains must be opened by a sewer & drain professional.  If your sewers backup into your home, your tile floors can be sanitized by using a good cleaner.  Damaged walls and carpeting should be replaced by a professional.

What is a sewer clean out?

A residential sewer clean out is an access hole to get into your sewer main line.  The hole is typically closed so that debris does not get into your sewer pipe.  If you have a basement, your clean out may be located within the basement.  The clean out allows the sewer drain professional to get easy access to your sewer main line which sometimes is necessary to remove large debris.

Why is water coming out of my floor drain?

The floor drain is the lowest drain in your house. When you run water in your house, flush the toilet, run water in the sink or take a shower and water comes out of your floor drains, this is a serious drain problem. Either your drain or your sewer is plugged. Call a sewer and drain professional immediately.

Why is water coming up in my bathtub?

The bathtub may be one of the lower drains in your house. If you do not have a floor drain in your house, the bathtub is likely the next lowest drain. When you run water in the sink or flush the toilet, water running into the tub is a sign of a serious blockage in your drains or sewer. You should call a sewer & drain professional to come evaluate the situation and make corrections.

What is power rodding or sewer rodding?

Power rodding is a process of cleaning your drains using an electric roto motor, steel cable and a cutting head.  The cutting head is pushed into the sewer line and used to cut thing like tree roots that penetrate into your sewer line.