Clogged Drain Rochester NY: How to Clear a Clogged Drain
If you have a slow draining or backed up sink, tub or toilet, chances are you have a clogged drain. There are many ways you can try to clear a blockage yourself, using either home remedies or store bought remedies. If that does not work you can always contact your local plumber to come over and take care of the problem. Some
plumbing companies even have 24 hour emergency service and can come over and take care of your plumbing issues any time of day or night.
There are many different causes of a clogged drain, and the causes can vary greatly depending on what is clogged. If it is a kitchen sink it could be that food and debris from dirty dishes has gone down the drain and created the clog. Some people also have a tendency to pour cooking grease down the drain of the kitchen sink. This cooking grease can cool while it is in the pipes and congeal, causing a clog and backing up your sink. Sometimes it is the bathtub drain that is clogged. Generally when a bathtub drain is clogged it is due to hair that has washed down the drain and collected, causing a thick hair clog that water has trouble draining through. This type of clog can be especially hard to clear. If your toilet is clogged it can be a number of things. Perhaps too much toilet paper was flushed at once, which clogged the drain. Sometimes if there are small children in the house, one of them may have tried to flush something that did not belong in the toilet, such as toys or small stuffed animals. Oops!
To clear a clogged drain, first pull out the drain stopper, if there is one, and clear away any stuck on residue. Run hot water and see if that has fixed the problem. If that has not worked, put a pot of water on the stove and set it to boil. Take 1 cup of baking soda and pour it into the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. Wait about 15 minutes for the baking soda and vinegar solution to start dissolving the clog, and then slowly pour the boiling water down the drain. You can follow this procedure once a month to prevent the drain from becoming clogged again. If that did not work you can try to plunge the drain to dislodge the clog. Still not going down? Try a store-bought drain cleaner. Make sure you wear gloves and safety goggles to ensure that you do not hurt yourself, these cleaners are made with extremely harsh chemicals. Also, follow the instructions on the container to the letter.
If you still have a clog after trying all of the above, it is time to call in the professionals. Plumbers have access to specialty tools to snake out the drains as well as access to stronger drain cleaning chemicals. You can find many
reputable plumbers online or in the yellow pages to come out and clear your clogged drain.
Tankless Water Heater Pros and Cons for
Pros: The best thing about a tankless water heater is that you will never run out of hot water, assuming you don’t have a mechanical failure. Another pro is that you do not have to wait to take a shower after someone else takes a shower like you do with a tank water heater. If you have a big family you know what I am talking about.
Cons: If you are trying to convert from a tank water heater to a tankless it can be challenging. Most of the time the gas that is supplied for a tank water heater is not enough to support a tankless. Rochester’s water is very hard on the heat exchanger of a tankless water heater and accessories have to be added in order to meet manufactures warranty, which means more money. Another con that can come with a tankless water heater is having to rework venting if the conversion is made to tankless. Most of the cons that come from a tankless water heater happen when trying to convert from a tank to a tankless. Usually it is better to install a tankless when building a new home or doing a remodel.
Tank Water Heater
Pros: One thing about tank water heaters that compares to a tankless water heater is that they use very little gas and electricity. Even though tankless water heater manufacturers boast about the low gas usage, remember that most gas companies still charge you a minimum amount every month just to have gas service. In my opinion the two even out because a tank only uses about the minimum amount of gas usage every month and the gas that it takes to run a tankless, after it has not been used, cost about the same in the end. Another pro is replacing and installing a tank water heater can be very cost effective versus a new tankless water heater. The average amount it takes to install a new tankless water heater is about $2000 to $5000 depending on the application. A tank water heater will average out at about $800 depending on the size.
Cons: Hot water will run out and like I said earlier in this article you will have to wait for the tank to fill and heat back up. This can take up to 45 minutes to get the temperature back to set point. Like a tankless water heater, Rochester’s hard water is hard on a tank. I highly recommend buying extended warranties, this can come in handy if your water heater fails.
I hope that these pros and cons have shed some light on tankless and tank water heaters. Either way I would only recommend installing a tankless water heater into a new home or bathroom remodel condition. What are your pros and cons of a tankless or tank water heater?
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