Never Pour Grease Down a Drain Pipe

              It may seem like the simple thing to do when it comes to disposing of the grease from a meal in your kitchen. But you can never pour grease down a drain because it will cause some bad unforeseen issues that you may not have expected. If someone has told you this is an acceptable thing to do under the right circumstances, we implore you to find better friends that can give better recommendations. Such as us here at Hurry Curry Plumbing. We’ll give you completely solid advice that won’t destroy your home with a smile on our face realizing we’re doing you a great service.

              There are a number of things that can go wrong with pouring grease and oil down your drain and we are here to walk beside you and break down that process as simply and understandably as we know how. As grease is in its warm stages it is really easy to dispose of down the sink The ramifications occur when the temperature changes and all that fat quickly coagulates. Over time blockages can result as grease is poured down a poor drainpipe multiple times. Going from the pipe to the sewers only succeeds in exacerbating the problem. Soap like compounds are what occur as fat intermingles with calcium in drains. As sewer level increase this soap like fat substance clings to the sewer water and results in a completely clogged sewer pipe. The larger the sewer the greater the size of these fatbergs (calcium fat combinations) are able to reach.

              Now that you have been made aware at how not to dispose of grease it’s imperative you understand how to correctly dispose of it. This is why we are here to get you that pertinent information. For cooking oils like olive or coconut it is a good idea to wait for those to cool down after cooking and use a paper towel to properly dispose of them. For larger oil it can be a good idea to pour it into a container for use in the future to conserve the oil and avoid all the waste of paper toweling. Grease can be disposed of in a similar manner by letting it cool down. Once it is cooled it’s time to use a spatula to scrap out of the pan and empty it into the trash can. After that, similarly to how you removed the oil, use a paper towel to empty the rest into the can. Like oil, when you’ve got too much, it’s a good idea to empty it into a container to use in the future or dispose of it later.

              Say you’ve done the absolutely unthinkable thing of pouring grease down the drain already. Don’t go into a spiraling panic and call the fire department to rescue you just yet. To fix this problem take some boiling water and pour it down your drainpipe to break up the oils or grease. Run hot water after the boiling water to flush the remaining fat through the pipes and into the sewer system. Work with the community to keep sewers free from grease buildup and prevent disasters. Thank you to O’Connor Plumbing for their article “Why You Should Never Pour Grease Down the Drain”. Check it out for any other questions on this tricky situation. Struggling with a clogged drain? Be sure to contact Hurry Curry Plumbing and we’ll get it fixed in a hurry.

The Best Way to Eliminate Fruit Flies in Your Bathroom

              Fruit flies can be an exceptionally difficult pest to get rid of in your home. One place where they are especially difficult to manage is the bathroom. Let us help you prevent these fruit flies from being in your home in the first place and fill you in on how to remove them if that becomes necessary. Prevention is always a lot easier than removal, but we are trained in the art of both. Most people as a matter of fact are not keeping fruit or food in their bathroom usually, that would be pretty gross if they were. There are great environmentally conscious ways to eliminate fruit flies that also won’t be detrimental to your health.

              Sometimes a swarm of fruit flies appear in your bathroom when you least expect it and you’re wondering how they mysteriously appeared in your bathroom overnight. Fruit flies don’t just hatch their eggs in fruit they only require a warm and wet area to hatch. Adult fruit flies can multiply extremely rapidly and lay 100 eggs at one time that consequently are able to hatch in 72 hours’ time. A baby to winged adults takes only a whopping 5 days to occur. Fruit flies may also start in another place in the house that needs to be addressed straightaway.

              Killing fruit flies in drains is a fairly straight forward process and can consist of boiled water and white vinegar to kill those pesky fruit flies. This will also be able to kill any drain gnats that may be lurking about. Clean out other subsequent drains around the house to ensure you are not experiencing the problem there.

              Trapping adult fruit flies is a slightly more difficult process but can be done, nonetheless. Some sort of food source will keep these flies about the house. Traps will consist of apple cider vinegar, cling wrap, and a small plastic bowl. Use the attractant in the dish then cover it with cling wrap tightly and poke small holes in it, then wait for the bowl to attract the fruit flies. They will then want to get into the dish but will not be able to escape the same way to whence they came. To completely eradicate the problem, you will need to find the source of it. This will be likely something rotting or things that have not been thoroughly cleaned. Clean everything up and down and don’t leave fruit flies with a reason to stay around your house any longer.

              Now that you’ve gotten rid of those annoying pests here’s how to prevent them from coming back for good in the foreseeable future. Keep cleaning around the house, especially watching for spots that may have moisture or degradable items around the house. Inspect fruit and vegetables before bringing them into your home that they are fresh and that there are not holes where fruit flies can burrow and multiply. Fruit bowls that are left out can become a huge attractant for fruit flies and need to be covered or placed in the fridge. Clean counter tops and keep them dry with a disinfectant solution. Empty trash on a regular basis to keep fruit flies away as well. Thank you to Fantastic Services and their article “How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the Bathroom”. Check them out for any more tips and tricks on this pest issue.

A Few Things You Might not Know About Plumbers

There is so many things you may not know about plumbers. We want to discuss some of the common misconceptions associated around the plumbing profession and what you need to know to understand what we do better. Plumbers are usually only highly appreciated when they are in dire need. Other than that, most people don’t think about plumbers or may look down on it as a profession. Come sit down with us and we will elaborate on the position more to give you a better understanding of your plumber and the industry.

If you’ve ever considered plumbing as a profession here are some good things you need to know that are associated with it. Plumbing is a wild and crazy job and it’s almost impossible to know what a plumber may be doing in a particular day. Each day has it’s own unique challenges that may be totally different than the previous day. From faucets to swimming pools plumbers cover a vast array of different jobs. Being flexible is a necessary requirement to being a good plumber. Issues range from things that take a lot of time and strategy to simple and easy fixes. Having the proper tools for any job and understanding what a job fully entails is essential to completing it properly. Plumbers need to be accurate with there diagnosis of a problem to not anger the customer and keep things running in their proper order.

Lots of plumbers would like to change the name garbage disposal. These disposals may be more rightly named sink disposal because of the substances that are supposed to be disposed with them and not all the extra stuff that becomes associated with them. Surprisingly as far as waste goes kitchen waste is the least appealing to plumbers. From the rotting of food to not cleaning out a drain the kitchen waste system is generally the most difficult task. Many plumbers would rather deal with human waste in the bathroom than what ends up dying in the kitchen. Be sure to clean your kitchen drain at regular times in order to avoid this toxic buildup.

Plumbers also put their lives on the line for many different kinds of plumbing jobs. Maybe you would have never viewed plumbing as a harrowing profession, but it certainly can be. Pipes bursting is one of the most dangerous situations a plumber may face regularly. With the high amounts of water that splash in a plumber’s face from any burst pipe the risk of drowning is prevalent. Besides the mass amounts of water being around dangerous bacteria and chemicals from any plumbing system is a risk a plumber is willing to take. This is why plumbers are heavily trained in all typed of safety in regard to their job.

One of the questions that comes up because of the wide variety of plumbers present today is who you should trust with your work. Many plumbing companies do not deserve to do work for you like we do at Hurry Curry Plumbing. Trust us for our countless hours of plumbing experience and dedication to the hard and rewarding work of plumbing. Trusting us will save you hundreds and thousands of dollars on complicated plumbing repairs that are not meant for the average lay person. We would like to thank the Emergency Plumber London and their article “8 Things You don’t Know About Plumbers”. Please check them out for more info on this fascinating topic.

Dishwasher not Draining Properly? Here’s How to Fix it

              When the dishwasher stops draining at the most inopportune time and you have no idea what to do. Prevent this difficulty from happening by being conscientious about what you’re doing with your dish washer and what to do if it ends up not draining. If your dish washer did not drain it may be a good idea to start it again and make sure it wasn’t because of an uncompleted cycle. You can contact us at Hurry Curry Plumbing if there is still a problem, but it may be quite simple to fix your dishwasher draining problem.

              The first thing you can try is running your garbage disposal. The reason for this is because your dishwasher runs into your garbage disposal through a pipe. The draining could be being held up because of the disposal not properly eliminating all that’s left in it. Run your disposal a little longer than you might think is necessary, about 20 seconds to make sure all the food that remains has been eliminated and to have it clear for your dishwasher. Chances are running your garbage disposal a little longer may be able to make your sink smell better. Also, you can use vinegar and baking soda to run down your disposal to help freshen it up as well.

              Another issue you may be experiencing may be as a result of a missing garbage disposal. In this instance there is what’s called an air gap that is installed. Turn off your air gap counterclockwise to remove it and then clean it out with a stiff brush, for the same reason you would run your garbage disposal. By doing this you will give the water a clean pathway to empty out of the dishwasher. Another thing you can do if this doesn’t get rid of the water is you’ll have to eliminate it manually by scooping the dirty water out, then proceeding to use a towel to sop the rest of the water out.

              Proper draining may be a result of using the wrong kind of dish soap. Using regular dish soap will create suds that are not conducive to proper draining. This is why dish soap is made to not create those and you don’t want to get the two mixed up. Say you’ve made this mistake then it’s time to scoop out the soapy water and start over again.

              In the list of common issues, it is essential to make sure your drain is not having any kinks in it. This situation will plug the water and make it impossible to drain. A kinking hose problem tends to occur in the same spot time and time again. Have a kink? It may be time to replace the hose all together and eliminate your problem. Other than being kinked drain hoses can also have a clog from nearly anything being stuck in the hose. Disconnect the tube by using a screwdriver to twist it off an attempt to blow through the tube to identify a potential clog. If air is not passing through it’s a sure-fire sign you’ve got a clog. For these problems and more for resolutions we want to thank Glenda Taylor and Bob Vila with the article “Solved! What to Do When the Dishwasher Stops Draining”.

Why is My Shower Not Getting Hot Water?

              Showers can be a complicated thing all together and you may not realize the reason you are not getting hot water going properly through them. In this article we will try and help you understand why you are not getting hot water through your shower in particular. This will aid you in not having to take freezing cold showers, unless you so want to go through that suffering by your own choice.

              Hot water heaters are generally the issue when it comes to not having hot water throughout your home and that would include your shower. However, sometimes it seems that you are getting hot water everywhere else, but it seems to be skipping over the shower for some strange reason. There are 2 general issues that result in this kind of problem for your shower and they are usually pretty simple to fix. If these don’t solve your problem be sure to give us a call here at Hurry Curry Plumbing. The first issue pertains to too high of a setting for your anti-scald device (this is what prevents your shower from giving you third degree burns, but it may be working too hard. The second common problem is a valve has gone bad in your shower mixer. Stick with us and we’ll lay out how specifically you can solve this frustrating and cold issue with your shower.

              Most faucets according to guidelines set up for people’s safety come with an anti-scald device that usually has a rotational limit stop or a hot limit stop. It in simplest terms is able to limit the rotation a shower handle can turn in the hot water direction. This will prevent the shower from going to hot with devastating consequences. By doing this stop limit the showers take back the maximum heat that a hot water heater is providing. Looking to see if your anti-scald device is preventing you from getting hot water into your shower? You can easily recalibrate your anti-scald device and see if you are able to receive the appropriate amount of hot water. The first step to doing this is taking off the cover for your shower handle by turning it all the way or with a wrench or screwdriver. Your anti-scald device will likely look like a piece of plastic surrounding the metal connection piece to your handle. If there is no plastic device, you likely do not have an anti-scald device installed on your shower and can skip to the later paragraphs of this article.

              Your next step is to try and turn your ani-scald device to the right and push it back into place. You will then test the water to see if you are able to get any hotter water to flow through your faucet. If it gets hotter than congratulations your problem is solved. Not quite hot enough? Keep repeating the process until you’ve gotten it right. Move onto the next paragraph if the problem is not your anti-scald device.

              If your anti-scald device is ok, then it may certainly be your mixing valve has gone bad. The mixing valve is a device that combines hot and cold water together. Having a broken valve is something you should leave to the professionals like us at Hurry Curry Plumbing. Need any more info on this issue check out “Why Am I Getting Hot Water Everywhere But the Shower?” with Plumbing Today.

Keep Tree Roots Out of Sewer Pipes

A genuine concern for any plumbing system is the possibility for tree roots to clog up a system. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to keep tree roots away from sewer lines where they can cause massive damage. Tree roots are always look for a source of hydration and nutrients, which is why it is such a common problem you should be aware of, watch out for, and actively try to prevent. Taking some of our prescribed preventative measures to keep lines clear of roots and save yourself from costly repairs and damage to your line. Check out the miss dig 811 number and give them a call to stay away from lines you shouldn’t be digging into.

              When line installers are installing line, they usually are putting root preventative substances around them to keep lines safe from roots. If this is not the case, ask those who are doing this installation or try to find out what has been done in the past to prevent root growth. Metal can also be placed around pipes to prevent roots from entering. Planting new trees is good for the environment, but you want to be sure you’re not placing new trees near where sewage lines are that can be reached. If you want to plant a tree it will probably be a good idea to plant a smaller one or be sure when planting a larger tree to keep it well away from any lines.

              Preventative measures for your sewer lines can include taking a camera and sending it down a sewer line to check for any clogs that may be present. Professionals are then able to send cables to clear out a sewer pipe and remove any clogs from the wall or roots that may be present. Don’t be discouraged by trees in your yard as they are a perfect way to increase oxygen and help the surrounding environment. They do other things like filter water and take CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere. You just don’t want them in your pipeline.

              It’s a good idea to be aware of your homes plumbing lines. Many homeowners don’t take the time to know where these important pipes are. Places like the Dig line can help you locate where your pipes are and give you a good idea if a tree is going to cause a problem with the plumbing. Hiring a professional can take the hassle off your hands when determining whether the proximity of a tree will indeed present a problem. When you are planting trees in the future it is a great idea to plant sewer safe trees. Yes, this title does exist for them. Root lines that spread out less are always a much safer bet than those that are more likely to spread out.

              A drain that is constantly clogging is a high tell sign that there may be something wrong with your drain and that it’s time to spring into action before it’s too late. Grab a regular inspection to keep things running well. For more on this issue visit “How to Prevent Tree Roots in Sewer Pipes” from Allied Foundation.

Fixing a Problematic Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals are a kitchen’s most valuable friend. Having one that is not working properly can lead to unforeseen issues in the kitchen as well as the rest of the house. Every sink could use a properly functioning garbage disposal. If you don’t have one that’s working your mom may require you to use a sink drain like mine used to in the past. In addition to the garbage disposal itself other pipes may get blocked and it could lead to a more irritating and detrimental problem. Be safe with your disposal by turning it off and unplugging it. Mixing electricity, humans, and water together is not a good combination. Tools that would be good to have on hand are a cleaning pail, adjustable wrenches, screwdriver set, plungers, clamps, microfiber cloth, clamps, and hex key. Baking soda and vinegar are also a smart and necessary thing to have on hand for this job.

Your first step in manually checking on your disposal is to check any electrical connections. Sometimes disposals may be unplugged, and this will likely be the case if you are not getting any activity out of your garbage disposal when you flip the switch for it. Once you have verified the plug is plugged in for the disposal and it still shows no signs of life it’s time to reset the button located on the bottom of your machine. If there is still no sound produced from your garbage disposal it may be time to replace the unit and it’s a good idea to contact a professional such as Hurry Curry Plumbing.

Alternatively, you may hear a low humming noise when you turn on your system and this can be a good indication that there is a blockage somewhere along the way. Now conversely, it’s going to be smart to turn off your disposal and then unplug it. Remove any buildup of water that may be left over by scooping it out. Clamp off the line leading to the dishwasher to prevent any backflow or buildup. You can now use your handy dandy hex key to rotate the blades backwards and forwards and break up that clog.

Say your garbage disposal beyond all this amazing advice and tips is still showing signs of clogging, it may be the right time to rotate the impeller (that’s the fancy word for the thing that chops all the stuff in your garbage disposal). It’s kind of like a blender, but for things you don’t want to consume. As before make sure the unit has been switched into the off position as well as leaving it unplugged. Take a tip of a broom handle or a disposal wrench in and work that baby back and forth until the clog has been successfully broken up. If you see a large object it’s time to get your safety gloves and protect your hand from a potentially spinning blade. Reach in there and remove that bad boy.

We did our best to help you take care of any issues that may arise with your garbage disposal. Now it’s time to take action in preventing clogs in the future. You want to keep the debris amount your garbage disposal handles to a maximum of a cup of debris. Use vinegar, baking soda, and hot water to flush out the disposal once a month. Thank you to the folks at Home Depot for their article “How to Fix a Garbage Disposal”. Check out Home Depot for your garbage disposal and plumbing tool needs.

The Simple Remedy for Replacing a Toilet Seat

Your toilet may be old, raggedy, and worn out and it could be time to put in for its replacement. If so, stick around and we can tell you the proper procedure for getting this done. Grab some of these basic tools and set aside a little time and you will have a new toilet seat in no time. Take off the old toilet seat and install the new one as quickly as possible. Your first effort in toilet seat replacement is to measure the toilet seat to make sure you’re getting the right one. To be certain that you don’t have a standard sized toilet seat use a tape measure to determine the distance from bolt to bolt.

Now it’s time to do a little shopping for your toilet seat. Don’t skimp out on this part of the process as many can overlook how important it really is. Some toilet bowls even have a quiet closing ability that comes from pads under the toilet seat that prevent it from slamming. Expect the cheaper ends of toilet seats to be around $20, but many may be much pricier. Along with that selection the next tip is to get a color that fits with the rest of the bathroom around it.

The tools that you will need are a flathead screwdriver, an adjustable wrench or pliers, and WD40 or small hacksaw are optional. Grab these tools at the hardware store if they are not readily available around your home. Now it’s time to take off your old toilet seat. Aren’t you excited? Some toilets have bolt caps will need to be removed prior to getting the bolts off. Take the caps off by popping them down with your flathead screwdriver. Once you have the bolt caps off or if you don’t have any bolt caps it’s time to use the screwdriver in a counterclockwise rotation to remove the bolts. Once you have the bolts loosened a little bit it’s time to remove the old bolts with a nice turning of the hand. Remove any washers that may be present as well during this process.

Some old bolts may be stuck if they are rusting, corroded, or having difficulty turning. This is where your handy dandy WD40 comes into play to get some lubricating action going. 10 minutes should do the trick to allow for the maximum amount of loosening power. Say that process is not working or is of no use it’s time to break out the hack saw and get sawing. Now that your bolts have been properly removed you can pull off the toilet seat and begin removing it. Toss out the old toilet seat unless you think the local neighborhood squirrels may be able to use it.

Now comes the fun part, installing the new toilet seat. Put the new hinges exactly where the old ones were removed. Now that the bolts have been set correctly in their place it’s time to screw the new nuts into place. Unlike taking it off, putting the toilet seat on will require turning in a clockwise motion. Do this with both nuts and your brand-new toilet seat should be properly secured. Did you like this article? Check out Wiki How with “How to Install a New Toilet Seat” where they have pictures to help if you require them for you toilet seat installation.

Clogged Toilet? Here’s 5 Ways to Fix That

              Clogged toilets can be one of the most annoying and frustrating things that can occur to a home. Making sure your toilet is not clogged and functioning properly is essential for a home that is ready to great you for all of your needs. You can properly plumb your toilet so that you don’t need a plumber and we would love to provide you with some helpful and simple tips for doing so. You all know the most basic tool of the plunger if you’re able to read this article we’re assuming. However, there are many other helpful tools for keeping your toilet running smoothly. Don’t get to the unpleasant family home wrecking stage and follow us as we provide 5 clear steps to make your toilet work correctly.

The goal for your toilet is to put away the plunger and maintain the flow of your toilet so that it always is flushing properly. The first toilet clogging problem spot most people run into is they possess a low flow toilet of the first generation. Okay, so there have been many iterations of the low flow toilet and they have made many improvements to these toilets since then. If you haven’t replaced your old toilet there are still a lot of things that you are able to do. The first try at saving water with these toilets made for a pressure that was a little too low for flushing things down your toilet effectively. Look for the date on the back of your toilet around the mid-90’s and it could be a good chance you have one of these toilets. Cut back on that toilet paper use, especially since people have been grabbing so much of it off shelves in the past year. Say that avoiding using clog prone items on the toilet is not effective it may be a safe bet you’ll need to replace the toilet altogether with a newer model. If that’s the case, you know that Hurry Curry Plumbing is happy to take care of that for you.

Uh oh someone attempted to flush items that are not flushable. This may be because a child is experimenting with a toilet for one of his or her first times or you didn’t read the back of a product and decided to flush it anyways. Whatever your reasoning step number 2 is an easy trick to help you take care of this issue. Have a conversation with those who can understand what appropriate items to flush down the toilet are. Watch out for Kleenex and paper towel as these are not meant to be flushed. Keeping a trash can handy near the toilet is a good reminder and makes it easier to throw away un-flushable materials.

The third issue that may arise with any home toilet is the trap for the toilet has been blocked. Toilet paper and other items may get back in this area that is meant for letting gases escape and lead to a clog. For this kind of clog, it will likely be effective to simply use a plunger and if that doesn’t work you may need a toilet auger or a professional. The fourth spot that may cause sticking in your plumbing system is the plumbing vent. Call Hurry Curry Plumbing for this kind of blockage and we’ll take care of it for you.

Finally, but still important is an issue with the main sewer line. Trees and roots can get into the main sewer system and cause blockages. Call us if you are having this issue since it takes a top level of expertise. Thank you to our friends at the Spruce and Wilson Weaver for their article “5 Reasons Why Toilets Get Clogged” for the idea and tips for this article.

Getting Back to the Plumbing Basics

Many people think plumbing is an elaborate and complex system. However, plumbing uses the basic laws of nature that have been made by their creator, like gravity to work a system of using water to free people from tasks that were once a lot more difficult and disgusting. In this article we are going to discuss the simplicity and basics of plumbing so you can get a better basic understanding of how they all work and function within your home. Save yourself the trouble of calling a plumber, when one isn’t necessary and take care of these issues on your own.

Plumbing systems in your home consist of 2 systems. One system is allowing the cool refreshing beautiful water to come into your home and the other is removing that nasty gross putrid water out of your home. Water that is entering the home is pressurized to travel and go against gravity to be forced into the home. Wastewater on the other hand simply uses the easy breeze gravity it is so endowed with to be released from your home. Meters calibrate the amount of water used in a home so don’t be a greedy little person and try to use up all the water, because that’s expensive. The meter is generally endowed with a shut off valve very near it. When the water situation has become extra spicy it’s imperative to know where this emergency shutoff is located and rush there immediately. Some of your fixtures may have their own shut off valves. In these instances where the whole system doesn’t need to be shut down use those to get the individual job done.

As you may already know the process to get cold water into your home differs from the process of getting the hot water going. The cold water is the first step in entering the home and to get hot water when you turn your faucet to the right is to run that water by the hot water heater. That hot water line flowing out of the heater is able to carry the hot water to all the other locations it needs to travel to in a home. Most home water heaters are set at a balmy 140 degrees F. You can totally turn it down 20 degrees and save yourself some money at 120 degrees and this will usually be adequate for most homes’ uses.

The next exciting topic we want to share with you is the drainage system and how those fun guys really work. Drainpipes are able to release wastewater from your house due to all the pipes angling downwards from the water source. The gravity will continue all the way to a waste management facility. Ain’t that really neat? Air from the roof of your house will allow air into the pipes, which is a necessary ingredient for the release of the water in addition to gravity’s work. Traps under sink are used to remove water and are those S shaped pipes you will see when you open cabinet usually. These systems prevent a backup of toxic gases into your home. Learn about the supply and drainage system and much more at the article titled “Plumbing Basics” by Fix-It Club.