Battery Backup for Sump Pumps

It’s pouring rain outside, and you’re cozy inside your home, unaware of the impending disaster in your basement. Suddenly, a power outage strikes, leaving your sump pump without electricity. As the rainwater relentlessly pours in, you’re faced with a flooded basement and costly damages. A battery backup for sump pump systems plays a crucial role in preventing basement flooding. When excess rainwater falls, your sump pump removes excess water from the sump pit or the city lines back up. However, during a power outage or when your main unit fails, your basement becomes vulnerable to water damage. A battery backup for sump pump systems is an essential component that every homeowner should consider. A sump pump is instrumental in preventing basement flooding by removing excess water from the sump pit. However, during power outages or when the main pump fails, your basement becomes vulnerable to water damage. This is where a battery backup for sump pump systems comes into play. It acts as a reliable insurance policy, ensuring that your basement remains dry even when the power goes out. By providing a secondary power source, the battery backup ensures that your system continues to function, protecting your home from potential water damage.

When it comes to a battery backup for sump pump systems, you need a trusted plumbing expert who understands the importance of reliable protection for your home. That’s where your local Ontario plumber from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning shines. With years of experience in the plumbing industry, our technicians have established themselves as reputable and reliable service providers. Their team of skilled technicians specializes in battery backup installations and repairs, offering top-quality products and ensuring that your current unit is equipped with a dependable battery backup. With our commitment to customer satisfaction, professionalism, and expertise, we have become the go-to choice for homeowners like you who are seeking peace of mind and comprehensive protection against basement flooding. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Protect your home from basement flooding by investing in a battery backup. Let us help you ensure the safety of your home and belongings.

The Importance of a Reliable Sump Pump:

When heavy rains or flooding occur, your basement can become a vulnerable area prone to water damage. A sump pump plays an essential part in preventing water buildup by pumping it out and away from your home’s foundation. However, relying solely on the electrical power supply can leave you vulnerable, especially in the event of a power outage. That’s where a battery backup comes into play. The following are the reasons a battery backup for sump pump efficiency is important:

The Battery Backup Solution:

A battery backup or secondary pump system acts as a safety net for your sump pump, ensuring it continues to function even when the power goes out, or the current unit has a mechanical failure. It consists of a high-capacity battery that automatically triggers an audible alarm sound, then kicks in when it detects a power interruption, running with battery power ensuring your sump pump continues without power. With this invaluable addition, you can rest easy knowing that you are protected, preventing your basement from flooding, regardless of the weather or power disruptions.

Uninterrupted Protection:

Power outages or electrical supply fluctuations often occur during severe storms and torrential rains, precisely when your sump pump’s functionality is most critical. By installing a battery backup, you eliminate the risk of your sump pump becoming inoperable due to power failure. This means continuous basement flood protection and the potential for expensive repairs.

Peace of Mind During Extended Outages:

In some cases, power outages can last for several hours or even days. Without a battery backup, your sump pump would be rendered useless, leaving your basement at the mercy of rising water levels. By investing in a battery backup for sump pump systems, you provide yourself with peace of mind, knowing that even during extended power outages, your unit has an automatic operation with the backup battery using wet cells (lead acid batteries). This means it will remain operational, preserving your home’s integrity and protecting against basement floods.

A Layer of Defense against Pump Failure:

Sump pumps, like any mechanical device, are not immune to failure. Even with routine maintenance, unexpected breakdowns can occur. By incorporating a battery backup, you add additional protection against sump pump failure. In the event of a malfunction or required maintenance, the backup battery charge seamlessly takes over, running at optimal levels and preventing potential basement flooding.

Versatility and Easy Installation:

Sump pump battery backup systems are designed to work with most existing sump pump setups, making them a versatile solution for homeowners. The installation process is typically straightforward, and professional plumbers can ensure that it’s done correctly, maximizing the system’s efficiency. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the experts at Hy-Pro Plumbing for a seamless installation experience.

Overall, a battery backup for sump pump functioning is a wise investment that protects your basement, belongings, as well as the overall structural integrity of your home. With the ability to provide uninterrupted protection during power outages and act as a failsafe against pump failure, it offers peace of mind when you need it most.

Don’t wait for the next storm to strike and catch you off guard. Reach out to the experienced team at Hy-Pro Plumbing to learn more about battery backup for sump pump systems. Keep your basement dry and your worries at bay with this essential addition to your home’s protection. Don’t let power outages leave your home vulnerable to flooding—take action now and safeguard your basement.

Battery Backup For Sump Pump Systems: Residential Options

A battery backup for sump pump systems comes in various types, each designed to provide reliable power in different scenarios.

Primary Sump Pump Battery Backup System:

This system is specifically designed to ensure the continuous operation of a sump pump during power outages or pump failures. It is an essential component for homeowners with basements or areas prone to flooding. This type of battery-powered pump typically consists of a battery, a charger, and a control unit. The battery chargers when the main power is available with its connected power cord and then will switch over automatically when the power goes out, and the fluid level rises, keeping the sump pump motor running and preventing water damage. As the water begins to rise, a float switch or sensor kicks in, pumping the water.

There are four main types that our company has available:

• Hydromatic FG 3100RF Premium: This is designed to back up exiting residential systems in case of power failure
• Hydromatic FG 2200 Classic: A must-have for anyone that can’t afford for their sump pump to fail
• Hydromatic FG 2200C Classic: Pre-plumbed battery box with all the check valves, primary pump, and secondary backup pump in the event of a residential power failure
• Hydromatic FG 3100RC Premium: Similar to the classic in that it has the pre-plumbed parts, plus the sump pump backup system, but it is a step up as it also has a Link 2O to monitor the system’s condition.

It’s important to choose the right type of battery backup for sump pump systems based on your specific needs and the equipment you want to protect. Consulting with our professionals can help you determine the most suitable solution from any one of our superior pump backups that will work in conjunction with the current pump you already have. Or opt for a replacement pump with a simple installation of a secondary sump pump battery backup.

Whatever option, know that you can rely on our professionals at Hy-Pro Plumbing to guide you in making a choice from the array of sump pump battery backup systems that suit your family and home the best.

How To Maximize & Maintain Your Sump Pump Battery Backup

Maximizing battery backup performance is crucial to ensure that your backup system operates efficiently and provides extended power during outages. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your battery backup:

• Choose the Right Battery: Selecting a high-quality battery that is compatible with your backup system is essential. For a backup unit, consider factors such as battery capacity, voltage, and maintenance requirements. Opt for deep-cycle batteries specifically designed for backup applications, as they provide longer-lasting power and better performance.
• Regularly Test & Maintain Your Battery: Perform routine battery maintenance to keep it in optimal condition. This includes checking the terminals for corrosion, cleaning them if necessary, and ensuring a secure connection. Regularly test the battery’s voltage and capacity to confirm that it is holding a charge effectively.
• Optimize Energy Consumption: To extend the battery backup runtime and minimize energy consumption during power outages. Identify and unplug non-essential devices or appliances that draw significant power. Use energy-efficient LED lighting instead of incandescent bulbs, and consider upgrading to energy-efficient appliances that consume less electricity.
• Prioritize Power Usage: Determine the critical devices or circuits that need power during an outage and prioritize their usage. This can include essential appliances like refrigerators, medical equipment, or security systems. By managing the load and limiting power to non-essential devices, you can maximize the backup system’s runtime for crucial equipment.
• Perform Regular System Checks: Regularly inspect and maintain your battery for backup sump pump functionality. Ensure that all connections are secure and free of corrosion. Test the system periodically to verify its functionality and address any issues promptly. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for maintenance and consult a professional if you encounter any problems.
• Keep the Battery at Optimal Temperature: Batteries perform best within a specific temperature range. Ensure that the battery backup for sump pump systems is located in an area with moderate temperatures, close to an outlet, and has good ventilation. Extreme heat or cold can affect battery performance and lifespan.

Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning: Your Professional, Local Plumbers

Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning is a trusted and reputable plumbing company known for its years of experience and expertise in various plumbing services for all your residential plumbing or commercial plumbing, including sump pump installations and battery backup for sump pump systems. With years of experience in the industry, our team of skilled plumbers is dedicated to providing top-quality services and exceptional customer satisfaction to every single client.

We are committed to keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies as well as industry advancements, ensuring that we deliver reliable and efficient solutions to our clients. Whether it’s professional installation, repair, or maintenance of your battery backup for sump pump systems, you can rely on our plumbers for their expertise, professionalism, and dedication to excellence. With a focus on customer needs and a track record of successful projects, we have established ourselves as the go-to plumbing experts for affordable units on backup pumps and battery backup for sump pump services.

Secure Your Home With Our Reliable Battery Backup For Sump Pump Functionality!

Don’t let basement flooding rain on your parade! Take charge and invest in a battery backup for sump pump protection. With this powerful sidekick by your side, you can conquer power outages, shielding your property from the devastating effects of water damage.

Don’t let power failures leave your basement defenseless—empower it with a reliable backup system. Reach out to our local professionals at Hy-Pro Plumbing today and discover the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is prepared for any storm.

Wherever you live in southwestern Ontario, from Branchton, Preston, or London, it’s time to take control of your home’s destiny and safeguard it against the unpredictable forces of nature. Don’t sit around and wait for the ship to sail; instead, act now and fortify your home with our battery backup for sump pump protection—your home and wallet will thank you.

How To Unclog A Sink

A clogged kitchen or bathroom sink can be a frustrating and inconvenient experience. A clogged sink can disrupt your daily routine and hinder your household chores, whether it’s a slow drain or a complete blockage. A clogged sink can be a hassle, but with the right techniques and tools, you can quickly resolve the issue and restore proper drainage.

However, you can tackle most sink clogs efficiently with a few simple techniques. Remember to identify the type of clog, gather the necessary tools, and choose the appropriate method for unclogging your sink. Your professional Ontario plumbers at Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning have put together a guide for you to understand the nature of clogged drains. This includes how to unclog a sink effectively.

Also, adopting good plumbing maintenance practices will help prevent future clogs and keep your sink functioning optimally. Say goodbye to sink clogs and hello to hassle-free drainage with our plumbing pros! Let’s dive in!

Identifying Signs of a Clogged Sink: Common Indicators to Watch For

Before we begin with the unclogging process, it’s crucial to determine the nature of the clog. Various factors, such as food debris, grease buildup, hair, soap scum, or foreign objects, can cause sink clogs. Identifying the source of the clog will help you choose the most appropriate method for unclogging your sink. If you notice that the water drains slowly or not at all, there is likely a clog in the drain pipe. Recognizing the early signs of a clog is essential to address the issue promptly and prevent further complications.

Here are some common indicators that your sink may be clogged:

Slow Drainage: One of the primary signs of a sink clog is slow drainage. If you notice that water is taking longer than usual to drain from your sink, the pipes are likely obstructing. This could be due to a buildup of debris, grease, or hair within the drain.

Standing Water: When a sink is clogged, water may accumulate in the sink bowl or pool around the drain. If you find water lingering in the sink after emptying it, it’s a strong indication of a clog.

Gurgling Sounds: If you hear gurgling or other noises coming from your sink when you use it or from nearby drains, it suggests that air is trapped within the pipes due to a partial blockage. This often occurs when the clog is located further down the drain system, affecting multiple plumbing fixtures.

Unpleasant Odours: A foul smell emanating from your sink can be a clear sign of a clog. Food particles, grease, and other debris trapped in the pipes can decompose and produce unpleasant odours. If regular cleaning and freshening don’t eliminate the smell, a clog is likely causing the issue.

Backflow or Overflow: In severe cases, a clogged sink may result in backflow or overflow. This happens when water cannot drain properly, causing it to back up and overflow from the sink or adjacent fixtures, such as a connected dishwasher or nearby bathroom drains. Backflow can lead to water damage and requires immediate attention.

Changes in Water Level: Pay attention to any fluctuations in water level within the sink. If the water level rises significantly or drops unexpectedly, it could indicate a clog obstructing the normal flow of water.

Persistent Pungent Smells: Alongside unpleasant odours, persistent foul smells, particularly when running the water or using the garbage disposal, can be a strong indication of a clog in the pipes. These smells can be caused by decomposing organic matter trapped in the plumbing system.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s crucial to unclog your sink promptly. Ignoring a clog can lead to more significant problems, such as pipe bursting, water damage, or complete blockages. You can try using common unclogging methods like plunging, baking soda and vinegar, or a drain snake. However, if the problem persists or worsens, seek out a professional plumber who can effectively diagnose and resolve the clog, ensuring your sink returns to optimal functionality.

How To Unclog A Sink Drain

Gather the Necessary Tools

The first step to successfully unclogging a sink is to have the right tools at your disposal, such as:

• Plunger: This is a basic but effective tool for dislodging clogs. Make sure you have a plunger specifically designed for sinks, as they have a flat bottom that creates a better seal.
• Drain snake: Also known as a plumbing snake or auger, this is a flexible tool designed to reach and remove stubborn clogs. This handy tool consists of a long, coiled wire with a handle on one end and a corkscrew-like tip on the other. You can use a wire hanger if you don’t have a drain snake.
• Baking soda and vinegar method: This is a natural and chemical-free solution for mild clogs. Baking soda is a mild alkali that can help dissolve grease and grime, while the vinegar solution is acidic and can help break down mineral deposits.
• Boiling water: Boiling water is a powerful ally to break down grease and debris (as long as you have metal pipes). Hot water can help loosen the clog and flush it out of the drain.

Use a Plunger

The plunger is a tried-and-true tool for unclogging sinks. Be sure to pick the right type, as there are toilet plungers and sink-specific plungers. Begin by filling the sink with enough water to cover the plunger cup. Block the other drain with a wet cloth or drain stopper if you have a double sink. Place the sink plunger over the drain and firmly press down, creating a tight seal. Push and pull the plunger vigorously for about 20 seconds, then release. Repeat this process several times until the water starts to drain freely. This method is particularly effective for minor clogs caused by food particles or soap residue.

Try Baking Soda and Vinegar

A mixture of baking soda and a cup of vinegar can work wonders for mild clogs. Start by removing any standing water from the sink. Then, pour one cup of baking soda down the drain, ensuring it goes as far down the pipe as possible. Next, pour one cup of white vinegar down the drain and immediately cover the drain opening with a wet cloth or drain stopper to prevent the fizzing action from escaping. Allow the mixture to sit for about fifteen minutes, allowing it to fizz and break down the clog. Finally, remove the cloth or stopper and flush the drain with hot tap water to remove any remaining debris. This natural remedy is environmentally friendly and safe to use on most types of sinks.

Utilize a Drain Snake

A drain snake can be highly effective for more stubborn clogs that resist plunging and chemical solutions. Insert the snake into the drain and rotate it gently to hook onto the clog. Slowly pull out the snake, taking care not to damage the pipes. If you encounter resistance, turn the snake to break up the clog and continue pulling. Repeat this process until you have successfully removed the clog. Remember to dispose of the extracted material properly. Drain snakes are available in various lengths and types, so choose one that suits your needs and the type of clog you’re dealing with.

Remove the P-Trap For More Stubborn Sink Clogs

In some cases, traditional methods may fall short when it comes to unclogging a stubborn sink drain. It’s not uncommon for small solid objects, like jewelry or other items, to accidentally find their way into the sink and cause a blockage within the P-trap. This is particularly true when the sink has a shallow P-trap. When faced with such a situation, it becomes necessary to disassemble the P-trap to physically access and remove the clog. To successfully tackle this task, you’ll need a few essential tools, including a monkey wrench, a bucket, rubber gloves, and a face mask for hygiene. Follow these steps to remove the P-trap and eliminate the clog effectively:

1. Gather the Necessary Tools: Before you begin, ensure you have all the required tools within reach. These include a monkey wrench (adjustable wrench), a bucket to catch any water or debris, a pair of rubber gloves for hand protection, and a face mask for maintaining cleanliness.
2. Locate the P-Trap: The P-trap is a curved section of pipe situated beneath the sink, near the drain. It traps water and prevents sewer gases from entering your living space. Identify the P-trap by visually examining the plumbing beneath the sink.
3. Prepare for Removal: Place the bucket beneath the P-trap to catch any water or debris that may spill out during disassembly. Wear rubber gloves and a face mask to ensure personal hygiene and protection.
4. Loosen the Connections: Using the monkey wrench, carefully loosen the connections on both sides of the P-trap. Rotate the wrench counterclockwise to loosen the fittings. Be mindful not to apply excessive force that may lead to pipe damage.
5. Remove the P-Trap: Once the connections are loosened, gently pull the P-trap away from the plumbing. Avoid any water or debris that might spill into the bucket or surrounding area.
6. Clean the P-Trap: Inspect the P-trap for any visible clogs or debris. Use a gloved hand or a suitable tool to remove the blockage. Dispose of the clog in a proper waste container. Thoroughly clean the inside of the P-trap, removing any sludge or residue.
7. Reassemble and Test: After cleaning the P-trap, carefully reattach it to the plumbing connections. Use the monkey wrench to tighten the fittings, ensuring a secure and leak-free connection. Double-check that everything is properly aligned.
8. Clean the Surrounding Area: Before completing the process, take a moment to clean the area around the piping. Wipe away any accumulated sludge, residue, or water using a cloth or paper towel. Dispose of the waste properly.

Always exercise caution during the disassembly process and maintain cleanliness throughout. If you feel uncertain or uncomfortable performing this task, it’s advisable to seek assistance from a professional plumber.

Maintain a Healthy Drain

Prevention and regular maintenance are key to avoiding future sink clogs. There are some simple practices you can do every day to maintain healthy drains in your home:

• Use sink stoppers, sink traps, or screens to catch debris before it enters the pipes. This is especially important for kitchen sink pipes, where food particles and grease are common culprits.
• Regularly clean your sink by flushing it with hot tap water to prevent buildup. This can help clear away any residue and keep the pipes flowing smoothly.
• Treat your drains with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar on a regular basis as a preventive measure. You can also use biodegradable drain cleaners that are safe for the environment and your metal pipes.

To further prevent clogs and blockages in your sink drains, it’s important to be mindful of what you put down them. Avoiding the following items will help maintain a healthy and free-flowing plumbing system:

• Grease and Cooking Oil
• Food Scraps
• Coffee Grounds
• Eggshells
• Fibrous Vegetables and Other Foods
• Pasta and Rice
• Chemical Drain Cleaners
• Non-Biodegradable Items

By being mindful of what goes down your sink drains, you can help prevent clogs and blockages, ensuring a smoothly running plumbing system. When in doubt, dispose of items in the trash or explore alternative disposal methods to protect your drains and avoid unnecessary plumbing issues.

Knowing When to Call a Plumber for Clogged Drains

There are instances when a clogged sink proves to be more challenging than your standard blockage. If you’ve spent hours plunging your sink drain to no avail, it may be time to enlist the help of a professional plumber. Licensed plumbers can handle the toughest clogs you can’t tackle on your own and have access to advanced equipment surpassing standard tools in power and effectiveness. Their advanced equipment and expertise make them capable of handling any clog. Plumbers use tools like powered augers and hydro jetting to clear drains and provide long-lasting results effectively. Coupled with their expertise, there is no clog they can’t handle.

Time to Seek Reliable Support from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning—Your Certified Ontario Plumber

When you find yourself dealing with persistent plumbing issues, it’s wise to enlist the assistance of a certified plumber from Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning. Our trustworthy plumbers have a comprehensive range of equipment and techniques at their disposal, including drain camera inspection and hydro scrub jetting. We can efficiently fix a sink that’s clogged and provide effective preventative measures.

Our services extend beyond unclogging a sink drain. We offer a wide range of residential and commercial plumbing services, including drain cleaning services, sink repair, water heater installation, and frozen pipe repair. Our team in Ontario is equipped to handle various plumbing needs with professionalism and expertise.

While working on your property’s plumbing, our qualified plumbers will thoroughly inspect your entire plumbing system. This assessment allows us to identify potential issues and provide you with a detailed list of recommendations for future repairs and replacements. Our aim is to ensure your entire plumbing system’s long-term functionality and efficiency.

To schedule an appointment with one of our dedicated plumbers, simply reach out to our customer service representatives at 1-877-554-9776. They will be more than happy to assist you and arrange a convenient service appointment. Don’t hesitate to contact us—we are ready to provide you with reliable plumbing solutions for unclogging a sink in the GTA.

P-trap Drains 101

In the world of plumbing, numerous components work together to ensure the smooth functioning of drain pipe systems. One such crucial element is the P-trap drain. Whether you’re a homeowner, business owner, or a professional plumber, understanding the importance and functionality of a P-trap drain is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of P-traps, explaining what they are, how they work, why they are an indispensable part of any plumbing system, and provide maintenance tips to keep them in top shape. Trust your local Ontario plumbers from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning to answer all your questions on this one.

What is a P-trap Drain?

A P-trap drain or plumbing P-trap, commonly called a P-trap, is a plumbing fixture designed to prevent harmful sewer gases from entering a building through the drain system. Its distinctive shape resembles the letter “P” when viewed from the side, giving it its name for the curved portion of the pipe. The P-trap is typically installed under sinks, bathtubs, and other plumbing fixtures where wastewater is produced. Its primary function is to create a water seal that blocks sewer odours from escaping into the living space.

How Does a P-trap Work?

The working principle of a P-trap drain is relatively simple yet highly effective. The U-shaped pipe configuration creates the trap, which holds a small amount of water in the bend. This water forms a seal, creating a barrier between the plumbing system and the surrounding air. The seal prevents the entry of foul-smelling gases, such as hydrogen sulphide, methane, and ammonia, into the building, ensuring a pleasant and hygienic environment.

The U-shaped bend in the P-trap drain is its defining feature. This curved section of the pipe is strategically placed beneath kitchen sinks, bathtubs, bathroom sinks, and other plumbing fixtures where wastewater is generated. The U-shape allows the P-trap to hold a small amount of water in the bend, creating a water seal.

The water in the U-shaped bend forms a seal as a barrier between the plumbing system and the surrounding air. This seal is crucial in preventing foul-smelling gases, such as hydrogen sulphide, methane, and ammonia, from entering the building. Without this seal, noxious sewer gases would freely escape through the drain, causing unpleasant sewer gas odours and potentially compromising the health and well-being of occupants.

The water seal created by the P-trap drain effectively blocks the passage of sewer gases, ensuring a pleasant and hygienic environment within the living or working space. By containing the gases within the plumbing pipe, the P-trap maintains indoor air quality and prevents the spread of unpleasant odours throughout the building.

In addition to odour prevention, the P-trap drain’s water seal plays a vital role in safeguarding the health and safety of occupants. Sewer gases contain harmful substances, including bacteria and toxic chemicals, that can pose health risks when inhaled or exposed. By creating a barrier, the P-trap prevents the entry of these hazardous gases, reducing the risk of respiratory issues and potential health problems associated with exposure to sewer gas.

The water seal provided by the P-trap drain prevents the entry of unpleasant smells and contributes to maintaining a clean and hygienic environment. By blocking the escape of sewer gases, the P-trap promotes a pleasant atmosphere, free from the discomfort and uncleanliness associated with sewer systems and septic tanks.

Components of a P-trap Drain

To better understand the anatomy of a P-trap drain, let’s explore its key components:

1. Inlet Pipe: The inlet pipe connects the plumbing fixture, such as a sink or a bathtub, to the P-trap. It carries the wastewater from the fixture into the trap and is sometimes referred to as the waste pipe.
2. U-Bend: The U-shaped bend is the most recognizable part of a P-trap. It serves as a trap seal by retaining water. The water depth in the U-bend determines the effectiveness of the seal.
3. Outlet Pipe: The outlet pipe connects the P-trap to the building’s main drainage system. After passing through the trap, it allows the wastewater to flow out to the sewer or septic system.
4. Cleanout Plug: Some P-traps may have a cleanout plug, a removable cap that provides access to clear clogs or debris from the trap. It facilitates maintenance and prevents blockages.

Importance of Plumbing P-traps in Systems

P-trap pipes play an indispensable role in maintaining the integrity and functionality of plumbing systems. These essential components serve multiple critical functions that contribute to a plumbing system’s overall efficiency and hygiene. Understanding the importance of plumbing P-trap drains is crucial for homeowners and plumbing professionals alike. Here are some reasons why P-traps are essential:

Odour Prevention: The primary purpose of a P-trap is to prevent foul odours from entering living or working spaces. The water seal acts as a barrier, blocking sewer gases from escaping through drains and creating an unpleasant environment. Imagine the stench permeating your home if these gases were allowed to enter freely!

Health and Safety: Sewer gases contain toxic and potentially harmful substances. By effectively sealing off the drainage system, P-traps ensure that occupants are not exposed to these hazardous gases, protecting their health and safety. Inhalation of these gases can lead to respiratory problems, headaches, and even more serious health issues.

Pest Control: P-traps also serve as a defence against pests. The water seal prevents insects, rodents, and other unwanted creatures from entering the building through the drains. Without a P-trap, these pests would have easy access to your living space, potentially causing infestations and damage.

Preventing Backflow: In certain situations, such as heavy rainfall or sewer line backups, water and waste can flow back into the building through drains. P-traps act as a barrier, preventing such backflow and potential water damage. Without a P-trap, wastewater and sewage could flood your home, causing extensive damage to floors, walls, and belongings.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Regular maintenance is essential to ensure the proper functioning of P-traps. By implementing a consistent maintenance routine, you can prevent potential issues, maintain the integrity of your plumbing system, and extend the lifespan of your P-traps. Here are some maintenance tips and troubleshooting guidelines:

Regular Cleaning: Clean P-traps periodically to remove accumulated debris and prevent clogs. Over time, hair, soap residue, food particles, and other debris can get in the trap, leading to slow drainage or blockages. Remove the trap and clean it thoroughly before reassembling it. Using a small wire brush or pipe cleaner to dislodge stubborn grime is a good idea.

Check for Leaks: Inspect the P-trap for any signs of leakage, such as water stains or dripping. Address leaks promptly to avoid water damage and mould growth. Leaks can occur due to deteriorated or damaged seals, loose connections, or cracks in the pipes. Replace any faulty components or seek professional assistance if needed.

Clearing Clogged Pipes: If you experience slow drainage or complete blockage, attempt to remove the clog using a plunger, plumbing snake, or a chemical drain cleaner. These methods can help dislodge minor clogs in the P-trap and the connected pipes. However, be cautious when using chemical drain cleaners, as they can be harsh and may damage the pipes if misused. If the problem persists or you’re dealing with a severe blockage, it’s best to seek professional assistance.

How To Remove the P-trap Drain

Sometimes disassembling the drain trap is necessary but not always easy. This U-shaped pipe beneath the sink traps water and can become blocked by small objects. It’s not uncommon for small things, such as food scraps, jewelry, or other items, to accidentally find their way into the sink, causing a blockage within the P-trap. This is especially true if the sink has a shallow P-trap. In such cases, disassembling the P-trap becomes necessary to access and remove the debris physically. To tackle this task effectively, you’ll need a few essential tools. To remove the P-trap, follow these steps:

1. Gather tools: Monkeywrench, bucket, rubber gloves, and face mask.
2. Locate the P-trap: It’s the curved piece under the drain.
3. Prepare: Place the bucket below for spills and wear gloves and a face mask.
4. Loosen connections: Use the monkey wrench to loosen connections.
5. Remove the P-trap: Gently pull it away from the plumbing.
6. Clean the P-trap: Remove visible clogs and debris and clean thoroughly.
7. Reassemble and test: Reattach the P-trap securely and check for leaks.
8. Clean the area: Wipe away any sludge or water around the pipes.

Always exercise caution during the disassembly process and maintain cleanliness throughout. If you feel uncertain, get a licensed plumber. They have the expertise to handle the job safely and effectively, ensuring a properly functioning plumbing system.

Hy-Pro Plumbing And Drain Cleaning: Your Trusted Ontario Plumber

In the world of plumbing, P-traps stand as fundamental components for maintaining a clean, odour-free, and functional drainage system. Its simple yet effective design ensures that harmful sewer gases are kept at bay, protecting the health and well-being of occupants. By understanding the significance of P-traps and performing regular maintenance, you can ensure the smooth operation of plumbing systems for years to come.

Looking for plumbing professionals? Look no further than Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, a certified Ontario plumber you can trust. Our team of reliable plumbers is equipped with advanced equipment and techniques, including drain camera inspection and hydro scrub jetting, to fix any plumbing trap issue efficiently.

At Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, our team of qualified plumbers is committed to providing top-notch service. When you select our services, our experts will comprehensively inspect your entire plumbing system. This thorough assessment lets us pinpoint any potential issues and furnish you with a detailed list of recommendations for future repairs and replacements. Our ultimate objective is to guarantee your entire plumbing system’s long-term functionality and efficiency. With our professional expertise, you can rest assured that your plumbing needs are in capable hands.

Hy-Pro Plumbing takes pride in providing a wide array of residential and commercial plumbing services to meet your needs, including septic cleaning, water heater installation, drain cleaning, water softener installation, clogged drain repair, and frozen pipe repair. With our skilled team of professionals, we have the expertise and experience to handle various plumbing requirements. Whether it’s a routine maintenance task or a complex plumbing issue, we are equipped to deliver high-quality solutions tailored to your specific needs.

To schedule an appointment with one of our qualified plumbers, call us at 1-877-554-9776. We will be delighted to assist you and arrange a convenient service appointment. Don’t wait any longer—contact us today for reliable plumbing solutions!

Steps To Stop a Running Toilet

A running toilet is a situation in which a toilet continues to operate constantly in the background even when it’s not being used. Hence, why we call it a runny toilet; similar to a leaky faucet that drip-drops water subtly, a runny toilet, too, can waste thousands of litres of water per day. But besides increased water consumption and skyrocketing monthly utility bills, a running toilet can result in a sewage water backup and flood, resulting in costly and permanent water and moisture damage. Sooner to later, your walls and floors will showcase signs of mould and mildew growth as they rapidly deteriorate. This is atop, of course, being exposed to contaminated wastewater chock-full of bacteria, pathogens, and germs that you absolutely do not want to be made susceptible to.

Our expert Ontario plumbers from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning have put together a 101 quick fix solution blog for all our clients who are keen on using some elbow grease. How to stop a running toilet has never been easier.

What Is A Runny Toilet & Why Is It Problematic?

To put it simply, a running toilet is when there is a very slow leak from the toilet’s tank into the bowl. Typically, a running toilet is the result of a broken toilet flapper or flush valve, overflow tube, or refill valve. For example, if the flush valve is badly damaged, it can cause a runny toilet as this component is responsible for plugging and holding water inside the toilet’s tank until you press down on the handle to flush the toilet bowl. Over time, the flush valve or flapper will get worn out, resulting in water trickling back into the bowl. On the other hand, it may be due to a faulty overflow tube. For example, if the water from the tank is running into the overflow tube, it may indicate the water levels in your toilet may be too high, or the tube itself may be too short in length for the toilet. Either way, you would need to ask a professional plumber for a toilet repair. It’s best not to outright ignore a runny toilet as it can also indicate a deeper underlying problem, such as a leak situated at the base of your toilet, which can result in critical water damage to your bathroom as the water leaks through the flooring. Here are some telltale signs you have a running toilet problem:

• Odd bubbling or gurgling sounds when the toilet is not being used
• Hairline cracks or fractures in the porcelain material
• Frequent clogs
• Random water puddles
• Condensation on the tank due to excessive humidity levels
• Connections under the tank are leaking
• The wax sealing ring underneath the bowl has loosened
• You have to jiggle and hold the handle down more to let the tank empty each time you flush any remnants

If you’ve noticed any of the above, you may need to rely on an expert and experienced plumber to perform an inspection and diagnose the runny toilet issue, as various components of the toilet itself may be broken.

How to Stop a Running Toilet: What Are Practical Methods For Preventing A Running Toilet?

Ballcock Or Refill Valve

The toilet’s refill valve or refill tube is a component that fills your tank with water whilst controlling its water level so there is a moderate amount of water. The minimum water level or threshold is known as the critical level mark, which must be one inch below the overflow pipe’s height. This can be adjusted through the float arm on the refill valve. Sometimes if the refill valve is misaligned or incorrectly installed, it can result in a runny toilet.

Quick Fix Solution

For starters, check your refill valve for any small holes and leaks while your toilet is running. Follow up by turning off the main water supply, flushing the toilet, and checking the fill valve for any clogs. Plus, securely fasten the lock nut on your tank’s exterior. Sometimes, despite having cleaned the refill tube, you have to replace it as it may no longer be as effective as it used to be. Here is how you can troubleshoot a faulty refill valve on a running toilet:

• Moderate Adjustment: Firstly, the refill valve itself may need to be repositioned. You can do this by adjusting the spline on the refill valve. For reference, the refill valve is the tall vertical pipe on the very left side of your toilet’s tank, whereas the spline is the vertical piece that extends diagonally from the toilet’s handle and moves up and down as you press down on the handle. For example, if you pull the spine upwards and the water in the tank stops flowing, the refill valve is likely busted. Take a screwdriver and adjust the screw on the spline counterclockwise to decrease the refill valve’s instability.
• Cut It Off: Next, you need to shut off the water supply and drain out the toilet’s tank. You can do this by turning off the valve that connects the toilet to the wall and draining your tank. If, after that, water stops pouring from the refill valve, the valve itself is glitchy and needs to be replaced.
• Prep Is Best: If that is the case, place a bucket underneath the fill valve (the spot at which the water supply line feeds into the toilet’s tank) to ensure water does flood out your bathroom as you troubleshoot.
• Stop The Water Works: Now you need to disconnect the water supply line. This is normally located outside of the toilet and attached directly to the tank, usually beneath the refill valve. You can use a wrench to unscrew the lock nut counterclockwise, which fastens the water line in place.
• Remove And Set Aside: Now that the water supply line has been unattached, you’ll discover a safety lock nut that is attached to the refill valve on the outside of the tank. Remove the lock nut again using the wrench counterclockwise. After completely unscrewing its safety nut, remove the old and original refill valve from the toilet’s tank. Please note–don’t immediately trash the old refill valve as you will need to purchase a similar replacement from your local home hardware store, and you must get the correct size and style refill valve for your toilet.
• Shiny And New: Next, install the new refill valve in the same place within the toilet’s tank. Carefully fit the valve in the hole in the tank where the water supply flows through. Finally, reconnect the water supply line and securely fasten the nut going clockwise to tighten it. Be careful not to overly tighten as you can accidentally damage or break the bottom of the refill valve. Just fasten enough so that the water supply line is airtight and free of any leakages.
• Mount And Set: Reattach the refill tube (the rubber pipe extending horizontally from the refill valve) to the overflow valve, which is another vertical pipe adjacent to the refill valve. Ensure the refill tube is positioned so it drains inside of the overflow tube rather than outside of it and into the tank.
• Just Floating Around: Finally, ensure that the float’s height for the refill valve is correct. The float must be adjusted so that the water level in the tank sits one inch below the overflow tube. For accuracy, you can use a measuring tape to measure from the bottom up of the tank and adjust the refill valve accordingly by adjusting the screw on the spline.

A useful tip: The trick is to ensure the refill tube is not fully submerged in water. You can check this once you turn the water supply back on and check the water level. If it looks off, keep adjusting the float height as needed.

Flapper Or Flush Valve

The toilet flapper or flush valve is usually a flexible red or black rubber seal that serves as the opening between the tank and the bowl. Each time the toilet is flushed, the rubber tank ball or flapper itself lifts automatically, and fresh water rushes into the bowl. The flush valve also curbs water flow by stopping water from draining from the tank and into the toilet’s bowl whilst allowing the tank to refill as necessary. Normally a damaged and old flapper is one of the biggest reasons why water leaks into the bowl and results in a running toilet, a phenomenon known as ghost flushing. In this case, the bowl must reach a specific water level before it can flush. And once you do flush, it may drain out way too much liquid per flush, leaving bare little water behind. This is terrible for your home’s energy efficiency as your water consumption will increase.

Quick Fix Solution

If you have a hard water problem, we recommend installing a water softener system from an accredited plumbing service provider. Hard water is one of the main culprits which contributes to a deteriorating flush valve. Here are some other troubleshooting tactics you can use on your flapper or flush valve if you have a running toilet:

• All About Prep: Before you begin to play around and fix the flapper, we recommend turning off the water supply to the toilet by twisting the supply valve counterclockwise. This will completely flush the toilet with excess water.
• Just Wiggling Around: First, try to jiggle the toilet’s handle to see if that prevents the water from running inside of it. Oftentimes, the water continues to run within the toilet because the chain that is attached to the toilet’s handle and flapper gets twisted and knotty and needs to be straightened out. By simply jiggling the handle, you can stop the water from running. But if the chain gets caught up more often than not, it may be the wrong length and need to be adjusted manually or replaced.
• Chained Together: Next, adjust the chain that pulls that flapper upwards to the appropriate length because if it’s long or short, it can result in leaks and a running toilet. For example, if the chain is too long, it can get caught under the flapper or flush valve and prevent a seal from forming. But if the chain is too short, it will continue to tug on the flush valve even when it’s not in use, letting water drain continuously. Basically, the chain should outline a “J” shape when the tank’s lid is closed but still have some slack to be pulled taut when you press down on the toilet’s handle. You can adjust the chain’s length by removing the hook and moving the chain up or down a couple of links.
• Inspector Gadget & Scrub: Sometimes, the flapper or flush valve itself is defective and needs to be checked for damage and debris, or it may be bent into a wayward shape. You can confirm this by removing the flapper from the bottom of the tank by unscrewing the pins and holding it fastened to the overflow tube. Carefully inspect the rubber flapper for accumulated mineral and sediment deposits, warping, discoloration, and other defects. Be sure to scrub it clean before reattaching it. For example, one of the best cleaning methods is to use a sponge or toothbrush and any antibacterial soap while rinsing it with water. You can even use vinegar to readily remove any lingering residue. But If you find that your flush valve is badly damaged and no longer salvageable, it may need to be replaced, especially if its texture has become brittle and is no longer sealing properly.
• Nice And New: If you do need to replace your damaged and worn-out flapper or flush valve with a brand new one, make sure you purchase an identical replacement from your local hardware store, especially a flapper with the same style and dimensions. Installation is fairly easy, just attach the new flapper in place of the old one and attach the hooks to the pins on the overflow tube. Do a pilot test but turn the water supply back on to see if it’s functioning properly and the toilet is no longer running.

Flush Valve: Chain

The flush valve is responsible for getting rid of the remnants inside of the toilet bowl and transporting them into the sewer lateral through the drainage pipe. Sometimes the chain that’s attached to the flush valve has become too loose to too tight and needs to be adjusted. The correct length of the chain allows the toilet to flush more efficiently. Each time you press the toilet’s handle, it triggers a series of events, including lifting the flapper and raising the float.

Quick Fix Solution

If you need to adjust the chain, detach the clasp from the toilet handle and give more slack to the chain or pull it tighter as needed. Finally, reconnect the clasp back on the handle.

Float Ball

A float ball is responsible for regulating the water level within a tank. For example, depending on where a float ball is situated within a toilet’s tank, the water will rise to match it. So if the float ball is positioned too high, your toilet will likely overflow. At times a leaky toilet is due to a misaligned float ball. The float ball itself is attached to the lever and diverts water into the refill tube. If the float is somehow faulty, your toilet will become runny. As a homeowner, you must ensure that the float ball is at a neutral position–not too high or too low–within the tank.

Quick Fix Solution

The float ball itself is attached to the float rod, which connects to the toilet’s valve. You can adjust the ball float by unscrewing the valve clockwise to lower the ball or counterclockwise to raise the ball. Here are some steps you can follow to adjust the position of the float ball for a running toilet:

• Toggle Refill Valve: For starters, you need to adjust the refill valve that is attached to the float ball. You will notice there is a screw that attaches the float arm to the refill valve. After you begin to turn the screw, it will automatically adjust the height of the float. Use a screwdriver to turn the screw counterclockwise to lower the float ball. Confirm if the adjusted height is appropriate by flushing the water and allowing the water in the tank to refill. If the water level sits at most 1.5 inches below the top part of the overflow tube, then you are good to go. If not, continue to adjust the screw until the water level is correct.
• Snap And Pop: Sometimes, the refill tube which is attached to the refill valve has popped off and is no longer in the correct position. If you notice water does fill the tank after the toilet has been flushed, this may be the reason why. This refill tube must always sit above the water level and be securely attached to the overflow valve. Make sure the refill tube hasn’t popped off and is not hanging around haphazardly within the tank.

Frequently Asked Questions About A Running Toilet

What Are The Different Types Of Toilets Available?

One-Piece: This is an entry-level type of toilet as it comes with the tank and the bowl pre-assembled and both attached together as a single unit. It’s durable, compact, and easy to install. Overall, it’s easy to maintain and clean and attracts less debris and bacterial growth. But because it’s less prone to breakages, it’s more expensive than its counterparts.

Two-Piece: The tank and bowl are separate, and so this type of toilet needs to be assembled. Due to the individual pieces being detachable, this toilet is easier to repair, which is good because a two-piece unit tends to break down more often and needs frequent toilet repairs. Plus, it’s more lightweight and easier to maneuver within your bathroom, so you can customize it based on your preference for different heights.

Wall-Mounted: Less commonplace than its counterparts, this type of toilet is directly affixed onto the wall, and the tank is hidden behind the wall. So this toilet takes up less space and is a great option for smaller bathrooms, and is easy to clean given its minimalist design. A wall-mounted toilet is, however, more expensive to install as it takes more effort and labour.

Should I Be Worried About A Running Toilet?

Similar to a leaky faucet, it may not be a plumbing emergency, but a running toilet can waste thousands of gallons of water per day as your water consumption increases and your monthly utility bills soar. For example, your water bills can be inflated by nearly $200 per month. This is terrible both for your pocketbook and your eco-footprint. Besides this, if your toilet begins to overflow due to a busted component, it can result in permanent and costly water and moisture damage from a potential flood.

What Part Needs To Be Replaced If Your Toilet Is Constantly Running All Day?

A constantly running toilet is usually due to a problem with the flapper or flush valve assembly, so this is the first area you want to check. For example, assess if the attached chain is the correct length because if it’s too short, the flush valve itself won’t close properly. But if it’s too long, it may get caught up and trapped underneath the flapper’s opening, resulting in a leak.

Hy-Pro Plumbing Will Halt Your Toilet From Leaking–Call Us Today!

Based on this convenient survival guide for learning how to stop a running toilet courtesy of Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning, we are confident that you can restore your toilet to shipshape condition. If, however, you are not a handyman of sorts, we understand, and we recommend you hire a professional plumber for the job. Go ahead and reach out to one of our courteous customer service representatives at 1-877-554-9776 to schedule an appointment. We also serve nearby areas with a wide range of residential and commercial plumbing services, from clogged drains to drain cleaning and water heater repair. You deserve all the best of facilities and amenities, including a comfortable porcelain throne, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

Seven Signs You May Low Water Pressure In Your House

Despite turning your faucet to the highest output level, do you still receive diddly-squat water? Or do you notice that every time you shower, you don’t receive the effortless waterfall stream from your shower head as you once used to? Does your soap not lather as readily as you’d like? Do your dishes always have stains after being put through the dishwasher’s long wash cycle? These are all reflections of your home’s plumbing system, specifically a drop in water pressure levels. Low water pressure in your house is a phenomenon in which water doesn’t come out from your plumbing fixtures at full capacity and regular speed, usually due to a clogged drain and/or obstruction in the pipe, discoloured rust and corrosion, and other plumbing problems including the faucet’s valve not being fully open, your home’s main shutoff valve is also not completely open, a failing pressure regulator, a dirty and clogged aerator or old and damaged water supply pipes.

It may be about time to ask a local, licensed, and fully insured Ontario plumber from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning to assess your home’s water pressure levels through a professional plumbing inspection and diagnosis. Call 1-877-554-9776 to speak with a knowledgeable customer service agent and get started today!

What is PSI?

Water pressure is normally measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) and is considered the force at which the water exits a faucet. The pressure itself pushes the water supply through your home’s pipes, and its forceful nature is created by altitude or elevation. For example, you’ll notice that water distribution systems, including water tanks, tend to position large storage units at higher elevations to take advantage of the pull of gravity to increase the pressure of water supplied. Most localities in Ontario utilize pumps and pressure stations to increase water pressure en route to your home’s water supply lines. Typically, a water pressure gauge calculates your home’s plumbing system’s water pressure, with the ideal and neutral range being between 45 and 55 PSI. Still, no more than 80 PSI as that would warrant a checkup from a professional plumber. If the water pressure is too low, your plumbing fixtures and water-based appliances will barely chug along or won’t work at all. If anything, your daily eating, drinking, bathing, and cleaning routines will be rudely interrupted. Supposedly, if water pressure is too high, it can permanently damage and rupture your plumbing fixtures, appliances, and pipes resulting in costly repairs. But reduced water pressure is not necessarily reserved to a specific spot in the house; for example, as a general rule of thumb, consider the following for lower water pressure:

• Faucet and taps → Likely reason? A clog.
• Specific room of the house including bathroom or kitchen and all the fixtures thereof → Likely reason? A corroded water pipe.
• Whole entire house → Likely reason? A damaged water main or well pump.

Although you can test the water pressure of your plumbing system using a store-bought pressure gauge by connecting the tool to the home’s exterior hose bib or hose faucet–this doesn’t resolve the problem. If you do find, however, the pressure reading falls outside of the range mentioned above; you may need the services of an expert plumber to restore your home’s water pressure levels to moderation.

What Are The Telltale Signs I Have Low Water Pressure in My House?

Leaky Pipes And Faucets

Overall, if there is lower water pressure in just one or two fixtures in a specific room of your house, it may be due to leaks in the pipe or plumbing fixture, such as the faucet. One of the most obvious signs you have water pressure issues is leakages in your plumbing fixtures, as this will cause your water pressure to plummet easily. This is because water is getting drained out rapidly because of the leak instead of being smoothly transported to your fixtures. On the other hand, the leak can be specifically reserved for a plumbing fixture, including the faucet itself, especially if its aerator, which serves as the entranceway of the faucet or cartridge, is clogged. Or the cartridge, which is located underneath the sink handle and controls the start and stop flow of water, is clogged as well.

Multiple Slow, Sluggish Plumbing Fixtures

If you have lowered water pressure in all of your plumbing fixtures, the problem lies with your water supply pipe, which may be clogged due to a solid blockage or rusted over from corrosion. A clog, for example, is due to accumulated debris, including dirt, soap scum, hair strands, flushable wipes, food leftovers, random objects, and more. These items can block out the waterways of the pipes and result in backups. Sooner or later, mineral and sediment buildup will stifle the streamlined flow of water and cause the pressure of water to decrease as there is less and less space for water to transport through the pipes. At Hy-Pro Plumbing, we are big advocates of preventative maintenance and recommend that you are proactive about routine maintenance. For example, you can prevent a clog from cropping up in the first place by cleaning out your faucet’s aerator, as sediment may not fully sieve through and get caught up in the sink’s pipes.

Discoloured Rust And Corrosion

A plumbing pipe becomes rusted over if it oxidizes, weakening its structural integrity and restricting the flow of water. Similar to a clog, a pipe will also rust and rupture as it’s exposed to accumulated debris, sediment, and calcium and limescale deposits. Because pipes corrode from the inside out, you may not notice it at first, but the problem does worsen and eventually closes off the pipe completely. Determining low water pressure in a house is tricky as the problem slowly develops over many years rather than all at once. But if you happen to purchase a pre-owned property, you may have noticed restricted water flowing from the taps, indicating corrosion and lower water pressure.

Disruption Of Everyday Chores

Concerned about: Dirty dishware, clothes not properly washed, or no lather for shampoo or soap? If you are frustrated that your daily eating and grooming routines are not as comfortable and relaxing as they once were, it may be due to low water pressure in your house. If you notice water streaks or stains on your dishware and cutlery, for example, it means they are not getting completely rinsed off in the dishwasher. It may indicate the dishwasher’s spray arms could be susceptible to lower water pressure. Moreover, you may need to wash your garments a few times before they are clean, as the washing machine’s water filter or inlet valve may be clogged and malfunction from lower water pressure. As a result, it takes the washer incredibly long to fill itself with water, causing the washer to not spin as readily as it once did. Due to the lack of water pressure, for example, the washing machine cannot pump the water at full blast for the given wash cycle. And lastly, if you can’t seem to lather, rinse and repeat during your daily shampoo no matter how organic and high quality the product is, indicating that you are dealing with low water pressure. This is made worse if you don’t have a water softener system installed in your home, as the hard water minerals will mingle with the lowered pressure levels to give you a pretty rough shower experience.

Trapped Air Bubbles

Similar to corrosion, this is another difficult problem you may not immediately foresee but is a plumbing problem nonetheless for lower water pressure in your house. Sometimes, the air gets trapped inside your water supply pipes which results in tiny bubbles which inhibit the smooth flow of water throughout the pipes. As a result, you will be susceptible to low water pressure alongside increasing the likelihood of rust.

Faulty Pressure Regulator

A malfunctioning pressure regulator can also result in lower water pressure in your house. If it happens to be broken, it can lead to excessive water pressure or no pressure at all. A pressure regulator is responsible for reducing the incoming pressure from your plumbing system to a safe and mandatory threshold level that will not damage your pipes. One of the biggest issues with a pressure regulator is accumulated debris, including sediment buildup in the valve itself, which can result in solid blockages or clogs, pumping problems, or short cycling. This can be remedied by replacing the pressure regulator with a brand-new one.

Water Meter Showcases Lower Reading

This one is a given as if you are vulnerable to lower water pressure in the house; the pressure level will be off-balance. The water meter illustrates fluctuations in the pressure of your home’s plumbing system and its network of pipes and gauges its overall hydraulic performance and accuracy. As mentioned, the ideal range for residential water pressure levels must clock in between 30 and 80 PSI, with 40 to 60 PSI being the sweet spot.

FAQs About Low Water Pressure in Your House

Can Low Water Pressure Cause Damage?

Although high water pressure is touted as being more harmful to your pipework, lowered water pressure is just as big of a culprit. If there is low water pressure in your house, it may highlight that there is a deeper underlying problem in the deep lagoons of your water supply and drain lines, including a clog that needs to be addressed. If left unresolved, the clog can result in costly and permanent water and moisture damage, including mould and mildew growth, given the excessive humidity levels in your pipes and home.

How Can I Make My Water Pressure Stronger?

A simple and easy hack to increase your home’s water pressure is to adjust the pressure-reducing valve, which is located nearby the water meter. If your pressure gauge indicates a lower pressure reading, you can make subtle adjustments to the regulator itself.

How Do I Know If My Pressure-Reducing Valve Is Broken?

Here are some telltale signs that indicate that your pressure-reducing valve or regulator is busted:

• Lowered or fluctuating water pressure levels
• Excessive water pressure levels
• No water pressure whatsoever
• Vibrating, humming, or even thumping noises from your pipelines
• Small holes and leakages in plumbing fixtures and pipes

Hy-Pro Plumbing Will Restore Your Water Works To Optimal Pressure Level–Reach Out Today!

Nobody wants to compromise on their daily living routine, all thanks to low water pressure in the house. Plus, it’s best not to be desperate and miss out on professional plumbing services to restore your home to moderate water pressure levels, as you will reap the benefits of improved energy efficiency. By achieving an optimal PSI level, you can save thousands of gallons per year in terms of reduced water consumption. Sooner or later, your monthly utility bills will decrease all because of the regulated steam of water at the correct pressure level.

At Hy-Pro Plumbing, we guarantee you will wonder why you didn’t ask sooner after you noticed you begin to receive a generous and cleaner supply of water. Go ahead and reach out to one of our friendly customer contact representatives, who can gladly schedule you a consolation or service appointment at 1-877-554-9776. Whilst you are there, inquire about our other residential and commercial plumbing services, from clogged drains, and drain cleaning to water heater repair. We earnestly await your call!

6 Ways To Unclog A Bathtub

A clogged drain is one of the most common household plumbing problems for Ontarians. If anything, you will inevitably encounter a blockage in your pipes as a homeowner. Whether you have intentionally brought about this plumbing problem by tossing in solid objects which shouldn’t have been thrown into your drainage lines in the first place or a situation that is not of your own accord, such as intrusive tree roots, there’s no telling when a nasty clog will crop up unexpectedly. A bathroom drain, specifically, can get plugged chock-full of accumulated debris, including soap scum, skin flakes, long and short strands of hair, shaving cream, and other single-use disposable products you may have thrown in. Over time, these items collect, forge, and clump into a solid blockage that readily clings to a certain location within your drainage pipes, stifling the flow of water. So it may be time to search for how to unclog a bathtub drain effectively.

Despite your drain catchers being handy at preventing most of the debris, they are not foolproof and only reduce the amount of muck that goes down the drain rather than getting rid of it entirely. In fact, no method will prevent 100% of residue from filtering through. But you can be mindful of your daily habits and behaviors and remain extra vigilant about what you flush down the drain.

Needless to say, Ontario homeowners, for some reason, become complacent and fail to do proper upkeep of their home’s plumbing system, let alone of throwing in random items haphazardly. Others falsely assume that somehow their drain lines are self-cleansing and will automatically sweep away any debris if they turn their faucet to the highest level of water power. Not only is this untrue, but you also make yourself vulnerable to the used and dirty water every time you bathe. If anything, removing a clog will allow your lifestyle to be more hygienic and sanitary for your daily grooming routines. Especially if your bathtub gets heavy use from a downtime soak and bubble bath after a long and tiring day to washing your dog, you have no choice but to learn how to unclog a bathtub. If you’ve noticed that you are constantly standing knee-deep in opaque, cloudy water during or after your bath time, it may highlight that there is a clog in your bathtub’s drain lines. Atop this, if you have heard gurgling sounds, whiffed foul odors, or noticed random puddles around your bathtub due to a leakage, these are all red flags to be concerned about. Responsible Ontario homeowners who are keen on the routine maintenance of their drainage lines, including signing up for an annual professional inspection and cleaning service, will slim to no need to frequently unclog their bathtubs. Regrettably, some property owners downright ignore any maintenance at all and eventually need a drain line repair or replacement. If you are dealing with a bathroom clog, your best bet is to ask a qualified, licensed, and fully insured Ontario plumber from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning to blast it away.

Why You Have A Clog In Your Bathtub Drain & How It Must Be Removed

A bathroom clog is composed of accumulated debris from dirt, rock sediments, soap scum, dead skin flakes, hair, and other miscellany items. Altogether these discarded items coalesce, stick to one another and form a clog that clings to the walls of your drainage pipes. Sooner or later, this muck blocks out the smooth and effortless flow of water. It’ll be obvious you are facing a clog of sorts if the water in your bathtub does not drain properly to the point in which it is too sluggish and begins to back up water into other plumbing fixtures. Ontario homeowners are best advised not to be apathetic about a clog in their bathtub drain as it will result in a domino effect of further problems. For example, apart from a bathtub clog result interrupting your daily grooming routines, you also risk encountering a sewage backup in which raw and contaminated wastewater is hurled back into your home. Plus, you also put into jeopardy your home’s plumbing fixtures as this clog can disappear and re-emerge in your bathroom’s sink, shower area, or toilet as it triggering further backups, constant leaks, and fracture pipes. Eventually, you’ll discover this one pesky clog has wreaked havoc and resulted in costly and permanent water damage. Generally speaking, most surface-level clogs you can get rid of using a quick fix, such as a plunger or auger. However, a deeper clog may require the assistance of a professional plumber who can perform an inspection, followed by hydro jetting to break through the clog so it flows down your sewer lateral.

Warning Signs You Have A Clog

Although most of us have a hunch we may be dealing with a clog in the bathtub, some clues are more obvious than others. Do you tend to notice the water temperatures from your bathtub’s faucet tend to fluctuate if there are other water-based appliances turned on at the same time? This may be due to a clog, as a blockage in a pipe can instantaneously affect multiple plumbing fixtures at the same time, especially if the clog is situated within the main sewer lateral. Besides being aware and extra careful of what you toss into the drain hole, here are other symptoms to be wary of if looking to unclog a bathtub:

Multiple, Slow, And Sluggish Drains

If it takes forever for your water to completely drain away and you always notice standing water in your bathroom’s plumbing fixture, there may be a sneaky clog lurking within the deep lagoon of your drain lines. Because all the bathroom sinks, toilets, tubs, and showers connect to a single drainage pipe that leads to the main sewer lateral underneath your house, a scathing clog can affect these areas all at once.

Burbling Or Gurgling Noises

If you’ve heard odd sounds and more noise pollution coming from your bathroom than usual, it may be due to a lodged blockage within your drainage pipes. If you were to press your ear up against the plumbing fixture or appliance, you would notice that some obstacle is preventing water or air from flowing through the drainage line.

Foul Odours

If you’ve inhaled a musty odor wafting from your bathtub’s drain hole, it may be due to mold and mildew growth festering right beneath your drain cover. Normally a rotten egg-like odor is from excessive sulfur dioxide and also due to a possible backed-up and clogged drain. Sometimes if a drainage pipe’s P-trap is dry, it can also cause a pungent smell, as this contraption serves to prevent sewer smells from entering the bathroom. Plus, if you are experiencing a sewage backup, the odor can also be from lingering sewer gasses.

Random Puddles Of Water From Leaks

Another obvious sign you have a bathtub clogged is discovering puddles of water around the base of the tub. This indicates that there is a leakage in your bathtub drain line from a small hole that may have ruptured the pipe itself. Your best bet is to figure out how to unclog a bathtub sometime soon; otherwise, you risk permanent and costly water and moisture damage to your floors and fixtures as your bathroom floods out.

Pest Invasion

If you are at your wit’s end and fed up with creepy crawly bugs around your bathroom area, these water-loving bugs are there for a reason. Not only is a bathroom an ideal habitat for them, given the excessive humidity levels and moisture-prone areas, but they can use it as a source of sustenance and breeding grounds to multiply. For example, drain flies, moths, sewage flies, and silverfish are all attracted to your drain pipes.

How to Unclog a Bathtub Drain: Here Are 6 Effective Methods

Plunger

A standard cup plunger can suck up anything inside your bathtub drain and unleash any stiff debris. But it’s all in the tactic. For plunging to be effective, you have to utilize slow, discrete movements rather than really quick ones, which will create a more effective stronghold and propulsion and force to remove the debris. For example, start by plunging your bathroom drain by gently pushing down the handle of the plunger and follow up with occasional forceful pumping about ten seconds in between. If this works, the blockage will spurt out of the drain holes and plop right into the plunger’s cup. But of course, a plunger is only the most entry-level plumbing tool and only works on more shallow clogs in your bathtub’s drain lines.

Wet And Dry Vacuum

If you need more persuasive suction power to completely remove the bathtub clog, we recommend using a wet and dry vacuum. For starters, remove the drain cover from the bathtub and point the nozzle of the wet/dry vacuum directly within the drain, ensuring it is airtight. Turn on the vacuum to get rid of any accumulated debris and residue, including soap scum, hair, etc., that is brewing inside your drainage pipes. At last, if you hear a subtle change in sound as you vacuum away the debris, you will know the clog has been completely removed. Unlike your clunky plunger, this streamlined device will suck and slurp everything it encounters, which will readily unclog the bathtub drain, all thanks to its superior suctioning abilities. Plus, you don’t have to touch the clog with your bare hands, so this is a more hygienic option for clog removal.

Drain Snake

An auger is a long, slender, and flexible cable attached to a hand crank that can span upwards of 100 feet in length. Typically, to remove a clog, you would first remove the drain’s cover and proceed to insert the auger into the drain hole. As you turn the hand crank, you will eventually encounter some sort of resistance, indicating that you have cinched the blockage. By turning the auger counterclockwise, you should continue to push the cable further until you have completely clenched the clog. Again, turn the crank clockwise to begin reeling in the blockage. Finally, remove the clog from the end of the wire after you have exited the drain hole. And eureka! The clog has been removed from your bathtub. Usually, there is no need to press further to unclog a bathtub drain unless the blockage is deeper in your drainage line. In this circumstance, you would have to ask a professional plumber for extra assistance, as they have professional-grade equipment for bathtub clog removal.

Wire Coat Hanger

This is another one of those DIY quick hacks that may or may not be effective. If you are dealing with a shallow clog in your bathtub, however, you can use a basic clothes wire hanger to loosen and even remove it. For example, you can create your makeshift wire hanger for clog removal by taking a set of needle-nose pliers to unravel the hangar loops and flatten them out and by creating a hooked end. This hook will be a catching mechanism of sorts for the solid blockage and shouldn’t be more than a quarter of an inch in width. For safety precautions, we recommend using a pair of rubber gloves for sanitary purposes and a flashlight to shed light inside the dark drain hole. As you insert the wire hanger, slowly maneuver it across the length of the drainage line until you encounter something stiff. At this point, wiggle the wire in place to fully grasp the clog. You may need to repeat this procedure multiple times depending on how big the clog may be. After the clog has been removed, make sure to flush out the bathtub drain with hot water to completely unclog the bathtub drain. If the water is no longer sluggish to drain away and there is no standing water each time you bathe, you have likely gotten rid of the clog. But if that’s not the case, you may have multiple clogs to deal with, or the blockage itself may be wedged within your pipes too deep and need more advanced techniques from an expert plumber.

Baking Soda And White Vinegar

Another common home remedy is blending baking soda and vinegar and pouring it down the bathtub drain. For starters, we recommend pouring a cup of boiling water down the drain hole to prep the area and clear away any sticky residue, such as soap scum and limescale deposits, that may hinder the effectiveness of your concoction. Next, pour about three-quarters of a cup of baking soda into the bathtub drain and allow it to sit for a handful of minutes to ensure it is absorbed. Follow up by pouring half a cup of vinegar, and right after, pour another half a cup of hot water. To figure out if it’s effectively working, check for signs of fizzing bubbles. And lastly, plug the drain hole with a rubber stopper or its cover and allow the chemical reaction to occur. Let the mixture sit and wait for at least one hour to ensure the sludge has been fully dissolved. Once you remove the rubber stopper, be sure to pour in more hot water to completely flush out the bathtub drain and ensure the clog has been removed.

Removing The P-Trap

Although the above methods are useful, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty as the clog is just too damn stubborn. Oftentimes, we may accidentally drop a small solid object, such as a piece of jewelry or a grooming tool, in the bathtub. As a result, a clog may form within the bathtub’s drain line’s P-trap, especially if it’s more shallow. In this case, you would have to disassemble the p-trap to physically access the clog and remove it. For starters, you need a monkey wrench, a bucket, a pair of rubber gloves, and a face mask for hygienic purposes. Locate the curved piece of the pipe and use a monkey wrench to remove the black sludge, which consists of the clog itself. Be sure to scrub clean the area around the piping after removing the clog and before reattaching it again.

Bathtub Preventative Maintenance Tips:

Besides calling your local plumber for routine checkups and drain cleaning services, here are some things you must ideally boycott from your bathtub’s drainage lines.

Do Not Flush or Wash Down:

• Food leftovers, including fats, oil, and grease
• Excessive soap scum (shampoo, conditioner) combined with hard water results in quick calcified and limescale buildup in your drainage pipes
• Hair strands
• Paper towels
• Flushable wipes of any kind
• Excess toilet paper
• Feminine hygiene products
• Single-use disposable products for bodily grooming, i.e., cotton rounds, Q-tips, contact lenses, floss, band-aids, bath bombs, etc.
• Harsh chemical drain cleaners
• Medication
• Cat litter

Getting Tired Of The Clog In Your Bathtub? Hy-Pro Plumbing Will Snuff It Out!

A clogged shower drain or bath drain is the biggest nuisance of household plumbing problems, but as we have discussed, there are numerous creative methods and home remedies to try out for clog removal for your bathtub. But if you have exhausted all your options for how to unclog a bathtub, your best bet is to ask a professional plumber for help.

It may be about time to ask a certified Ontario plumber from Hy-Pro Plumbing And Drain Cleaning for backup support. Our trustworthy plumber has at their disposal a wide variety of plumbing equipment and tactics, from drain camera inspection and hydro scrub jetting. Whilst we are there, we will even thoroughly inspect your home’s plumbing system and provide you with a list of future recommendations for repairs and replacements.

Besides unclogging bathtub drains, we also offer other residential and commercial services, from drain cleaning to water heater installation to frozen pipe repair. Go ahead and reach out to one of our customer contact representatives at 1-877-554-9776, who will gladly schedule your service appointment as we await your call.

WHAT ARE POLY PIPES? THE CONTROVERSIAL PLUMBING CHOICE THAT COULD COST YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

Poly pipes, also known as polybutylene pipes (or poly b pipes), were once installed in homes and businesses for their main plumbing and water supply. They were made of a plastic resin material (plastic pipe) and were lightweight, easy to install, and relatively inexpensive compared to other plumbing materials. Despite that, using poly-b pipes has since been discouraged or banned in homes due to concerns about durability and potential failure.

Our trained Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning technicians know how to identify them and can discuss your options. Depending on the location of poly pipes in your home or business or if you are considering purchasing a property with polybutylene pipes, a replacement should be a consideration. Call one of our friendly and professional staff at 1-877-554-9776 to discuss your situation or to book an appointment.

The Low Down On Polybutylene Plumbing and Pipes

Polybutylene pipes caused various concerns over time, which led to poly pipes being discontinued after the late 1990s. Some of these concerns were:

Failures and Leaks

Poly pipes are prone to failure, particularly at the fitting and joint connections. Over time, they can develop cracks and fractures, leading to leaks or water damage.

Material Degradation

Exposure to chlorinated water and other chemicals in the water can cause poly pipes to degrade, reducing their durability and increasing the risk of failure.

Manufacturing Defects

Polybutylene pipes were produced by various manufacturers using different methods and materials. Some batches created had defects at the production level, which increased the risk of breaking down and failure after installment.

Insurance and Property Values

Many home and business insurance companies have stopped covering the water damage caused by poly pipes in a property, which could lead to costly repairs and cleanup for the property owner. Plus, it decreases the home’s overall value if poly pipes are still installed in the home.

Building Code Restrictions

Many building codes now prohibit using poly pipes in new constructions, which can make it difficult or expensive to replace failing or older pipes in older buildings. Also, when purchasing a home or building built before 1995, you will have to consider the replacement cost if poly pipes are still being used.

Health Concerns

While there has not been any evidence to suggest poly-b pipes pose a health risk to humans or pets, some have been concerned about the presence of chlorine or the potential of chemicals leaching into the water supply. This is a particular concern when acidic water is treated with chloramine.

Alternative Solutions to the Poly Pipes for Your Plumbing System

Several options are available when looking for alternatives to poly-b pipes for your plumbing system. The suitable choice will vary depending on your specific needs or budget and the local codes and regulations on building and construction. Here are the top four most popular choices:

1. Copper Pipes

Copper pipes are a durable and long-lasting option for plumbing systems. They are resistant to corrosion and can withstand high temperatures and pressures. Copper plumbing pipes are also a good choice for areas with hard water, as they resist scaling and mineral buildup. Although, copper plumbing pipes are expensive and require special tools and expert technicians to install them.

2. PEX Pipes

PEX pipes (cross-linked polyethylene) are popular for plumbing systems because of their flexibility, durability, and ease of installation. PEX pipes are resistant to corrosion, scaling, and freezing and can be used for both hot and cold-water lines. This is less expensive than copper pipes and requires fewer fittings, reducing the risk of leaks. Even so, they may not be approved for use in some areas, and some companies will not install them.

3. PVC Pipes

PVC pipes (polyvinyl chloride) are a lightweight and inexpensive option for plumbing systems. They are resistant to corrosion and can withstand high pressure, making them a good choice for water supply lines. They are easy to install and require few fittings. But, PVC pipes may not be approved for use in some areas and are unsuitable for water heaters and not recommended for hot water supply lines.

4. Galvanized Steel Pipes

Galvanized steel pipes are a durable and long-lasting option for plumbing systems. They are resistant to corrosion and can withstand high temperatures and pressures. They are also relatively inexpensive and require few fittings. Despite that, they can be difficult to install and may require specialized tools and experienced technicians for installation.

Poly Pipes: Protect Your Property & Your Bank Account By Knowing Your Plumbing Options

While once popular and usually the first choice because of their affordability and ease of installation, the risks associated with poly pipes have led to their restriction of use and being banned in some areas. They have become controversial since they frequently failed and caused expensive water damage to a person’s property. Building codes have restricted polybutylene piping, and insurance policies won’t cover water damage caused by the malfunction of poly pipes. If you have poly piping in your home, it’s vital to be aware of the potential risks and take action to prevent water leaks or damage and keep your property safe — there are several alternatives available to you. By consulting a plumbing professional at Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning, you can discuss the options for your specific needs to ensure that your plumbing system is safe, reliable, and long-lasting.

Whether you are a homeowner, property manager, or building owner, be proactive about your plumbing system and ensure you use the best materials available in your area. Your safety, comfort, peace of mind, and bank account depend on it.

If you are worried about the quality of your plumbing system or suspect that you may have poly piping installed, don’t hesitate to contact us for an inspection and assessment. Take action now to prevent costly water damage and ensure that your property remains safe and secure.

Don’t wait until it’s too late—contact Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning at 1-877-554-9776 to talk to one of our trained, professional team members to learn more about your options. Let’s discuss how we can help you keep your plumbing system running smoothly for years.

Our home’s plumbing system is similar to our gut—which is a long main pipe connected with secondary lines that eliminate waste. In this context, the main pipe is the sewer line that removes liquid waste from our home. Sanitation ensures that our household remains safe and clean.

While our pipes are made to last, they require annual maintenance services, along with preventative solutions that include routine repairs to ensure everything is in working order.

If you need a local plumber in Ontario, you can count on our top team at Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning to tackle any plumbing issues in your home or business. Our uniformed experts are licensed and insured.

Hire A Local Plumber

In Ontario, our plumbing system handles all four seasons and is more vulnerable than we think because anything can happen, from sewer damage to tree root infiltration or clogged main drain to a frozen burst pipe.

Local Plumber for Drain Cleaning Services

Drains and waste lines are responsible for removing liquid waste from your home, but over time they collect debris and create blockages that could compromise your pipes’ overall functions. It becomes harder to flush things away because the clogs affect your drain lines and could later cause more drastic problems in the sewer line.

We want to remind Ontario homeowners that local drain cleaning services are crucial for plumbing maintenance. What you can do at home is use plungers, snakes, but they won’t provide you with a thorough cleaning solution like our jetting device, which is a high-pressure water system that blasts away blockages deep down the drain, leaving nothing behind.

Local Plumbing Repair Services

Once we have crossed out our routine drain cleaning services, it’s time to thoroughly inspect our valves, fittings and fixtures to ensure they’re in decent condition. Since we rely on our plumbing system every day, we often take it for granted. Plus, frequent uses of plumbing fixtures will eventually result in wear and tear despite routine maintenance.

Whether you need installations, repairs or replacements, we guarantee to get it done right the first time.

Pipe Repair

Plumbing problems come in many forms. One of the most severe is a burst pipe or slab leaks that could cause structural damage to your property if not dealt with fast. Check the joint areas and secure them temporarily with plumber’s tape or compound. Depending on your local plumber’s diagnosis, the permanent solution is likely a pipe replacement. Sometimes, replacing the fitting will also solve the problem.

Typical causes for these damages include:

Clogs: A backed-up toilet or gurgling sinks exuding sewer gas smells indicate a clogged sewer line. A certified local plumber needs to access your cleanout pipe (usually located outside) to release some pressure and make a diagnosis using a sewer inspection camera.

Frozen: Outdoor pipes and other fixtures can freeze when uninsulated. Frozen pipes don’t necessarily burst unless the water pressure flows through them in a rush.

Corrosion: Older homes with cast iron main lines are susceptible to corrosion. Unfortunately, these lines will only deteriorate further, making a replacement inevitable.

Faucet Repair

Is a dripping faucet robbing your good night’s sleep? That’s not the only issue; you could lose hundreds of gallons of water over the course of a year if you haven’t paid attention to your water bill. Other than a repair, we recommend installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances that use less water but still deliver the same kind of performance.

Water Heater Repair

We have all probably experienced an unexpected cold surprise in the shower one morning because our water heater failed to provide hot water. Regular maintenance services could prevent this from happening because it’s another item we take for granted. Water heaters become less efficient over time due to age or sediment build-up. Other problems include the unit being too small to provide an extra person with hot water in the house. This is a job best left to your local plumber. Homeowners can upgrade to larger units to have more hot water reserves. Indicators of a malfunctioning water heater include leaks and screeching noises that call for repair or replacement. There’s additional information you can learn about water heater pilot lights.

Toilet Repair

Toilets are directly connected to the main drain in your home, therefore, any signs of problems are quickly noticeable, such as clogs, leaks and sewer smell. Check the surface for cracks. Or, if after unclogging, the issue persists, it’s worth checking whether your main drain is clogged. Depending on the type of toilet, tank parts like fill valve or flapper are often the culprit for damage.

Plumbing Replacements

Often, repairs only provide you with a temporary fix, during which you should think about long-term benefits. Replacing faulty plumbing parts like fittings or fixtures like faucets, sinks, tubs and toilets will give you peace of mind and fewer problems in the future. At Hy-Pro, we always suggest the most cost-effective and long-term solutions for our clients to ensure their plumbing system is in top-notch condition.

How Does A Local Plumber Tackle Sewer Gas Smells In My Ontario Home?

Yuck! Rotten eggs! Septic wastewater smells are the last thing we want in our homes. Sometimes, they are harmless and easy to get rid of, whether the smells come from your kitchen or bathroom sinks or main line.

These are the typical areas your local plumber will check:

P-Trap: This U-shaped pipe traps water inside the curve and blocks unpleasant gases from seeping through the sinkhole. If you don’t use your faucet for a while, the p-trap becomes dry and releases these smells. Simply run the tap for a few seconds to recover its functions.

Clogged Cleanout (Sewer Trap): Your sewer cleanout is connected to your home’s main sewer line. Depending on your plumbing structure, it’s most likely outside your home. Locate a short line with a white cap on it. It gives your local plumbers easy access to your sewer line in case of severe clogs. This convenient access allows them to diagnose the root cause quickly and perform sewer repair. A sewage backup is possible when you experience wastewater coming through your plumbing fixtures.

Blocked Air Vents: Air vents are responsible for circulating fresh air in your home and removing toxic gases. When debris and dirt block the vents, sewer gas will build up in the pipes and escape into your house. Your experienced local plumber can confirm that bathrooms and laundry rooms are vented accordingly and check if all your other vents are working properly.

Preventative Plumbing Solutions

In fact, plumbing repairs around the city are the bread and butter of your local plumber. Ontario has sensitive lines which are prone to humidity damage and not prepared for sudden cold weather.

It’s daunting to learn about the signs and causes of damages, but don’t despair! Our local emergency services got your back, but did you know that we offer preventative plumbing solutions to home and business owners? If you book your annual maintenance appointment, we will inspect your system for any damage and determine what will keep your home safe. This way, you will stay on track. Our preventative solutions are designed to give you extra protection from sudden emergencies.

Beat the Humidity: We can help you install decent dehumidifiers that will greatly reduce humidity in your home and keep your pipes safe. Additionally, we can recommend our partners in the HVAC sector to inspect or install your cooling system.

Prep the Pipes: If you have exterior lines, use heat wraps to protect them from unexpected cold weather. They will help insulate heat and keep your pipes safe. Also, insulate your outside water meter for extra protection.

Local Plumber for Emergency

As unpredictable as a plumbing emergency can be, our qualified local team of technicians takes these matters seriously. Whether your call is for a residential or commercial property, you can count on us to act promptly and efficiently, offering 24/7 emergency services that ensure you’re safe.

As your dedicated local plumber, we never charge overtime for emergency fees because your safety is our priority. We offer industry-leading treatments and solutions to quickly identify any root problems and make sure you won’t have to deal with them again.

Expect reliable emergency plumbing services for:

• Sewage backups: This is when wastewater cannot flow to the city’s sanitary sewer due to blockage.

• Drain backups: Stubborn clog build-up.

• Sewer line collapse: Misaligned pipes can lead water to reverse and leak into soil, followed by a collapse.

• Frozen pipes: Barely and water will come out when frozen solid. Chances are that water pressure will trigger bursting pipes. Your local plumber will use a professional heat gun thermostatically controlled heat tape to thaw the affected areas.

• Burst pipes: Mostly caused by frozen pipes or old pipework, improper line installation or external forces like tree roots or construction work).

• Overflowing toilets: It’s when neither plunger nor snake can unclog the drain. Obstructed vents or full septic tanks could also trigger the overflow.

​​Need an Efficient Local Plumber for Drain Cleaning and Maintenance?

Whether you have a burst pipe or need a main drain inspection, provide quality plumbing services with excellent results. We use high-end technology for your plumbing and drain cleaning solutions. You can rest assured that you won’t ever have to wait in line for local emergency plumbing service.

Give us a call to speak with our friendly customer service representatives about your needs or preventative plumbing solutions. We are trusted local plumbers in Ontario for a reason.

Imagine getting up first thing in the morning to make your freshly batched brew of coffee only to find the water streaming from your tap is discolored, cloudy, and opaque. Not only is this off-putting but more likely than not you are dealing with a broken kitchenette sink. Our household sink is more than just a place to slough down our used and dirty wastewater. But a standard sink serves as a basin for collecting and culling water from your kitchen or bathroom area so you can effortlessly go about your daily lifestyle including your bathing, grooming, eating, and drinking routines. Most of us take our plumbing fixtures for granted and only bother to give them the quick fix they require as the need arises and usually at the last minute once the plumbing problem has morphed into a crisis. A sink just happens to be one of them. If anything, sink repairs must be top of mind for any responsible homeowner but unfortunately, some do toss this plumbing problem onto the back burner. Lately, if you’ve noticed slow or sluggish drains, odd rattling or gurgling noises, foul odors wafting from your drain holes, leaky faucets, or lower water pressure—these are all telltale signs that something is amuck with your sink. For example, if your faucet’s aerator is damaged you’ll need to replace the aerator as it indicates it’s clogged full of accumulated debris from sediments and minerals which explains the fluctuating water pressure levels. It’s best not to outright ignore sink repairs as a damaged sink can result in costly and permanent water and moisture damage including mold and mildew growth on your warped countertops and rotted wooden cabinets. Sooner or later you will compromise the structural integrity of your home as it becomes readily exposed to a water backup that overflows from your plumbing fixtures and floods out your home wreaking havoc on your drywall, flooring, furniture, and other personal belongings. But if you are keen on preserving your sinks through their proper upkeep including routine maintenance through an annual professional inspection you will rarely if ever require frequent sink repairs. If that is the case however your best bet is to rely on a local, licensed, and fully insured Ontario plumber from Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning for sink repairs and replacements.

What Causes Your Sink To Break Down And Fall Into Disrepair?

Ontario homeowners who tend to have leaky faucets, clogged sinks, and pipes more often than not are suggested to receive expert sink repairs. Although most sink repairs are due to a nasty clog or blockage which is the result of accumulated residue such as soap scum, hair strands, food leftovers, flushable wipes, intruding tree roots, and more–and largely based on your habits and behaviors for items you mustn’t toss down the drain. So make a friendly reminder and a note to yourself: don’t treat your kitchen or bathroom sink like a garbage can or as a compost pail. Other sink repairs are out of your control, for example, if your sink is made susceptible to extreme and fluctuating temperatures for a prolonged period it can result in temperature-related stress resulting in hairline cracks and fractures. Plus this is made worse based on the type of durable material you opted for from porcelain to stainless steel and ceramic. Moreover, for those of you who have become complacent about the drip-drop of a leaky faucet, you must recall that you are sacrificing your home’s energy efficiency as your water consumption increases alongside your soaring monthly utility bills. On average a leaky faucet can result in upwards of 3,000 gallons or nearly 11,000 liters of wasted water per year–the equivalent of nearly 180 showers. Yikes! Although a generic sink can outlast you for decades sometimes it may be more cost-effective to receive sink repairs over a replacement as it may only require the tweaking of loose nuts and bolts such as plugging up minor holes so a refurbishment will suffice.

How Does Hy-Pro Plumbing Approach A Sink Repair?

Upon inspection of your sink, a professional plumber can recommend the best course of action for your sink repairs. Here are some of the areas we specialize in:

Leaky Drainage Pipe

The approach we take for sink repairs for your drain lines depends on the severity and extent of the damage. Sometimes we discover that your sink repair is a quick fix due to a loose fastener that holds together the joints of the pipework. For example, we can tighten up and securely fasten any pipes using a special wrench at the joint where one pipe end meets another–also known as a slip nut. Another quick fix is replacing the rubber gaskets at the pipe joints which serve as water-tight seals. If we discover the rubber gaskets are loose or worn out we will replace them with new ones based on the appropriate size for your pipe. And lastly, we will use plumber’s tape or Teflon tape to meld one joint to another which will forge a water-tight seal.

Oftentimes, however, we have to use a bit more elbow grease for sink repairs especially if there are fractures or gaping holes that need to be addressed. If the damages rendered are somewhat minor we will utilize epoxy resin on your pipe’s joints by first scrubbing clean the area and using the putty-based substance to plug up any cracks, holes, and leakages. If the damage is fairly reserved we may also use rubber and silicone tape to wrap up the bruised area of the pipe. If however, the damage is more widespread we will use both rubber tape or a patch and a repair clamp to replace that portion of the pipe. Although this last sink repair method seems foolproof it is in reality only a temporary fix as the tape and hose clamps themselves can become ineffective and weaken as a leakage gets worse. Despite it all, the pipe itself may not be salvageable and require a total overhaul by replacing the sink’s p-trap with a brand new set. 

Clogged Drain

Normally we would have to get rid of the clog before we attempt sink repairs as it may be the deeper and underlying problem for why your sink has become faulty. Sink repairs are also usually due to a nasty clog which is the result of accumulated debris including dirt, soap scum, hair strands, skin flakes, and food leftovers that have forged into a solid blockage. As of late, if you’ve noticed standing water in your basin that seems increasingly slow to drain away it’s due to this residue which is readily clinging to the pipe’s walls obstructing the flow of water into your main lateral and eventually onwards to the municipal sewage system. Although there are homemade remedies galore you can try out such as pouring boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda most of them are only temporary solutions. For residential sink repairs, a professional plumber will conduct a thorough inspection of your drainage lines and if they need to remove a clog they have some useful tactics up their sleeves. Some tools allow the plumber to triangulate and exactly target the location of a clog so they can prioritize during your sink repair, whilst others loosen up the blockage so it can be readily removed. For example, they’ll utilize a wide range of tools at their disposal including but not limited to the following: video or drain camera inspection, drill or power augers, wet and dry vacuums, acoustic listening devices, thermal imaging cameras, and more.

Leaky Faucet

The most commonplace reason for a leaking faucet is a sputtering handle due to a loosened O ring or gasket, a spewing spout due to a worn-out washer, or lastly, corrosion in the valve seat. Here are some of the steps we take for sinks repairs for a leaky faucet:

• Prep Is Best: First, as a safety precaution, we will stop the drain with a plug or rag before we attempt any sink repairs as we don’t want to lose any key nuts and bolts. We will also wrap the teeth of any wrench or plier tool with a piece of duct tape to prevent any damage against the sink’s shiny finish coating.
• Cut It Off: Next, we will proceed to turn off the water supply to the faucet by toggling the two shut-off valves found underneath the sink, one for hot and another for cold. This will help to redirect and remove any excess water in the water supply lines.
• Just Handle It: Now we will attempt to remove one or both of the leaky handles on the compression faucet by loosening its screw.
• Nuts And Bolts: Now we will loosen the main nut which holds the stem of the handle in place and use the wrench to remove it and place it aside.
• Replace And Fasten: We will install a brand new O-ring for the handle and washer for the spout to stop the leakages.

Replacement Sink Parts

Sometimes you need to replace the faucet itself for a sink repair and depending on the type of faucet you have it can vary. An expert plumber can unscrew and remove the handles alongside the spout.

Type Of Faucets

Ball: A ball faucet has a singular handle and a free-moving rubber ball situated at its base and within a metal socket. This type of faucet does not have any washers and is often considered the least likely to leak.

Cartridge: A cartridge faucet has a cylinder mechanism and contains a plastic piece that controls the flow of water. Its rubber O ring may wear out and require sink repairs via a replacement part.

Ceramic Disk: A ceramic disk faucet is composed of a short cylinder and contains multiple neoprene rings and two rotating discs made of ceramic. These disks help to facilitate the flow of water and control fluctuating temperature levels.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sink Repairs

What Are The Different Types Of Sink Materials?

• Stainless Steel
• Ceramic
• Porcelain
• Copper
• Enamel
• Fire Clay
• Solid Surface
• Stone
• Composite

Can A Crack In A Porcelain Sink Be Repaired?

Yes–epoxy putty is best reserved for any minor dents or chips in a porcelain sink as it can easily plug up gaps, forge an airtight seal, and can only be finished off by being sanded down and a fresh coat of paint.

What Is The Most Common Cause Of Sink Blockage?

A clog emerges due to your daily lifestyle, behavior, and edict, and tossing items into your bathroom and kitchen sink which you must otherwise trash into the garbage or recycling can or compost pail. Eventually, this muck accumulates over time and as it readily lingers on your pipes’ walls it stifles the flow of water.

How Do I Know If My Sink Pipe Is Clogged?

• Odd gurgling or bubbling noises
• Sluggish or slowly draining water
• Standing water
• Foul and rotting odors
• Mold and mildew growth
• Pest invasion
• Skyrocketing utility bills

Hy-Pro Plumbing Will Tweak Your Taps To Pristine Condition–Call Us Today!

Let’s face it no Ontario homeowner wants to be elbow-deep in a basin chock-full of dirty and used wastewater so your best bet is to be proactive about sink repairs. Never again will you have to tiptoe around your faucet in fear that it will submerge and topple over as you wash up after dinner. Go ahead and reach out to one of our courteous customer service representatives at 1-877-554-9776 who will gladly schedule a consultation or service appointment. Plus you would rather inquire about our other residential and commercial plumbing services from clogged drains and water heater repair as we are on standby and ready to serve.

When you suspect a leak, and it isn’t visible, the damage has already been done. Unfortunately, leaky pipes underground or behind concrete take their time before they make themselves apparent to you via warning signs. Whether you are experiencing a drop in water pressure or even clogged drain issues, you need professional inspection and leak detection. Ontario plumbers at Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning are experts in plumbing diagnosis and inspection services. What may take you weeks or a month to conclude, we can determine the root cause within an hour with our specialist tools.

From slab leaks to a sewer leaks, trust our local pros to bring the relevant expertise, experience and professional equipment to quickly diagnose the underlying problem and offer fast, long-lasting plumbing solutions to recover your pipework’s original function. When you experience telltale signs of a hidden water leak, call our knowledgeable office team at 877-554-9776 to schedule an appointment for leak detection! Ontario residents are in the hands of experts!

About Our Ontario Leak Detection Service

You might call certain warning signs subtle. But in our eyes, they are insidious, as they will creep up on you, indicating that they’re capable of doing more damage than already done. When you hire Hy-Pro Plumbing’s Ontario leak detection experts, they will utilize their professional equipment to get down to the source of the leak.

Leaks typically originate from buildup, such as clogs, but corrosion on metal pipes, such as copper, is also a possibility. One of the first steps we take is to use our video camera inspection tool to inspect a pipe’s interior and locate any blockages. A camera is mounted to a fiber optic cable and lowered into the pipe to inspect its condition. We’ll also be able to mark suspicious areas we believe could have a leak. Once our Ontario plumber has located the clog and determines that your drain line or water line is in good health, we’ll move on to using our hydro jetting device which we usually use for drain cleaning and sewer cleaning. It shoots pressurized water jets that break through blockages. It also cleans the inside of the pipe from buildup caused by calcium deposits, sludge, and even tree roots. Now your skilled plumber has a clear pathway to work with and can move on to using additional tools to investigate the leak issue.

Methods of Ontario Leak Detection

Ontario plumbers are highly trained professionals who rely on visuals and sounds. During a professional leak detection, Ontario homeowners will be introduced to the following plumbing tools by our licensed plumbers:

Thermographic Imaging

This is a very effective tool that people often compare to infrared imaging. But there is a huge difference between the two devices. Infrared imaging is merely a component of thermal radiation, which means it is already integrated into the thermal imaging tool. All objects naturally emit infrared energy, which you may also refer to as heat signature. But that alone is not enough to locate a leak. On the other hand, thermographic imaging provides you with temperature abnormalities in the form of heatmaps. So areas that show an increased abnormality of temperature fluctuation are likely the spots our Ontario leak detection experts are after.

Acoustic Listening

This device allows your certified plumber to sharpen their ears and listen carefully. When using acoustic leak detection, Ontario plumbers are able to differentiate leak sounds from natural water flow sounds. Acoustic measurements help us limit an area which we suspect needs repairs.

Soil Probe

Although soil probes have become less common these days, they are still in use. A long metal soil probe rod has a sensor that can measure the conductivity of soil, which means it shows different responses to wet or dry soil. It is a slightly more time-consuming process, but they can come in handy when you want to check for soil activity in your area.

Why Hire Hy-Pro Plumbing For Leak Detection | Ontario, BC

The Hy-Pro Plumbing Plumbing brand has been going strong since the 2000s, when plumbing technology was already highly advanced but not yet widely available or in practice. But Hy-Pro Plumbing didn’t waste one minute thinking that a task was impossible. We always operate with the customer’s safety and well-being in mind. And thanks to technological advances in the plumbing industry, our Ontario plumbers are proud to be able to provide their local community with professional, high-quality plumbing services that have a proven track record of success!

Another reason why Ontario and surrounding areas, such as Hamilton, Oakville and Kitchener-Waterloo, choose Hy-Pro Plumbing Plumbing is that we have a dependable 24/7 emergency plumber on standby for emergency repair services. No matter if day or night, we’ll answer the phone even after hours because no one should be alone during a plumbing emergency. Your safety is our top priority, which is why Hy-Pro Plumbing does not charge overtime fees on emergency services. You can always expect our Ontario plumbers to deliver a high level of professionalism with guaranteed workmanship and superior customer service.

FAQs About Our Ontario Leak Detection Service

What Are The Warning Signs I Need Leak Detection?

Ontario homeowners who suspect a hidden pipe leak should pay attention to the following signs:

• Reduced water pressure (despite adjusting the pressure regulator)
• Musty smells
• Water meter acting up
• Mildew and mold growth
• Increased levels of humidity in home
• Hot spots on the floor in lower levels
• Damp walls
• Wall cracks
• Increased energy bills
• Bubbling or peeling paint
• Hearing running water
• Leaking plumbing fixtures

Ontario leak detection services do not solely focus on busted water lines. Other serious occasions include a sewer line leak caused by the pressure of a clog or tree root intrusion. Here, the warning signs may include clogged drains. So during leak detection, Ontario service technicians will follow their usual inspection procedures as mentioned above. Starting with your household drain lines, they will then move further down to examine your sewer lateral.

What Is Hy-Pro Plumbing’s Leak Repair Procedure?

Suppose our service technicians discover a major leak underneath your concrete slab. In that case, we’ll have to further investigate the severity of the broken first and ensure the damaged line is still intact.

After inspection and leak detection, Ontario property owners will be offered the trenchless repair method which, unlike traditional excavation, is a minimally invasive repair method that occurs solely inside the pipe.

The common methods of trenchless technology include:

• Pipe Lining: An inflatable replacement liner is soaked in epoxy resin before it is guided into pipe to the damaged area. Once there, we’ll inflate the liner, so it sticks to the walls and cures in place. After about 48 hours your water line’s original functions will be restored.

• Pipe Bursting: The bursting method involves using hydraulic power to break the damaged line into small pieces. Two access holes are drilled, so we’re able to pull out the small pieces through one hole and pull a brand-new liner into place through the other hole. This method is regarded as a trenchless replacement.

Do I Need Leak Detection If My Shower Head Is Leaking?

That is a tricky one where the last resort involves taking down your tile wall installation. But before that, our technician will inspect your shower head for clogs. Because Ontario has a high level of water hardness, many households have installed water softeners. A softening system provides a more comfortable washing experience and also promotes the longevity of your household pipe by reducing the risk of calcium and magnesium buildup.

If cleaning your shower head and replacing its cartridge valve solves the problem, you should be fine. However, if it continues dripping, and you experience other warning signs, such as musty smells or cracked caulk in the area, you likely have a busted water line behind your tile wall. Your local plumber will be able to provide you with a quick leak detection.

Ontario homeowners are on the right track when they treat a leaky shower head or faucet with high suspicion. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Does Home Insurance Cover Leak Repairs?

If you have comprehensive home insurance coverage, you can expect your insurance company to cover some water damage mitigation, given that the incident happened suddenly and accidentally. But they don’t typically cover plumbing repairs. On the other hand, some agencies need proof that your broken pipe was originally installed by a professional and has been receiving regular maintenance. That said, you are lucky if your insurance coverage is ready to cover any type of leak repair for you.

Need Professional Leak Detection? Ontario Can Trust The Pros At Hy-Pro Plumbing!

Plumbing leaks are not only a nuisance, but they can be rather destructive when discovered too late. The best way to protect your home from costly repairs is to take action from the first moment you notice any strange activities. While a drop in water pressure could indicate problems with your water heater, it is also likely that you need professional leak detection.

Ontario residents are invited to call our friendly customer service representatives at 877-554-9776 to book an in-home appointment with one of our qualified plumbers. Take preventative measures today, and you will protect your home from a plumbing disaster tomorrow!

Are Preparing Your Home Plumbing for Winter?

Winter’s freezing temperatures can cause serious damage to your home’s plumbing. Before it gets too cold, make sure you follow these tips for preparing your plumbing for winter. They could save you a lot of time and money… not to mention the inconvenience of living in a house with busted pipes!

Plumbing for Winter Tip 1: Insulate Your Pipes

This is one of the easiest steps you can take to prevent frozen pipes. Start by searching your home for exposed pipes. They could be in your attic, basement, or even under your floor. If you find pipes in areas that don’t receive adequate heat, then you should insulate them.

Wrap the pipes with insulation that will protect them from the bitter cold. Insulating foam doesn’t cost much. It’s also very easy to install.

Note that you should also insulate any outdoor spigots and hose bibs. Several manufacturers make insulating products that fit right over them. Many hose bibs also have shut-off valves. If yours does, turn off the water so that it can’t reach the outside.

Plumbing for Winter Tip 2: Fix Leaky Pipes

Leaky pipes tend to freeze more easily than those that aren’t leaking. That makes it important for you to search the interior and exterior of your home for even small leaks.

Do this before the temperatures drop too far. Once a leaky pipe freezes, you’ll have a hard time fixing (you also run the risk of the pipe bursting, which could lead to mold and other problems that you do not want).

If you have insulated pipes (good for you!), you can check for leaks by feeling around the insulation for wet areas. Any moist area probably indicates a leak. Remove the insulation for a closer look.

Plumbing for Winter Tip 3: Winterize Your Sprinkler System

Most sprinkler systems are designed to handle cold weather. Still, you want to give them some extra protection, so they don’t break before the spring thaw.

Start by turning off the water running to the sprinkler system. Once you have turned off the source, remove water from the irrigation system so that it cannot freeze. Newer systems usually have drains that will eliminate the water automatically. If yours does not, or you aren’t sure whether it does, then you can drain the pipes manually by turning on the sprinklers and letting them run until they stop putting out water.

Winter can bring hard times to household pipes. By taking a few preventative steps, though, you can give your pipes a fighting chance no matter how cold it gets.

Ever Had An Unexpected Plumbing Emergency?

A plumbing emergency can happen, but they’re never appreciated. Having your ‘normal’ turned upside down can be a stressful and frustrating thing. As such, our emergency plumbers are always here to help. Nobody likes calling their plumber. Though we take pride in our ability to help when a toilet clogs or a pipe bursts, we prefer providing you with the tools to help prevent these things from ever happening.

How Can You Prevent A Plumbing Emergency?

A regular maintenance routine is a great and simple way to prevent disaster from striking. In the past, we’ve supplemented useful advice with helpful tips on how to inspect and clean your plumbing and drainage system. No plumbing license required – novice and expert DIY-ers alike can do most of what we suggest.

Sometimes, however, it isn’t what you do but what you don’t do to your plumbing that matters the most. Today, we’d like to help you break some unhealthy habits that could be putting your system at risk. A lot of our ‘do not’s’ are actively combatting the techniques, lessons, or common rules of thumb that no bearing on your plumbing’s wellbeing.

What Are The Definite Dont’s In A Plumbing Emergency?

The Internet can be a very useful resource. But that does not mean you should consult it every single time, especially during an emergency. Essentially, don’t believe everything you read online. It’s tempting to type into your search bar for the answers to your questions. Unfortunately, your queries aren’t always resolved by an expert plumber.

You could very well be getting advice from a fellow DIY-er. DIYs typically provide an immediate solution, one that may sacrifice the long-term health of your plumbing system for more time. Don’t get us wrong. DIYs can be helpful and useful depending on what the problem is. But to be on the safe side in preventing a plumbing emergency in the future, it’s best to consult your professional plumber on the most beneficial and unharmful methods or to take more mindful advice from websites who are written or monitored by experienced plumbers.

DON’T pour hot water into your toilet bowl. This may seem obvious to some, but for those who have frantically Googled ways to unclog a toilet, it’s not so strange of an idea. It’s a common misconception that hot or boiling water should be poured down the toilet in an attempt to loosen up whatever caused the clog in the first place. It may very well do that, but side effects include the ability to damage your toilet. The porcelain of the bowl wasn’t made to handle high temperatures, so boiling water can actually crack its material, which is much harder to fix than a simple clog.

DON’T store heavy belongings over your sinks or toilet. If they should ever fall, they can end up cracking, chipping, or denting your sink or toilet bowl. Stranger things have happened than a shelving unit collapsing – trust us!

DON’T use drain cleaner when trying to clear a clog. These liquid chemicals may be easy to find at your local hardware store, but they have no business coming into your home – let alone down your pipes. The harsh chemicals in these solutions are harmful to your pipes, the environment, and to you! The hydrochloric acid used to eat away at clogs will also corrode your pipes and create an even bigger mess down the line. This acid is severely dangerous if it’s inhaled or ingested, and it will stay in landfills and water supplies far longer than you’d think.

The Best Prevention Method In A Plumbing Emergency

Again, a lot of people consult the Internet for a variety of problems, plumbing included. While there are helpful tips in the massive pool of educational articles, keep in mind that these tips may not work for you or your system. A lot of written content gets continuously filtered as writers consult to it and take what they read into their own words. While the main message and main points will be reiterated, they might miss on small and crucial details. Therefore, be mindful what you read online and consult your local plumber if it’s an action safe to take to prevent calls.

Now that you know what not to do, it’s time to know what you can do. In case your toilet or sink clogs, pick up the phone and give one of our expert plumbers a call. They’re available any time of the day or night to help you with your plumbing disasters. No overflowing toilet or bubbling sink will go unfixed – even if it happens in the wee hours of the morning. With knowledgeable and friendly service, we make our visits as quick and efficient as possible, so you can get back to normal again. So give us a call when your maintenance fails to stop an emergency. We’ll be there!

Are You Planning On Renovating?

Before renovations, you should be consulting your local plumber to ensure your bathroom, kitchen, or whichever area you wish to renovate is prepared. If you’ve spent years living with outdated, faulty, and inefficient bathroom fixtures, there’s nothing as exciting as the moment before you take on its renovation.

That enthusiasm might override reason, and you may be tempted to slip on a pair of goggles, grab your sledgehammer, and start taking a few swings. But we advise against that. No matter how big or small your plans are it’s important that you take the time to consider your options. It’s the only way to ensure your upgrades don’t turn into new annoyances.

For some, renovating the bathroom is as simple as outfitting the sink and shower with new faucets. For others, it’s a total override of the entire room involving changes to the layout, tiling, and larger fixtures like toilets and tubs. It all depends on your budget, the help that you hire, and the time you can devote to such a renovation.

What Do We Suggest?

For those of you who are planning on doing a total overhaul of your washroom, we suggest you take a look at your pipes before you do any major work. Looking at blueprints of your pipes can be overwhelming as it can be pretty intricate and complex. As such, it’s best to do this with a professional local plumber around.

If it’s been several years (or decades) since you last redecorated then the chances of your home having outdated and deteriorating pipes are pretty high. Given enough time, they can pose a serious problem for your plumbing and drainage system that may require invasive repairs. You don’t to want to retrofit your home after you’d done your renovation; the repairs can potentially ruin all of the work you did.

Nobody likes seeing their time or money wasted, so before you start your upgrade, make sure your home doesn’t rely on pipes and service lines made out of galvanized steel. If your home was built during or before the 1960s then there’s a high probability that you have galvanized plumbing. You may have no problems with this material now, but eventually, you will. Galvanized steel corrodes easily and accumulates sediment and rust on the inside of the pipe. As a result, these kinds of pipes are prone to problems with water pressure and clogs. If the corrosion is particularly bad, they may also taint your water supply with lead or cause a damaging leak.

If you’re not sure of what type of pipe your home has, one of our expert plumbers can perform a quick preventative maintenance inspection. During one of these appointments, they’ll visually identify the material used in your pipes. They’ll also go one step further. Using state-of-the-art cameras that can provide a 360-degree view of the inside of your pipes and lines, our plumbers can determine if the steel has undergone significant corrosion since it was first installed.

If they detect galvanized piping, it’s not an immediate cause for concern. You can continue using galvanized piping safely for a long time before the corrosion and rust cause flooding and other problems. However, it is something that you should monitor, and if our plumbers find considerable damage to your pipes then you’ll have to consider a full replacement of the affected material.

Preventative Maintenance Inspection

This will be a large task – no question. It takes time, effort, and considerable construction – which is why it’s so important to determine whether or not you need to replace your galvanized pipes before you redo your bathroom. A local plumber should have the expertise to answer to all of these questions and concerns.

Can you imagine finally having the bathroom of your dreams only to find out a year later you need to rip out galvanized pipes? It won’t just be time and money wasted – we guarantee you’ll have some heartache over this renovation disaster. So follow our advice. Give us a call and book yourself a preventative maintenance inspection to save yourself the tears of ruining your renovation.

Plumbing Care With The Pros

Keeping up with daily plumbing care should be a priority. Keeping the various components of your plumbing clean is an easy way to keep your system happy and healthy. It’s also a great way to be aware of any changing conditions or developing issues so you can take the appropriate repairs to avoid a disaster. Unfortunately, even the best preventative measures can’t stop your home from becoming a plumbing nightmare should luck be against you. In which case, a well-timed visit from one of our emergency plumbers can help you control the situation and return your home back to normal.

No amount of drain cleaning will help you if you’re up against Mother Nature. The fact of the matter is, when it comes to weather and geography, she always wins. One of the most common issues behind the emergency calls that we receive has to do with destructive tree roots affecting your drain and sewer lines. Roots are attracted to moisture, and they will stop at nothing in order to reach that source – even if that’s your pipes!

Get Rid Of Those Tree Roots!

The strength of these root tips has to be admired, as they only need to find a small fissure within the walls of the pipes in order to make their way inside. Once inside, they never want to leave. The inside of these lines creates the perfect climate for these searching roots, as it contains all the things it needs to live. Once they benefit from the moisture, oxygen, and nutrients inside these pipes, the roots will begin to grow. Eventually, their presence in your lines will affect the way your plumbing and drainage system works. Their roots act as a catch-all net, trapping sediment, grease, oils, and other debris leaving your home. At first, this kind of blockage will decrease the flow of your drainage system until eventually, it’s blocked completely.

When it comes to tree roots, we’ve designed a convenient, non-invasive way to locate and remove obstructions. Our emergency plumbers use a state-of-the-art camera that offers a 360-degree view of your lines. Once they identify the location of the blockage, they can use a combination of hydro flushing and trenchless technology to remove the obstructions and repair any damaged pipes without having to dig up and disturb your driveway, landscaping, or other property. It’s quick, convenient, and keeps your costs to a minimum.

That’s what why our plumbers use it. Just like our tips for preventative cleaning and maintenance, it’s to ensure that your drainage and plumbing system is cared for as easily and affordably as possible. Even when there’s an emergency, we offer you a clear, logical, and quick way to keep your plumbing on track. So the next time Lady Luck and Mother Nature conspire against you, remember us – the emergency plumbers you can rely on!

Prevent The Backflow!

When faced with a backflow problem, your home can be brought to a standstill. Something as simple as flushing a toilet or doing the dishes will be impossible when the lines leading from your home are blocked. That’s why we’ve made our emergency plumbers available 24/7. We don’t want you waiting for assistance for a few hours (or more) until our offices are open. Should you realize that your sewer lines are blocked at 2 o’clock in the morning, then you should expect to speak with a plumber at that time. You can call one of our emergency plumbers at any time of day or night, and they’ll make their way out to your home, armed with the appropriate equipment.

Worried About A Plumbing Problem?

Backflows and tree roots are two out of the many common types of problems that can occur with your drains. While these two issues do not show immediate problematic results, the long-term effects can be drastic. Every plumber emphasizes the importance of plumbing care. Plumbing care is not addressing a problem when it is too severe or resorting to questionable DIY methods on the Internet.

Yes, the Internet is a vast and helpful resource. However, the information should not be weighted just as important as a professional. Do take into consideration the advice you find on valid plumbing websites. But keep in mind that all systems are different. And depending on how your house is structured, an innocuous method can be potentially dangerous or hazardous. As such, the best and logical preventative plumbing care is to consult an experienced plumber. He or she will take a close inspection of your home architecture to deliver the best plumbing care accordingly.

We at Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning love to assist people like you. If you have any questions, call us anytime. We’re always here to help with any of your plumbing needs, emergencies, and plumbing care.

The Importance Of Bathroom Cleaning

Many do weekly bathroom cleaning for hygiene purposes and prevention of stains. As winter comes to a close and spring finally starting to bloom, it’s the perfect time to shake off the winter doldrums and think about the state of your home. Draft up a spring cleaning list, so you can perform a few badly needed deep cleans around the house – and a few repairs too!

It’s natural for your bathroom to make its way to the top of your to-do list. It’s a heavily used room that can need a lot of TLC, even if you keep up with cleaning it on a regular basis. As you prepare for an afternoon of scrubbing and mopping, don’t be shy to take a closer look at your plumbing’s health. A quick inspection of your washroom can ensure your plumbing matches your spotless cleaning job.

A Thorough Bathroom Clean-Up

The must-do bathroom cleaning can be a tedious effort. But that would depend on how thorough you are. Where should you start? What tools do you need? What should you be aware of? And perhaps the most important question, how can you save time and speed up the process to get as much done as possible? Below are some handy tips to keep in mind when bathroom cleaning. We outline what materials you may need and what else you can be doing while what you’ve done is doing its thing. Before you begin, place a bowl underneath your sink faucet. You’ll see why later on.

The Bathtub

The exterior of perhaps anything in your bathroom is the easiest to clean. Once you get down to the nitty-gritty is when you may start feeling frustrated. As you’re giving your tub a good outer scrub, take a moment to look at your drain. Can you see hair clinging to the cross bar of the drain itself? If so, don a pair of gloves and pull the hair out. You might be surprised at just how much it comes out of your drains! Once you’ve removed the obstruction, pour a cup of vinegar down the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes. During this time, you can give it a good outer scrub while mentally noting if you see rust anywhere. After 30 minutes, follow the vinegar with lukewarm water.

While you’re waiting, keep the vinegar handy as you move to the showerhead. Hard water can leave mineral deposits that clog the showerhead, and the enzymes in vinegar can dissolve the sediment. Disconnect the showerhead and place it in a bowl of vinegar overnight. If you feel uncomfortable with removing the showerhead in such a way, you can fill a plastic bag with vinegar and wrap it around the head with a rubber band. By the next day, use a toothbrush to clear away any of the remaining sediments.

The Toilet

With the bathtub down, you can now move onto the toilet. If you’ve got rust stains in the bowl, it suggests that you’ve got a leak. But let’s get to the stain first. We don’t recommend that you use caustic chemicals, as these aren’t environmentally safe to pour into your plumbing system. If you aren’t sure which products are eco-friendly, you can always use the very same white vinegar you used in your shower. Spray any stains above the water line directly with vinegar, and pour half of a cup into the water for those stains under the water line. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then scrub at the stains with steel wool. And since you used all natural vinegar, you can feel good about flushing it down. As for the leak, it might not be noticeable save for the stains that it made; however, it will rear its ugly head later on in your utility bill. Leaking tanks are an expensive waste of water, so be sure to give us a call for immediate repairs.

The Sink

Last but not least, make sure to inspect your sink before you tick off the bathroom from your list. Often, small leaks slip past our notice because they’re not obvious. You can catch a sneaky leak by placing a bowl underneath the tap for the afternoon to see if any water collects. If you placed a bowl underneath the faucet before you’ve begin it should have been a long enough duration to catch any sneaky leaks. Don’t forget to check underneath the sink as well. Look out for any signs of mold or mildew growing there. If the bowl trick results in collected water or you see signs of water damage underneath the sink, don’t worry. We’re only too happy to help with the job – whether it’s a small issue or an emergency repair.

Found A Problem In Your Bathroom?

Doing a thorough bathroom cleaning will allow you to be aware of problems or growing problems in the vicinity. Big or small, these problems should be taken care of immediately to prevent its growth. Keep in mind that a problem may seem small but is guaranteed to be a costly investment in the long run.

Available at any time, our plumbing experts are ready to help with your springtime maintenance and year-round repairs. Simply pick up the phone and get one of our plumbers out to your home. Together, we’ll make your home ready for spring – and the rest of the year too.

Common Plumbing Tap Problems And Solutions

Plumbing tap problems are not costly but also quite annoying. Screaming, gurgling, whistling, and chattering – no, this isn’t your child we’re talking about; it’s your plumbing tap! If you’re tired of this annoyance wreaking havoc on your eardrums, take an afternoon to assess the faucets in your household.

Unhappy pipes kick up quite the fuss, and it’s a good idea to listen to what they’re saying. Each sound your faucet produces can reveal the source of the issue, which makes solving it that much easier. But if you’re not fluent in faucet-speak, these noises can leave you scratching your head. Don’t worry! Our plumbing experts at Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning have broken down each noise and explained its cause.

As your leading plumbing company in Ontario, we take every plumbing issue seriously. For immediate assistance, we invite you to call our customer service team at 1-877-554-9776 to schedule an in-home appointment for a prompt plumbing tap inspection or other plumbing services with guaranteed results.

Screaming Plumbing Taps

A screaming tap sounds a lot worse than it is. Typically, when a plumbing tap screams, a faulty stem is to blame. A stem is a moving mechanism within the faucet that controls how much or how little water can move through it. It will screech when it meets too much resistance against a faucet’s threads every time you turn your tap on or off. To silence the faucet, you’ll have to lubricate this squeaky stem with some plumber’s grease. Sometimes, however, a stem and its connecting parts are so old they require replacement to truly stop the noise.

Hammering Sounds

Another type of noisy plumbing tap is what is called a hammering sound. Whenever your faucets produce this sound, it’s indicative of a vibration somewhere within the water supply line. Vibrations might be caused by a worn washer, a check valve, or even a foreign object that’s stuck within the water line and constricting the amount of space the water has to flow.

To stop your faucet from vibrating, you’ll first have to isolate the problem. You can do this by turning the tap on slowly, one temperature at a time to determine whether the vibration is in the hot or cold water supply line. Once you know which pipe is causing you grief, you can go from there. Before you attempt any washer replacement, check to see if the valve is open all of the way. Most of the time, our licensed plumber finds it’s a semi-closed valve constricting the water supply and creating a hammering sound.

Note: You may also experience a water hammer in your supply lines when you suddenly turn off your plumbing tap. This is normally caused by high pressure, and we highly recommend that you check your water pressure regulator or hire an experienced plumber to regulate the pressure level. Otherwise, you risk damaging your supply lines and could experience leaks, water damage, and even a basement flood.

Mineral Buildup

It’s also important to note that Ontario’s water hardness is higher than that of other provinces. If your area has a high level of hard water, you’ll eventually experience calcium buildup inside your plumbing fixtures, especially in your household water supply lines. Mineral deposits will decrease your indoor water pressure and even increase the level of sediment buildup in your hot water tank. Unless you flush your water heater on a routine basis, you will eventually hear rattling noises coming from your tank.

Mineral deposits tend to accumulate in your plumbing tap’s aerator, which is the screen covering your faucet’s spout. Remove the aerator to see if that fixes your noisy plumbing tap issue. If yes, create a paste with baking soda and white vinegar to scrub off the mineral content. But if it doesn’t fix the problem, some interior issues lie in the body of your kitchen faucet: the cartridge may be corroded, or the o-ring is worn out. In that case, rather than get faucet repair services, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a new one. Our licensed technician is happy to recommend quality brands and complete the installation process.

How To Avoid Plumbing Tap Issues

We recommend that you hire a professional plumbing service annually to check your water pressure and water quality. It’s not only drain lines that get clogged due to years of buildup, but your supply lines carry mineral contents, such as calcium and magnesium, which tend to stick to your pipe walls over time. If left untreated, you not only get decreased water pressure, noisy plumbing taps, and leaky faucets, but you also risk damaging your supply lines as they can corrode.

Our drain cleaning or hydro jetting services are also designed to clear water supply lines. Therefore, plumbing tap issues can signal a lot of other underlying problems.

However, as far as most plumbing taps are concerned, your best option is often a faucet replacement, but our friendly plumbing technician is always happy to check the issue in greater detail before determining the best course of action. Without plumbing maintenance and repairs, you may find yourself needing new kitchen accessories, such as a new kitchen sink.

Need Help With Your Noisy Plumbing Tap?

It can be relieving to finally know the exact reason behind your noisy plumbing tap. Once you know why your faucet is making so much noise, you can roll up your sleeves and attempt to fix it.

The most basic toolkits have the equipment you need (like a screwdriver and wrench) to complete this type of plumbing repair. If it’s not the state of your toolkit that you don’t have confidence in but your own DIY skills, don’t worry. Our licensed and insured plumbers have silenced plenty of loud faucets in their time, and they can add your taps to their list for your peace of mind!

Simply call 1-877-554-9776, and we’ll send out an expert plumber to your Ontario home – whenever you need them! After a quick assessment, they’ll locate the issue causing your plumbing taps to scream (or vibrate) and make the appropriate repairs or replacements.

Common Plumbing Problems

Common plumbing problems are the reason why resort to the Internet instead of a professional. Why? Well, because they are common. Because it’s common, there are bound to be effective DIY solutions somewhere. Sometimes what seems like an easy repair can quickly transform into a larger job – one that you’re in no way qualified to handle. Just as you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about deferring to the experts for a small repair, you shouldn’t feel self-conscious about throwing in the towel and admitting defeat.  Don’t struggle through any more of the repair than you have to; the faster we can arrive and take over, the earlier your home can return to normal.

Whether a client considers themselves knowledgeable or clueless about their plumbing system, our plumbers are often answering calls about the same issues. The following are some of the most common plumbing problems that require a visit from one of our experts.

Leaking Tap

A leaking tap can drive anyone crazy. No matter how hard you twist the handle, your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry tub tap insists on dripping. The noise of the water hitting the basin isn’t the only frustrating part of any leak; those drips add up to a serious waste of water that’s both bad for the environment and your wallet. Often a dripping tap is caused by a damaged washer, which is a piece of rubber that normally creates a water-tight seal on your pipes when your taps are off. You need specialized tools in order to reach and replace these washers, which not all homeowners have. Alternatively, it could be a less common problem involving the o-rings or jumper valves.

Clogged Drains

A clogged drain doesn’t always appear as a sink that’s slow (or impossible) to empty. Sometimes the only clue you have a blockage is a strange gurgling sound coming from your sinks whenever you shower or flush the toilet. However your clog presents itself, it’s caused by an obstruction of soap scum, hair, grease, or foreign objects – or a combination of all 4.

The clog isn’t always near the drain itself, and it can run deep into your pipes. When that’s the case, you need a camera inspection of your pipes to locate the block and hydro flushing to break it up. (We’ve yet to find a homeowner who owns these two pieces of equipment). Sometimes, something more serious is causing the issue like a tree root penetrating a line or a misaligned pipe, which necessitates trench-less technology spot repair.

Running Toilet

Your toilet is made of several intricate moving parts that can be the cause behind a constantly running toilet. Adjusting the chain length doesn’t always fix this issue; sometimes a replacement of the chain, the stopper, or another piece is required; or another (hidden) issue altogether lies behind your running toilet, like a problem with your water supply line.

A Professional Versus DIY

With solutions to common plumbing problems across the world wide web, it’s unlikely that someone won’t go searching first.  From time to time homeowners and renters have been known to roll up their sleeves and apply a little elbow grease to their plumbing system in the hopes of saving a few dollars in repairs. We can appreciate trying to save some money, and it’s true that many individuals across the GTA have the skills and gumption to take on basic plumbing repairs. But some jobs are just better left to the professionals. The larger, more complex and invasive problems can surpass the limits of your expertise. Without the right tools, experience, or understanding of your plumbing system, a DIY approach isn’t always the best method.

The key is understanding when you’re out of your depth. When this happens is different for each of our clients. For the handy, proactive homeowners, you probably have a decent tool kit that can help you with minor, contained problems like a clogged toilet or a plugged drain. For others, these seemingly simple repairs are far too complex. Wherever you draw the line, there’s no shame in calling one of our expert plumbers to help you with these jobs.  No task is too large or too small for our trained, insured, and certified staff.

These common plumbing problems don’t always have an obvious solution. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or a pro, when you notice something isn’t quite right with your plumbing system – whether it’s one of these 3 or something completely different – don’t hesitate to call. One of our plumbers will be at your door ready to find the source of your problem and apply a quick and affordable repair that lasts.

Your Septic Tank

Not all of our clients live in a house or apartment that’s connected to a centralized wastewater treatment facility. We know some live in a home that relies on a septic tank, and there are more than you think! For those with a drainage system that involves one of these tanks, we have a few pieces of professional advice to keep it working well.

Tips On Keeping Your Septic Tank Happy

Be aware of what you’re putting down your drains, taking care to limit the amount of food particles and grease that pass your mesh strainer. We may come across as a broken record for our regular readers, as we offer this piece of advice time and time again. But we mention it so often because it truly makes a difference. Anything that gets past your defense will eventually find its way into your septic tank. Your tank isn’t designed to handle anything but water, soap, and bio-degradable waste. That means food and oils can create a block in your tank’s inlet drain.

This caution applies to how you clean your drains as well. Your septic tank relies on an anaerobic bacterial environment to decompose and mineralize the waste. Its success is reliant upon keeping a chemical balance. When you use caustic cleaners (think those heavy-duty cleaners with toxic ingredients like Draino), you’re upsetting this delicate balance. The bacteria that your septic tank needs to operate will die, making it impossible for the tank to process waste water. We recommend using environmentally friendly cleaners (like our line of biodegradable products) whenever you clean. Meanwhile, avoid letting oils, varnish, and paint thinners go down the drain.

We recommend you extend your mindfulness beyond your drains, too. Be attentive of your plumbing system as a whole. Don’t overtax this system any more than you have to. Ensure your house is in good repair, so no leaks, clogs, or other drainage issues put strain on your tank. If you’re a little hesitant to try your hand at DIY fixes, give us a call. Our plumbers will make short work of any leak or drainage issue.

It’s also a good idea to use your water efficiently, so you don’t put too much pressure and overload your tank. By this we mean simple changes to you routine, like waiting until your dishwasher is completely full before you turn it on or making sure you collect a full load of laundry before you put in the machine.

Our last bit of advice is to schedule a routine check-up with one of our professional plumbers. This includes a general inspection of the tank itself before they pump the tank. By pumping the tank, our plumbers can remove the sludge that naturally collects at the bottom of the tank over time. How often you do this depends on the size of your home, but on average a family of four should schedule an appointment every four years. Never do this on your own, as there are inherent dangers to opening your septic tank, so be sure to give us a call once your four years is up!

Having Problems With Your Septic Tank?

We’re also available day or night should you encounter any other issues with your tank in the meantime. Unusual odors, flooding around the tank or drain field, backups, or unusual coloring of the grass on your drainfield—you name it, we can fix it. Just pick up the phone, and we’ll be there today! Our help, combined with your careful maintenance, will ensure your septic tank works as it should for as long as it can.

Your Simple Kitchen Sink Maintenance Plan

Having a simple kitchen sink maintenance plan can go a long way for the health of your kitchen sinks. We know you probably don’t spend much of your day thinking about your kitchen sink, but as the GTA’s top plumbing experts, we certainly do. We know it to be an important and hardworking component of your home’s plumbing and drainage system. In order for it to work seamlessly with the rest of this system, it can need a little bit of kitchen sink maintenance. That’s why we recommend following a simple yet effective maintenance routine. Regular upkeep of your sinks will keep your kitchen running as it should.

Keep Your Kitchen Sink And Its Vicinity Clean

A simple solution in kitchen sink maintenance is simply keeping your kitchen sink clean. This should also be your number one priority. By minding what is able to flow down its drains, you can delay—or outright prevent—a build-up from clogging your sink. Ideally, you should only allow soap and water to wash down your drains, but we understand that can be difficult to manage in a busy kitchen. To help you keep unwanted items from getting down your drains and causing problems, install a mesh strainer to fit over your drain. This will keep food particles from washing down with the water.

Be Cautious Of Grease And Oil

Kitchen sink maintenance is often difficult to do when you’re cooking with oils or grease. Be sure never to let any grease or oil to flow down this drain as well, as this fat will stay within the pipes and trap food and other particles that manage to get past your trap. Over time, enough food will get stuck to create a significant clog and back up your sinks. Avoiding this situation is simple. Before you place greasy plates or pots into your sink, pour the fat into a container that can be thrown out once the fat has congealed. Give any plate and pot a quick swipe of a paper towel to rid it of any additional grease that’s left behind.

Your Safe DIY Solution

If you notice your drains are still slow to drain, you don’t necessarily need to call us for repairs. You can try a simple and non-invasive DIY solution before you pick up your phone. Pour ¼ cup of white vinegar down your sink. Vinegar is a excellent, it is a green alternative to caustic pipe cleaning chemicals, and it’s not harmful to you or your home. Don’t run any water for at least an hour to allow the vinegar to get to work at whatever’s made a home in your pipe. Once it’s had time to sit, follow it with the hottest tap water possible. This should clear minor clogs that are slowing down your sink. It will also remove any gross odors as well!

For sinks installed with a garburator, the above rules don’t apply. You’ll allow food to regularly go down your sink; however, it’s still important to take care with how you use it. Before and after you use your garbage disposal unit, always run the coldest water your tap is capable of for at least 15 seconds. This will ensure everything is flushed through the line properly. Use only cold water, as it will ensure the kitchen scraps remain in a solid (and therefore easy to clear) state.  Don’t put any fibrous or overly stringy scraps through your garburator. These items (like celery, animal skins, and banana peels) are too hard for your garbage disposal to successfully grind.

The garburator is often forgotten in kitchen sink maintenance. To keep your garbage disposal free of foul odors due to food build-up, try pouring a pea-sized amount of dish soap while the machine is on. Alternatively, you can crush a cup of ice cubes with the rinds of any citrus fruit you have on hand. Our favorite is a mixture of lemons and limes.

Need More Information Or Tips?

Simple though these steps may be, they go a long way to keeping your kitchen sink happy and working as it should. Despite your best efforts, however, sometimes clogs happen. In the case of tenacious clogs, stubborn odors, or strange sounds, call our plumbing experts. A quick and efficient visit will have your sink back to normal.

Investing In A Water Softener?

You may have heard of a water softener or even have one in your own home. If you travel often and sip from the local tap water, you might not be surprised to realize that the composition of water differs from place to place. The presence of minerals in your water supply can do more than alter its taste. Depending on the hardness of your home’s water, it can affect the health of your pipes and the way that you clean.

But what does hard water even mean? Your home’s water supply can be categorized as soft or hard depending on the minerals found within it. When your water has a high percentage of minerals, like lime, magnesium, and calcium carbonate, it’s considered hard. While these minerals are what give your drinking water flavor, they can be difficult on your pipes. Moreover, they can make cleaning an even bigger chore that it already is.

Hard Or Soft Water?

Not sure if you have hard or soft water? It’s obvious what kind of water you have when you know what to look for. Hard water makes using soaps and detergents a little frustrating. If you have hard water, you’ll notice that you struggle in the bath or shower to recreate the soapy suds shown in shampoo and body gel commercials, as soap doesn’t want to lather with hard water. You’ll also see the evidence of hard water in your tub and on your shower curtain. All of the minerals in hard water have to go somewhere, after all, and they appear as lime scale and soap scum in your tub. Extremely hard water can have even more destructive consequences as well. Water that’s particularly high in minerals can be very harsh on your skin, making it rough and dry. It can also make your skin and hair look dull and unclean.

If you have hard water, the issue isn’t restricted to your washroom. It can make your chores like laundry and dish washing annoying and time-consuming. You’ll notice that your dishes, particularly glassware, will look dingy with smudges from the soap scum left behind. Likewise, your clothes will come out of the wash lacking that clean, bright look and feel of freshly laundered fabrics. In turn, you and your appliances end up working harder to clean your basic loads of laundry and dishes, running more water and electricity to do common household tasks.

Hard water can do more damage than lower your home’s efficiency. Limescale, soap scum, and the other minerals found in hard water can build up in your pipes. Calcification and rusting of your plumbing system can lead to serious problems. We understand that you need your plumbing and drainage system to work smoothly, which is why we offer water softeners and water filters for our clients struggling with hard water. When one of our certified plumbers installs a water softener in your home, you can escape the problems of hard water. With soft water, you won’t spend as much time, water, and energy on cleaning.

Having Problems With Your Water Softener?

Give us a call to learn more about the water softeners that we offer. We’ll ensure it is properly installed and operating smoothing; and with regularly scheduled maintenance checks, our team will make sure it continues to run well into the future. Don’t struggle with hard water any longer. Get in touch and enjoy bathing and cleaning again!

Winter Plumbing Maintenance

As winter is right around the corner, it’s recommended to look into tips and tricks for winter plumbing maintenance. It’s important to be looking over pipes during the warmer weather, but it’s even more so when the chilly season comes along.

Jack Frost has officially arrived, and he brought with him snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. As the wind chill starts to dip in the negative double digits, most of us will find refuge in our warm homes where mountains of blankets and hot cocoa are waiting. It’s a good reminder, however, to appreciate that the cooler temperatures affect your home as well – particularly that of your plumbing and drainage system. Here are few of our top tips to keep your plumbing happy, whatever the temperature is outside.

Any keen reader of our publication will remember some of the advice we gave to winterize your home back in the fall. Some of our pointers involved the outside of your home, ensuring garden hoses and outside taps, spigots, and connecting pipes were drained of water. By now you would have already done this, as well as disabled any interior shut-off valves to ensure no remaining water could lead to your interior pipes. We also suggested investing in Styrofoam or rubber pipe insulators to keep these pipes from freezing. To top it all off, we hoped you took advantage of our hot water heater services to make sure it was up to the task of warming your water throughout the season.

What Do We Recommend?

If you took all of our tips to heart, then congratulations; you’re already ahead of the pack. But even with these solid preventative measures under your belt, it’s a good idea to run a diagnostic’s check through your system half-way through the season – especially when the cold weather has taken so long to hit since you winterized your home. We can’t recommend enough to double check those insulators that you installed to make sure they’re still doing what they’re supposed to. If you find any additional uncovered pipes – or if you find any cracks in the Styrofoam – be sure to purchase more.

Our expert plumbers also recommend keeping your furnace operating at a decent temperature. This may seem obvious as you crank your thermostat up to combat the chilling winds, but it’s important to ensure that room temperature (21 °C) is maintained during the day. It’s normal for homeowners to lower this temperature during the night in a bid to save energy and money; however, the temperature of your home should never go below 12 °C in the winter. Letting your house dip under this number runs the risk of water freezing in your pipes. We all know what that can lead to, as frozen water expands within the pipe until it bursts.

Now, 12 °C may seem like a temperature you’re confident your living spaces will never reach; however, this number also applies to your lesser used rooms, including attics, crawl spaces, garages, basements, or anywhere else exposed pipes are at a risk of freezing – including anywhere you have water supply lines, as these are usually located in areas that don’t receive optimal heating. Keep in mind that pipes servicing hot water can freeze if there’s no water running through them. During your mid-winter maintenance check, be sure to also check for draughts in these places, keeping an eye towards cracked or poorly insulated windows and doors.

Preventing Mother Nature

Even with the best intentions, winter can get the better of us and our homes. Sometimes, you get a little warning. If you notice the water pressure has lowered, this could be an early indication that your pipes are in the process of freezing; in which case, run your taps at a slow trickle (no larger than the width of a pen) and give us a call – any hour of the day and any day of the week. We proudly offer our services 24/7 for exactly this reason, as a frozen and burst pipe can happen at any time. Regardless of when it happens, it’s an emergency that needs immediate care. The dribbling tap will ensure water is flowing through your pipes constantly until our expert plumbers arrive to make the appropriate precautions and repairs.

So keep our number in your contact list when you perform your mid-winter plumbing maintenance. We might just save your and your home from disaster!

Your Plumbing Guide For The Holidays

With the holidays less than a month away, preparation for the holidays is in high gear. The halls have to be decked, the fridge stocked, and the guestrooms settled. Then it’s merely a waiting game until extended family and long-distant friends come calling. If you’re anything like our team, you’ll be entertaining a full house this. From past experience, we know that the extra guests in your house will be testing more than just your patience. Hosting the holidays can put a strain on your home’s plumbing and drainage systems too.

When the holidays rely on your home, you can’t let something like a clogged sink or a frozen pipe ruin Christmas or Hanukah. We know you’ve got enough on your mind as it is. That’s why we’ve developed an easy-to-follow guide to ensure your plumbing system can handle your guests, so you only have to worry about getting the turkey in and how to organize your seating arrangements.

What Should You Do?

Because let’s face it – the holidays are all about the food. Everyone from your great aunt Carol to your new neighbour John will be looking to load up on carbs and turkey during their visit. When you’re cooking your family’s holiday feast, be careful about what gets down your drains. Though you’ll be making dish after dish and washing pan after pan, it’s important that you keep food and grease out of your sink. We recommend you pour your fat drippings into a container before you place any pan in your sinks to soak. Once the grease has solidified, you can throw it out with the rest of the garbage and not worry about it congealing in your pipes. Make sure to scrape any food off of your plates before you rinse them. You can easily purchase a fitted drain strainer to help you keep scraps from getting washed down your drains.

While you’re purchasing a drain strainer for your kitchen sink, it’s a good idea to buy a couple for your bathroom(s) too. When your family and friends stay over, they’ll be using your shower. That means more water, soap, and hair will be running down the bathtub drains, so pop in a strainer into any shower and stop hair or soap scum from clogging these pipes. If you’re entertaining a lot of people, it’s also a good idea to stagger everyone’s showers to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your pipes and your water heater. This will also conveniently help to structure everyone’s day.

Uh-Oh, Ran Into Issues?

These simple tricks are a great way to keep your plumbing system running as it should despite your full house. But if you notice your drains are gurgling or out-right clogged after your guests leave, give us a call. Our experienced, licensed, and insured plumbers are available 24/7 even throughout the holidays, and they’re happy to help you and your plumbing system recover from the festivities. We’re also available if something urgent threatens to ruin your Christmas or Hanukah, like frozen pipes or a flood. Simply give us a call, and we can be there right away to keep your holidays on track.

Plumbing Tips

Whether it’s going to be your first home or your seventh, purchasing a new house is an exciting opportunity for you and your family. As one of the biggest investments you’ll make in life, it can also be an overwhelming experience. Too often, when our plumbers answer calls they learn that homeowners didn’t know about pre-existing issues before they bought the house. What should have been caught before they settled on a mortgage got swept up in the excitement of a new home, only to be revealed when their belongings were still packed away in little brown boxes.

Comprehensive Inspection

It’s important that a comprehensive inspection is completed on the entire house, including its plumbing and drainage system. This assessment should be carried out by a professional that you know to be trustworthy, competent, and methodical in their approach. Don’t entrust the physical check-up of your potential new home to the first or cheapest inspector that you find. That’s a recipe for disaster, as their low bill is a direct reflection of their skill and experience. Ask your real estate agent for a few referrals, and interview the candidates until you find one you and your family feel good about trusting.

Once an inspector has been chosen, it’s important that you co-ordinate a time and date that works for both of your schedules. It’s imperative that you accompany them during their appraisal of your home, so there are no surprises when it comes to issues with the house. You’ll also understand the extent of any problems that they find, as you’ll be able to ask pertinent questions that could reveal the severity of the defect and influence the priority of your repairs.

While touring the home with your inspector, it’s a good rule of thumb that you perform your own checks. Inspect any exposed pipes under sinks and in the basement for leaks. Moisture around pipes and fixtures is a direct give-away that there’s a leak; however, the presence of mould, mildew, and cracks around pipes is also an indication of faulty plumbing. You should also check to see if all of the toilets and sinks operate as they should. Run taps to see if the kitchen, laundry, and washroom sinks and tubs drain properly without delay or unusual sounds. Flush toilets to see if the bowl releases and fills in an appropriate amount of time.

Detailed Assessment

By carrying out a detailed assessment of the house, you can draft a mortgage with a full understanding of what awaits you in your new home. Unfortunately, sometimes even the best inspector can’t always predict future problems. External factors affecting the main sewer line can cause a surprise flood in an otherwise healthy home. Careless maintenance of your sinks and tubs can put strain on your systems and create problems down the line.

As a new homeowner, the last thing you want to do is struggle with plumbing problems. If you notice something isn’t right with your home, call us right away. Whether it’s for a middle-of-the-night emergency or it’s just for general repairs, we’ll arrive at your door ready to complete quick, reliable, and reasonable repairs. Just give us a call and we’ll be there!

Plumbing Problems For Renters

There are plenty of benefits to renting over buying your own home, apartment, or condo. You’re only responsible for each month’s (fixed) rent and a damage deposit, instead of amassing a large down payment for a mortgage with a flexible interest rate. You don’t have to pay real estate taxes with the worry that your property will decrease in value. As a renter, you have access to luxuries, like pools and gyms, which you would otherwise have to pay for on your own.

Possibly the biggest advantage is when there are issues that require maintenance or repair, you aren’t financially responsible for these repairs. But just because you don’t have to pay for maintenance or repair bills doesn’t mean you can’t do your part to keep your household running well and your landlord happy.

Before you even sign the lease, you can prepare for a successful tenancy by taking a detailed tour. As your landlord shows your potential new home, ask where you can find the main water shutoff valve is in the house or apartment. The valve itself should be easily identifiable and easily accessed if you need to shut off the water in case of a plumbing emergency.

Should the water heater break or your pipes burst, your landlord will thank you! You should also know where individual shutoffs for toilets and sinks are in case isolated overflows or floods occur, and where the interior shut-off for outside pipes and hoses are once the weather’s cold enough to warrant winterization.

What Do We Suggest?

Once you’ve settled in and gotten comfortable, our team of plumbing experts suggest your adopt healthy household habits into your lifestyle. Be careful of what goes down any of your sinks. If your kitchen sink isn’t outfitted with a garburator, then no food and especially no oils should be finding their way down the drain. You can buy cheap metal strainers to fit into the drains of your kitchen, washroom, and laundry room sinks, as well as your shower. These will help to catch any food and hair that gets passed your attention.

Your toilet should also be handled with care. Certain items – even if they are sanitary “bathroom” products – shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet. If you have small children who are curious about what they can flush, make sure to keep the lid of the toilet shut and secure. Toys, cleaning wipes, baby tissues, and sanitary napkins will eventually cause a clog in your toilet.

Even the most vigilant renter may encounter plumbing problems, despite their attempts to prevent otherwise. Luckily, should a clog or a leak cause issue in your rental home, you don’t have to cover the costs; however, you can inform your landlord as soon as possible about your plumbing issue. Let them know that our team of fully licensed, certified, and insured plumbers are available 24/7 to help; or, make sure you discuss with your landlord your plan before you give us a call yourself.

Once a member of our plumbing team arrives at your door, you’ll have a quick and speedy repair, so you can go back to renting your home in peace. So take a look at our contact details, and keep us in mind the next time your plumbing needs some TLC.

Common Plumbing Issues & Their Solutions

Your home’s plumbing and drainage system is an intricate structure that allows you the modern convenience of running water throughout your home. Many of us take our plumbing for granted, thinking nothing of flushing a toilet, taking a shower, or washing the dishes. Even fewer of us thank our drainage systems after a particularly bad storm. It’s only when something in this complex system goes wrong that it gets our attention.

Sophisticated though it may be it still sees its fair share of troubles. As the GTA’s dependable plumbing service provider, we’ve seen and repaired everything that can go wrong with the average home and business. More often than naught, the same issues make our clients seek out help and schedule an appointment with one of our team. These calls can come after failed attempts at do-it-yourself fixes, or they can come in the middle of the night as an emergency. Whatever it is that makes you pick up your phone to speak with us, we’ll be there, ready and prepared to make the repair correctly, efficiently, and affordably. Here are some common plumbing issues you may have run into.

Problems & Solutions

Drains will forever give our clients trouble, especially for those who live in older homes with antiquated systems. Improper maintenance and inattentive usage can exacerbate these strained parts of your plumbing. These are the common plumbing issues our clients have had in the past with their drains. Food, oil, hair, and – yes – even children’s toys can find their way down sinks and into the pipes below, causing clogs and even destructive back-ups. The solutions to these common plumbing issues can be DIYs to remove the debris. However, you have to be careful on what you’re doing to your plumbing system.

While some homeowners try to clear these blockages with homemade remedies or caustic cleaners, we can’t recommend that strategy. These chemicals are harsh on both your pipes and the environment. They also might not clear the clog, particularly if it has origins deeper in your pipes. With a toolkit of advanced equipment, our team can locate and clear any blockages without harming your pipes or the environment. With state-of-the-art cameras and hydro-flushing, our plumbers don’t even need to touch your pipes!

Another popular problem that besets homeowners is low water pressure. The average home sees water under 40 – 50 pounds per square inch (PSI). When the water pressure dips lower than this median, it becomes difficult to do much of anything. Seeing the slow trickle of water drip from your taps can be incredibly frustrating at any time of day. When you’re late for work and struggling to rinse conditioner from your hair, you’ve got the beginnings of a no good, very bad day. A couple of things could be causing low water pressure in your home, including a faulty faucet or a larger issue with the aerator. Our expert plumbers can tackle both, helping to install new taps or clearing out clogged aerators.

Of course, plenty of more things can go wrong with the average household or commercial plumbing and drainage system. Our team of licensed, certified, and fully insured plumbers can service it all. From faulty septic tanks, sewer line, and service pipes to broken water heaters, softeners, and pumps. When you have an issue with your plumbing, give us a call. We’re available across the GTA 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we can help with emergencies and maintenance calls with equal aplomb. So the next time something isn’t quite right with your plumbing and drainage system, give your local expert plumbers a call, and we’ll help!

Eco-Friendly Drain Treatments

Not all of the service calls we respond to are due to middle-of-the-night plumbing emergencies. Most of the time, we receive a lot of calls about the common clog that can stop our clients’ homes’ drainage systems from working properly. Time and time again, when we send out one of our experienced plumbers, they hear the same thing all across Southern Ontario.

After weeks of homeowners trying to remove the clog themselves, they finally broke down to let the professionals get the job done. The lengths some people will go to find DIY drain treatments for kitchen and bathroom sink clogs are astounding, and our plumbers have heard it all. The most common and most concerning method, however, is the simple drain cleaner. The average drain cleaner contains caustic chemicals that can do more harm than good to your pipes!

It all depends on the type of cleaner that you choose. Walk down the plumbing aisle at your neighborhood Home Hardware or Home Depot, and you’ll find shelves upon shelves of options. Unfortunately, these are the wrong options. Whether they’re liquid, powdered, or gel, they all have one thing in common. They contain some pretty powerful chemicals that can be dangerous to your health, your home, and the environment.

Caustic Drain Cleaners?

These substances rely on heat-generating chemical reactions to remove the clog. For caustic drain cleaners, the main chemical is lye or potash. When heated, these chemicals transform dense grease clogs into a runnier consistency that’s easy to dissolve. Oxidizing drain cleaners contain chemicals like nitrates, peroxides, and bleaches to corrode the clog. While effective in removing a clog, these drain cleaners don’t discriminate. Their chemical reactions are designed to burn through or oxidize materials, including your PVC or galvanized steel pipes.

They will also do damage to your person. Caustic and oxidizing drain cleaners are extremely corrosive to your skin, eyes, and mucous membranes should it come into contact with them. They also produce very toxic gases that, if inhaled, can be harmful. If you’re to take a look at these kinds of drain cleaners, you can’t miss the warnings on the label. Gloves and goggles are suggested, as well as instructions to call poison control and the hospital should you accidentally ingest it or get it in your eyes. For those of our clients with young children, having this dangerous substance in your home is a disaster waiting to happen.

These drain cleaners are also harmful to the environment. Remember, your plumbing isn’t a self-contained system and is actually a part of your municipality’s water supply. Whatever you put down your drains will eventually find its way throughout this city-wide system. But its effects don’t stop there. Even after you’ve used up the last of the cleaner down your drains, it will continue to negatively impact the environment. The empty bottles are also considered hazardous waste, as the small portion of chemical remaining in the container will end up in landfills and pollute the Earth.

But when clogs are such a common occurrence, many of our clients wonder how they can combat them without using these cleaners. For one thing, preventative measures like vigilance is instrumental in avoiding a clog. Don’t let any food scraps or grease go down your drains in the kitchen, and in your bathrooms, be sure to install a hair trap for your sinks and showers. We also have a line of effective products that provide a safe alternative to these chemicals. GES+®, a Grease Eliminator & Drain Treatment, is a non-pathogenic, non-toxic, and biodegradable substance that degrades grease and other clogging materials naturally. In place of harmful chemicals, this product uses vegetative bacteria that eat away at blockages. Our plumbers trust these enzymatic drain cleaners because they are environmentally friendly and won’t cause damage to your drains or pipes.

DIY Or To Not DIY

DIY fixes aren’t necessarily a bad idea, if you use the right products. You can safely attempt to clear a clog on your own without worrying about the damage you’re causing to your pipes in the long-term when you use our biodegradable line of products. Of course, should your clog turn into a bigger job than what even the GES+® can handle, our expertly trained plumbers are available 24/7 to help you remove it. Just stay away from the average cleaner you can purchase at a hardware store, as these chemicals do more harm than good!

Commercial Drainage Systems

Lately, our blog has focused on plumbing and drainage issues that affect homeowners, but we want to remind our readers that we also service commercial plumbing systems. Office buildings, restaurants, and medical clinics are high-traffic places of business that see a lot more people coming and going than the average home, which means there’s a lot more pressure put upon these drainage systems. That’s why it’s crucial for every business to have the number of your local plumber on hand for preventative maintenance, expert advice, and emergency repairs.

As the go-to plumbing service in many communities throughout Southern Ontario, our team of professional plumbers are prepared to tackle any problem your business may encounter. It’s because we only hire the best. All of our plumbers are expertly trained and certified to be qualified for the job – whatever that might be! Along with competence and experience, our plumbers carry the appropriate liability insurance in order to protect themselves, their work, and your business. We enforce these strict expectations on all of our plumbers because, just like you, we want the job done right the first time.

Commercial plumbing maintenance and repairs requires special training because it’s so different from what can be found in the average home. While there are situations where homeowners can successfully repair a small plumbing error on their own – in fact, we encourage it occasionally depending on the issue – DIY should never be considered at the corporate level. The size and complexity of the drainage system as well as the legality and insurances regarding the repair are all things that complicate matters, so it’s better to leave it to us – the professionals.

As your local expert plumbers, we can offer dependable services to a wide variety of industries. Our clients take us from fast-paced kitchens to sophisticated office settings. Take a look below to see where our most common commercial clients take us.

Office Building

Whether it’s a micro business of less than 10 people to a huge corporate headquarters of an international company, we can help any office’s drainage systems run smoothly. To keep business running as per usual, our plumbers ensure drains and facilities in staff washrooms, utilities closets, and kitchens are free of blockages. Our team of experts can also be at any location should an emergency leak, flood, or other issue stop business.

Restaurants

Due to the volume of plates coming in and out of a popular restaurant, kitchens can have oily, dirty, and greasy traps that make them smelly and disgusting places to work. Paired with our expert drain unclogging services, our grease trap rescue kits can save even the highest volume kitchen from being mucky, grimy insect magnets. There are plenty of valves, pipes, disposal units, and washroom facilities in the average restaurant. You name it, we can service it.

Medical Clinics

Medical and dental clinics are a change of pace from the drainage systems of offices and restaurants due to the kind of chemicals that can be washed down their drains. Backflow prevention and maintenance are our top priorities to ensure a clinic’s drainage systems won’t back up and contaminate the facilities. As dental and medical clinics have unique legal specifications, you can trust our certified team to follow the law when servicing drain outlets and supply lines.

Regardless of whether your place of business is an office, restaurant, clinic, or something else entirely, you should think “HY-PRO” the next time your plumbing and drainage systems start to act strangely. Give us a call today to get your commercial plumbing back on track. There’s no task too large or too small, and, since we’re available 24/7, there’s never a day you can’t expect one of our plumbers to help out.

How to Deal With A Gurgling Sink?

A healthy home’s drainage system is nearly silent when in use, save for the sound of water flowing through its pipes. If strange sounds are produced whenever you use your sinks, bathtub, or toilet, then it’s an indication that something isn’t quite right. While the most common cause of gurgling sinks and drains is due to venting problems, that’s not always the case. There are a few other reasons why your drain or sink’s gurgling, all of which require local professional assistance to repair.

At Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, we are committed to serving the province of Ontario by providing exceptional workmanship and customer service. Whether you’re dealing with clogged drain issues, such as a clogged bathtub drain or a gurgling kitchen sink, we’ll provide you with proper drain maintenance and repairs.

Call our friendly office team at 1-877-554-9776 to tell us more about the plumbing issues you’re experiencing. From gurgling sounds to sewer gas and water drain issues, we have your back!

Why Is My Sink Gurgling?

In the average Ontario home, water flowing through the drains fills and seals the pipes to create a vacuum. A sink and main vent pipe alleviate the pressure created by the vacuum, preventing its suction from gathering air into the plumbing system. When these plumbing vents are damaged or clogged in any way, then the pressure created by the vacuum goes unchecked, and the air is sucked in behind it. When air rushes through the standing water in your pipes, you’ll hear your sink gurgling.

Are You Also Experiencing A Gurgling Toilet And Bathtub?

While gurgling sinks is one thing, you may also experience your tub or toilet gurgling, which can point to far more serious consequences. This suggests a blockage in the main vent, which is responsible for removing the build-up of sewer gas bubbles in your drain pipes. A blockage prevents it from directing gas from your pipes to the roof, which means you’ll be able to smell sewage in your bathroom.

There are plenty of reasons why your drain vents or sink vents may fail and lead to bathroom sink gurgles. Improper installation at the time of your house’s construction can place vents too far apart to effectively relieve the vacuum. This would require extensive repairs to get your drainage system back up to Ontario code. More often, however, the calls our plumbing experts answer in Ontario are due to less serious reasons. Blockages created by animal nests, debris, and sediment, or a broken p-trap can easily block vents and just as easily be removed.

If it’s not your vents that are causing the gurgling sink, a clog could be the reason you hear strange noises. A clogged sink can sometimes contain pockets of air. Until the clog is big enough to cause a backflow, it will release the air, and its bubbles moving through the standing water may lead to your sink gurgling. In a more severe scenario, this clog may have its origins in your sewer line, which will first present itself as gurgling before sewage backup is pushed into your home and causes serious damage. Backflow can lead to serious health risks, as it could contaminate your house’s water supply.

How To Stop A Gurgling Sink?

Because there are so many reasons why you have a gurgling sink, we advise that you call one of our team members before you try to fix it yourself. Oftentimes, homeowners believe that they can repair the issue themselves by pouring chemical drain cleaners down their sinks and bathtubs. These caustic chemicals actually do more harm than good to your pipes, as they can corrode your drain pipe’s interior if used too often. And in the case of a blocked vent pipe, it won’t help at all. Unfortunately, the same also applies to natural household remedies, such as combining white vinegar and baking soda and flushing it with hot water. While it’s a good idea to create a paste to brush inside your bathroom or kitchen sink drain opening from time to time, it won’t eliminate the underlying problem.

Some homeowners may try to use a drain auger as a common solution, but they can only dislodge nearby clogs, and if you’re not familiar with how to use them carefully, you could risk damaging your drain lines. While a gurgling sink may not seem like an emergency, it could develop into one down the road.

To prevent needing an emergency plumber, we recommend hiring our Ontario plumbers to assess your drainage pipe and determine exactly where the issue stems. Using state-of-the-art pipeline video inspection technology, one of our experts can insert a small, debris-shedding camera into your pipes without disrupting or shutting down your water. Offering a full 360-degree view, this camera can reveal even the smallest damage or blockage. It can help locate and examine your air admittance valves and reveal any clogs or anything else that can cause abnormal flow conditions. Once they identify the issue, they will report back to you and suggest the appropriate repairs. Hy-Pro’s drain cleaning or hydro jetting services use high-pressure water jets to clear stubborn blockages and clean pipes from the inside out. We also use an environmentally friendly enzyme drain cleaner to promote your pipes’ longevity.

How Do I Best Prevent Gurgling Sinks?

The best way to protect your plumbing system from gurgling drains is to keep healthy household habits that include the following:

Refrain from flushing down:

• Paper towels
• Wet wipes
• Feminine hygiene products
• Tooth floss
• Hair
• Other foreign objects

And also refrain from washing down your kitchen and bathroom sink:

• FOG’s (fats, oils, and grease)
• Food scraps
• Coffee grounds

But for your peace of mind, we highly recommend that you schedule an annual plumbing maintenance and inspection service with your expert plumber. We’ll ensure you won’t fall victim again to haunting gurgling noises and that your drain line and sewer system are in good health.

Need Someone To Look At Your Gurgling Sink?

Plumbing issues are inevitable, even when you treat your pipes responsibly. But there are always hard-to-detect problems that require a professional plumber to investigate, and that includes a gurgling sink.

When you have a sink gurgling or worse—you smell unpleasant odours in your bathroom—it’s a sign that you need professional help. Our team of licensed and experienced plumbers in Ontario specializes in a variety of plumbing services, so they can identify the root cause of your gurgling sink and repair it. Should their inspection reveal any other issues threatening your drainage system, they’ll report back to you and suggest your best course of action. So before a gurgling sink becomes a bigger problem, call your expert plumbers at Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning at 1-877-554-9776. We’re here to help.

Fall Plumbing Maintenance To Prepare You For Fall And Winter!

As much as we don’t want to admit it, the summer season is finally winding down in southern Ontario. While the cooler temperatures start to roll in, we suggest our readers in London to follow a few fall plumbing maintenance tips to get your drains ready for fall. Taking preventative measures now can save you time, money, and heartache once winter arrives, when complications from freezing temperatures can cause real damage to your pipes. To save yourself from a household emergency, follow these helpful pointers compiled by our expert team of plumbing professionals.

Fall Plumbing Maintenance Tips And Tricks

The most common mistake we see homeowners make during the seasonal changeover is forgetting about their garden hose. If left connected to your house, the water in the hose can freeze once the temperatures dip low enough. When water freezes, it also expands and causes the hose to break, and – more importantly – the taps, spigot, and connecting pipes leading into your home can be damaged too. Our plumbers have had to repair a lot of cracks and even burst pipes for their clients due to this very issue. Remember to disconnect your garden hose and drain it of extraneous water before storing it away for the winter.

Double check that the faucet is tightened to ensure that the water can no longer flow, and turn off any interior shut-off valves that lead to these pipes if your house has them. If you want to go the extra mile and secure you outdoor faucet with a Styrofoam insulation kit (something you can buy at most hardware stores in London), you’ll be as good as gold.

Styrofoam (or rubber) is also a good insulator for indoor pipes in the parts of your home that are unheated. Crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages are prime locations for pipes prone to freezing, so be sure to check these areas of your house. The cost of these insulators varies depending on quality and the pipe material it’s compatible with, but even the most economical foam will prevent your pipes from freezing in the winter. They’ll also cut down on condensation in the summer. While you move throughout your home checking unheated pipes, you should also be inspecting your taps for leaks.

Another part of your home that needs autumnal inspection is your hot water heater. It goes through the ringer during the colder months, as you and your family jack the heat for showers and baths in order to combat the frigid temperatures outside. Make sure you’re heater is up to the challenge by speaking with a trained member of our team. Whether yours is electric, gas, or propane with a storage tank or tankless, they know hot water heaters inside and out. They’ll be able to flush out unwanted residue built up over the summer to reduce corrosion. They’ll also complete a full inspection of the appliance, to make sure there are no underlying issues that could cause your heater to malfunction.

Get Your Drains To A Great Start!

Taking the time to complete these simple fall plumbing maintenance tips during the month of September will help you prevent a major catastrophe this winter. Once you’re ready to prepare your hot water heater for the winter, get in touch with a local representative, and we’ll set up an appointment with one of our fall plumbing maintenance experts. They’re available 24/7 to help homeowners like you winterize your homes. While you wait, you can check out what other services we offer in the London, Ontario area. We can help any time of the year!

Common Plumbing Problems

In many of Canada’s older towns and cities, there are plenty of homes that date back to the turn of the century. And no, we don’t mean the one that just happened 15 years ago. Homes that are 100 years old (or more) have a distinctive and distinguished style that sets them apart from their newer counter-parts. Built by trained contractors or local novices, these historic homes have an individual look and feel that many people prefer over the style found in cookie-cutter subdivisions. If you own a historic house, then you know that they also have a lot of plumbing problems that they don’t share with those houses built after the 1970s.

Today, in order to construct or do any major renovation to a home, you have to acquire a permit from the city. Issued according to the Building Code Act, these permits assure that your renovations and construction abide by industry standards set to ensure your safety. This hasn’t always been the case. If you go far enough back, there were no regulations that standardized construction. As long as a person had the land and the means, anyone could build a house. This also meant that many unprofessional landowners were building homes alongside their professional counterparts. Without appropriate training, these builders could make unusual or unsafe choices when wiring their electricity and laying their plumbing which will cause common plumbing problems in the long run.

Materials Used For Pipes

Over the years, the accepted materials used for plumbing has evolved. Naturally, these materials will decrease plumbing problems that are commonly encountered in older homes. Before the 70s, many homes used galvanized steel pipes. Though strong, this material isn’t known for its longevity. After decades of water pushing through, the inside of galvanized pipes tends to rust. Owners of historic homes will start to encounter water pressure issues as the rust clogs restrict water flow through the pipes.

While galvanized pipes inside the home can rust, sewer lines leading out of the home to the municipal sewer system can be clogged. Depending on how old your historic home is either clay or cast iron pipes were used. Time isn’t gentle to clay or cast iron pipes, as these materials are prone to corroding over time. Both kinds of pipes are susceptible to invading roots systems as well, especially those that have had nearly a century to grow. Strong roots combined with weakened pipes aren’t a good combination for the integrity of your sewer lines, which is why so many historic homes experience sewer line back-ups.

As a historic homeowner, you don’t have to live with poor water pressure while under the constant threat of a flood. Our expert plumbers have been trained to handle any kind of plumbing system, including those dating back to the turn of the century. By using state-of-the-art cameras to inspect your pipes and sewer lines, our trained plumbers can identify the type of materials used and where exactly the issue is situated. From there, they can determine what part of your pipes needs to be repaired or replaced. By using hydro flush technology, our staff can blast away the corroded material causing blockages in your pipes. Using trenchless technology, our plumbers can locate and replace aged sewer lines without unsettling your landscape or destroying your property.

Need Some Help?

There’s a way to solve even the worst problems caused by old building standards and inferior materials. If you’ve noticed lowered water pressure or have walked into a flooded basement, call us right away. We’re available whenever you need us to inspect your property and replace your out-dated plumbing. After you get in touch, you can get back to enjoying the comfort and style an older home can afford you.

Looking To Replace Underground Pipes?

If you’re looking to replace underground pipes and are looking to DIY, proceed with great caution. Part of the reason you call a professional residential or commercial plumbing service is because you’re simply not an expert. It’s okay to admit that you don’t have the tools, training, and expert skills needed to conduct complex repairs and removals; that’s what a professional is for, after all! And one of the major obstacles preventing amateur (or would-be) plumbers from de-clogging or replacing buried pipes is the simple fact that it can require so much work — especially when it comes to underground pipelines that run beneath your home, business, parking lot, driveway, lawn, or other expensive investment.

Thankfully, our speedy and friendly service also boasts the latest advances in trenchless technology! This system lets our staff repair, replace, or clean out damaged or blocked pipes without disturbing (and often destroying) floors and other surfaces. We can get below driveways, streets, and any paved area; we can sneak beneath your patio, garden, trees, and walkways. We’ve got the skills to negotiate water, gas, and electrical lines that would have major consequences if they were damaged. All flooring, decks, hot tubs, and other surface installations can stay safe and undisturbed with our superior technology!

How Do We Work?

All we need is a small cleanout area where we can then gain access to underground pipes of all shapes and sizes. No need to shut down power, water, or gas — your family can go about their day-to-day routines without a considerable interruption, and you’ll be able to enjoy continued business operations. Save money, time, and the need to hire other types of experts who might have to dig out your backyard or basement.

We can handle brief and simple spot repairs, burst or cracked pipes, and leave your system with better strength (pipes are more durable, compressed, and with increased tensile toughness). Forget the old dig and replace techniques that other less advanced companies provide! In fact, our lateral lining service means you can add an extra layer of protection that will give your current system a life-extension of about 50 years!

Imagine trying to find the problem in your system if it’s buried deep beneath your backyard, patio, or basement. Trenchless technology is essential for all tasks that require work deep underground, and it’s perfect for busy urban areas where disturbing even a bit of ground will mean major interruptions, expensive repairs, shut-downs, and ugly construction — no one likes a gaping pit in their sales floor or backyard!

In Need Of A Professional?

When you need this kind of advanced and non-intrusive plumbing work, contact us now and we’ll be happy to inspect your property, work through a consultation, and execute the best course of action for your plumbing systems. We’ve got competitive prices, friendly and courteous staff, and all the essential licenses, insurance, and policies to help you emerge from your plumbing problem with a perfectly working system. We’re thrilled to be your reliable local plumbers, and we’re ready to get to work when you are — all you have to do is email or call!

Backflow Prevention

When you’ve got a properly working plumbing system, the clean water and waste water run in predictable directions — the waste runs down into your city’s sewer system (or into your sump basin), and fresh water flows down to refill your pipes and tanks. If wastewater starts running in the opposite direction — in other words, dangerous or toxic substances find their way back into your toilet bowl or water supply — then you’ve got a serious problem that can result in anything from basic aesthetic issues to extreme (and deadly) health hazards from pesticides and biological waste.

You’ve got to ensure that your potable water supply stays clean, so if you suspect (or know) you’re facing a backflow problem, be sure to call us immediately!

Problems Related To Backflow

You’ll be happy to know that backflow prevention is a part of our regular services. A working system is one that has proper levels of pressure. Sometimes major increases in temperature can change the pressure in your system; with heat comes expansion, which means the pressure in your system is higher than in the water supply. This causes what’s called “back pressure,” and it can be reversed and prevented by installing (or repairing) automatic check valves or double check valves, depending on the severity of the problem. Valve installation is no easy task, so always requires the assistance of a trained and licensed professional — this is no task for the plumbing amateur, so be sure to get us to help you!

Another related problem with backflow is called “back siphonage.” This situation occurs when the water supply becomes drained, emptied, or interrupted. The best way to fix this issue is through the use of air gaps, installed in taps, cold-water cisterns, and other parts of your plumbing system. These open spaces help get things moving again, and, like check or double check valves, they are difficult to implement properly. Always call an expert if you have a backflow problem that needs an air gap to be cleared up.

Risk of contamination is broken down into five distinct categories. Numbers 1 and 2 aren’t dangerous — the second level is only when you encounter discoloration or temperature fluctuation. Level 3 indicates some toxicity that may cause illness or unpleasant symptoms and needs your action. Level 4 demonstrates significant dangers associated with chemicals and pesticides, while Level 5 — the most severe category — means you’ve got possibly deadly bacteria from human waste back in your system. There’s no point in trying to fix the matter yourself or ignoring it, hoping it goes away. When you’ve got a backflow problem, you need to solve it fast.

Need More Information?

For all kinds of backflow prevention, including inspection, repair, installation, and regular maintenance calls for both residential and commercial properties, book a service call from our fleet of trained and courteous plumbing technicians. We’ll get you back in working order in no time and help you keep your water safe, potable, and healthy for your guests, employees, and family. Stay on top of your plumbing issues; call us any time!

Pipe And Sewer Cameras?

Every tried to peer down a drain or sewer pipe to find some pesky blockage? Have you ever spent time shining a feeble flashlight into the dark, or rooting around with a snake made from a coat hanger or some other makeshift contraption? The fact is: plumbing lines extend into the walls, beneath the ground, and through the ceilings of buildings—and some are extremely small in diameter, or have joints and crevices that are prone to problematic build-ups. Average drain-cleansing methods or arbitrary flushing attempts sometimes miss the crucial problem, simply because they’re applied at one end with the hope that they somehow make a difference in the dark.

That’s where our amazing pipeline video inspections come in! With our handy tools, any household or commercial sewer lines or connection pipes are easily accessed, investigated, and assessed, eliminating the necessity of a major drain or an expensive delay to your water flow. Even the smallest of passages can be accessed by our tailor-made equipment. We can feed a reinforced video cable and a hardy, durable, and water-resistant camera down into pipes to get to the source of the problem. Our controls allow us to rotate, tilt, and pan to see all angles of the environment, and lighting and zoom features allow make it even easier to pinpoint crucial cracks, fissures, blocks, or whatever the problem may be.

Risks?

There are no risks associated with this high-tech method—otherwise, another plumber might have to dig out and cut their way to the trouble spot. It also takes all the guesswork out of the search, letting us make informed decisions well before we embark on any repairs, cleaning, or replacement jobs. And this isn’t just for a few short feet or metres—our pipe camera inspection systems can extend deep into any plumbing system to find problems far from the light of day. That means we can check out valves, welds, and connections (both legal and illegal), the liner and walls of pipes, corrosion and rust, typical blocks, sludge, and foreign objects (including insect and animal nests and decaying matter), odd water-flow directions or speeds, and much, much more. This is especially helpful as a precautionary measure before hydro flush cleaning techniques are used, since unforeseen damages or vulnerabilities can lead to massive consequences if not handled properly.

That means we can check out valves, welds, and connections (both legal and illegal), the liner and walls of pipes, corrosion and rust, typical blocks, sludge, and foreign objects (including insect and animal nests and decaying matter), odd water-flow directions or speeds, and much, much more. This is especially helpful as a precautionary measure before hydro flush cleaning techniques are used, since unforeseen damages or vulnerabilities can lead to massive consequences if not handled properly.

Call Today!

Not every plumbing company in the GTA has the rigorous training to use pipe and sewer camera equipment effectively, and certainly not every organization has access to the technology. When you call us, you’re getting in touch with a seasoned crew of veterans who can arrive and correct all commercial and residential plumbing issues whenever you need us the most. That means 24 hours a day and seven days per week, because we know blockages in sewer lines or major disruptions to standard flow won’t wait until the optimal time to occur. Invest in the plumbing technicians who can get the job done right and not waste you a dollar or an extra minute of your time. We’ve got your plumbing health in mind!

Commercial Property

Maintaining your commercial property is essential for great hygiene. When you’ve got a commercial kitchen, you know that plumbing problems aren’t a mere inconvenience, able to be ignored or left alone until repair-time suits you best.

Even seemingly insignificant pipe, drain, valve, water temperature, or other plumbing-related matters can quickly blossom into full-blown disasters that can halt business in its tracks, create unsafe working conditions, and put customers off your establishment. The best thing to remember is that untreated plumbing problems will only cost you more money, time, and aggravation the longer you ignore them, so be proactive! Institute a preventative maintenance program now, and catch those small problems before they become catastrophic.

We’re used to all manner of commercial kitchen issues. We’ve plunged into the oiliest, dirtiest grease traps to prevent mucky build-up. Our grease trap rescue kits have saved kitchens from becoming stinky, off-putting places that only attract drain flies and other insects. We’ve unclogged even the most blocked drains and pipes, whether they’re connected to sinks or they’re floor drains jammed with solid food waste. We’ve dived into dishwashers and garbage disposal units to find offending bits of pipe-stopping grime. We’ve kept sprinkler systems active, efficient, and ready to protect your staff and properties. And we’ve ensured that water temperature for proper cleaning (and cooking) stays as hot or as cold as you need it to be.

Other Commercial Property

But it’s not only commercial kitchens that need our expert service. Washrooms are also part of our routine preventative maintenance rounds and one-off repair gigs. As you no doubt know, customers like to throw all sorts of garbage into toilets (and urinals) meant only for specific uses. Coins, paper towels, women’s products, toys, cigarette butts, and other waste can cause major blockages in every bathroom plumbing system. We’re also adept at helping you repair motion-sensing faucets, flush valves, sinks, basins, and other elements of every working bathroom. The last thing you want is upset or ticked off customers, and you certainly don’t want a health code violation. Stay on top of public washroom issues by calling us today!

No facility is too large or too small for our commercial plumbing service. We’ve worked in major industrial warehouses and processing plants. We’ve worked in school cafeterias and in retirement and elderly care facilities. We’ve seen just about every restaurant and bar kitchen that you can imagine. Medical centers, doctor’s offices, and veterinarians have also benefited from our timely attention. We attend to food prep organizations: supermarkets and food wholesalers need working pipes for washing and rinsing produce, and butcher shops need efficient hot water and clear drains. Hotels, hostels, and other luxury day spas all need a great plumbing team on call whenever the hot tubs and foot baths go awry.

Have Questions?

Whatever your commercial property, think ‘HY-PRO’ whenever you catch the faintest whiff of a plumbing problem. There’s no job too elaborate, and no job too simple for us to fix. We’re available around the clock and every day of the week, because we know that plumbing issues don’t wait for closing time and holidays to strike. Get in touch today and feel confident that a master team of plumbers is behind you from now until retirement.

Having Bathroom Sewage Problems?

Discovering bathroom sewage in your home is never a nice welcoming. Washrooms are places to feel clean and renewed or places to relax and unwind. But when your comforting bath, rejuvenating shower or daily scrub are accompanied by the rank smell of sewage, gas, or waste, you’ll quickly start wondering if you can fit yourself into your kitchen sink! You’ll also find yourself reluctant to invite guests into the home — you don’t want to be associated with a stinky, sewer-smelling bathroom, do you?

A Quick Fix

If you detect a gross smell coming from the bathroom, it’s time to start thinking about calling HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning — but you can do a few tests first to make sure that the problem can’t be solved with a quick fix. Regardless of what’s causing the odor, know that prolonged exposure to certain sewer-based gasses — methane and hydrogen sulfide in particular — can cause health and safety issues if left unimpeded.

With a lot of gas hanging around, the air can become combustible, so you’ll want to avoid turning on electrical switches or using lighters and matches. If you’re working in a room with a strong smell, you should try to open as many windows as possible; if this isn’t feasible, grab a ventilation mask to avoid respiratory problems, wooziness, or being knocked out (or worse). A mask that fits over your eyes will also prevent severe irritation.

Always conduct a very thorough clean of the room to make sure there isn’t something obvious causing the smell. Then you can begin searching in earnest.

Pipes In Your Bathroom

Pipes from your sink, bathtub, and toilet lead to the main line that runs from the sewer through your bathroom and then up through the roof of your house. Stinky air from the sewer rises up and escapes into the air above your home, and is prevented from entering your bathroom through a nifty little well of water that rests in the U-shaped pipe under your sink.

Each time you run the bath or sink, a little bit of water stays in this section of pipe (called the P trap) and acts as a barrier between you and the sewer. The water that sits in your toilet bowl does the same thing. So if the foul smell is coming from the sewer, it either means the water in the P-trap has evaporated (often the case in infrequently used bathrooms), you’ve got a crack in the main line that runs up to the roof, the roof vent is blocked (by nests, debris, or leaves), or it was improperly installed. Conversely, the P trap could be cracked and leaking, allowing the stink to come through.

Foul smells don’t always hail from the sewer, though. Biological slime (composed of hair, soap, shampoo, skin, and other bodily and cosmetic residue) can clog drains and pipes and become a real stinky problem that not all snakes and drain cleaners can fix. Your drain pipe can also stink if its wax seal becomes cracked; moreover, if your floors are cracked, water can seep below and make the damp wooden floorboards start reeking to high heaven. On the other hand, you could have a leak somewhere in your toilet …

Call A Professional

To help you discover the source of the offending odor and to get rid of it for good, always call our licensed and insured plumbers. We’re used to awful smells, gunky buildups, and cracks, clogs, and blockages of all types. There’s nothing we haven’t seen, so stop suffering with a gross, possibly harmful gas: call us today and we’ll have you breathing fresh air once again.

Get Satisfied Tenants With Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance starts with maxims like “the best defense is offense,” “measure twice, cut once,” and “a little prevention is worth a lot of cure” — the best way to keep your large properties adequately maintained is through a Preventative Maintenance Plan (or PMP for short). If you’re looking for a way to cut down on costly emergency repair bills, keep your tenants happy and satisfied, and stop playing perpetual catch-up with plumbing and drain systems malfunction, then implementing a solid PMP is the way to go. When it comes to property plumbing services, think prevention, not reaction!

As a property manager, you’re legally obligated to stay on top of the water systems in each apartment, studio, storefront, or other dwelling in your building. As many will tell you, being a landlord means getting familiar with how plumbing and drains really work — one look at a water bill from a large apartment building or shopping mall will give you a swift, immediate lesson in how important it is to be efficient, conservative, and eco-friendly. If you want satisfied tenants, then you have to respond to even small problems quickly, and with courtesy. Staying apprised of every drain and pipe in your building will also mean that tiny, seemingly irrelevant hitches don’t blossom into full-blown plumbing disasters — when something major goes wrong, both your pocketbook and approval rating can take a major hit.

If you’re not used to proactive work, then switching over from a desperate game of catch-up to a responsible, orderly PMP can be difficult. As an end goal, preventative maintenance should account for 85 to 90 percent of work orders. Obviously, this won’t happen overnight, but taking baby-steps—and focusing on one aspect of your property at a time, like your plumbing or your HVAC systems—will get you there eventually. You’ve got to start working consistently, performing regular inspections every week, and start keeping accurate and easy-to-read records of your observations and tests. That way you can stop a particular valve, drain, network of pipes, faucet, or other key component from causing huge problems down the road. Committing to preventative maintenance inspections now will save you money, stress, and improve your relationships with tenants and guests.

Our Preventative Maintenance Plans

Of course, not all property managers are equipped with the knowledge to carry out these inspections themselves. Luckily, that’s where we come in! Our licensed and insured plumbers are here to provide a No Cost, No Obligation Preventative Maintenance Inspection whenever you want to start. We’ll conduct a multi-step inspection of your entire premises, bringing to bear our years of experience, honest assessments, and advanced technology.

We can see where and how drains become blocked, how roots can infiltrate your system, how to moderate water temperature and softness, and so much more. In fact, we’re eager to become your regular PMP inspectors—why not schedule a weekly or monthly visit, where we’ll be able to save you untold costs in drastic, last-minute repairs, and show all your renters how responsible and safe you really are?

Given the statistics of self-induced problems and the savings to be had, it makes sense to start up a great PMP today. Invite HY-PRO to your property and you’ll never think of repairs in the same way again! Contact us today, and let’s get our plan together!

Hire An Insured Plumber!

To maintain the health of your plumbing systems, make sure to hire an insured plumber if you are in need of a plumbing service. You might hear of a dirt-cheap local service or a handy friend or neighbour who claims to be able to handle all manner of plumbing issues. It’s always tempting to save money, but hiring unlicensed and uninsured workers can make your problems much, much worse. There’s never an excuse to cut corners when it comes to property maintenance and plumbing and drain cleaning. Remember the old saying: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is …

All licensed plumbers in the province of Ontario must first serve as an apprentice. Students earn their license by first completing a year’s worth (or two semesters’ worth) of classes in plumbing techniques, principles, tools, safety, documentation, and mechanics from an accredited college. All those who attend college courses must have a Grade 12 education and possess the physical and mental ability to conduct demanding and complex plumbing repairs. Those who’ve received an Offer of Training Letter from the Ministry of Training can meet requirements while working in the field as an apprentice, learning their trade in a practical, hands-on way on the job. These students must be 16 years or over and possess a Grade 10 education to qualify.

Qualifications?

Either way, there’s a great deal to learn, study, and understand before you can start making house and commercial calls. On average, insured plumbers-in-training spend between 6,000 and 9,000 hours learning their craft. After up to five years of work and a passing mark on the final exam, these students finally become legitimate insured plumbers. Understand that all this training means these insured plumbers have a firm, comprehensive grasp of the industry and won’t let you down. Unlicensed plumbers simply can’t provide the same kind of guarantee of skill, acumen, and up-to-date technological knowledge, and will likely cause you some kind of grief down the line.

Licensed plumbers will also carry adequate insurance in the case of accidents, damages, injuries, and other hazards of the job. If you opt to go for an uninsured, local plumbing service (or get help from a friend or other supposedly ‘handy’ sort) and the unthinkable happens—to your home, person, or to the worker him- or herself—your insurance claim will be rejected. Don’t cut corners or try to save a few dollars now by working with unlicensed, uninsured workers. Chances are it will cost you dearly if something does go wrong!

Licensed And Insured Plumbers

So how can you tell if a company has both properly licensed personnel and the right insurance to cover any and all eventualities?

First, ask to see the company’s plumbing license, and double-check to make sure this is valid. Request that all personnel who visit your home (aside from apprentices shadowing their mentors) possess and can show you their Certificate of Qualification. Ask them how long they’ve been in business, how many homes and properties they’ve worked on, and when they started work as an insured plumber. Ask if reference and background checks are made on each employee—if these people are going to be entering and exiting your home, you want to feel confident they’re trustworthy and courteous representatives!

If you’re looking for more proof, you can also check out various Ontario registries to be sure! Read this Toronto Star article to get a sense of what’s out there.

Second, plumbing companies should be able to tell you all about their insurance policies. Most have General Liability Insurance and Workers Compensation Insurance to protect against accidents, lawsuits, medical costs, and lost wages due to injuries and illness. Insurance is there to protect them as much as it exists to protect you, so be sure your prospective plumbing company is responsible and forthcoming about their policies.

We’re proud to say that HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning is a fully licensed, comprehensively insured organization that employs only fully licensed, responsible service teams. We’re your professional alternative to the sketchy and seedy, and we’re available around the clock to provide quick, quality service for whatever your problem might be. Always invest in experience and safety, and never roll the dice when it comes to your plumbing systems!

Bathroom Maintenance

With another frigid winter finally coming to an end, it’s only natural to start thinking about making big changes around the house, particularly bathroom maintenance. Spring-cleaning lets us tackle repairs, make some deep cleans, and get around to upgrades we’ve been too tired (or too cold!) to accomplish throughout the winter months. With so much new life blooming outside, it’s the perfect time to invest in a new start in our homes — even if it’s just for one room at a time.

This March and April, while you’re scrubbing and mopping the bathroom, don’t forget to go a bit deeper and look to the room’s plumbing health! To start your bathroom maintenance, check your plumbing! A bathroom with faultless plumbing is only a scrub away from perfection, so be sure to follow our brief washroom inspection to get that spring-clean feeling.

Steps To Take?

First, after cleaning the toilet, look for cracks in the bowl, tank, lid, or other parts. If you’ve got a small crack, it may not cause any problems now, but it could lead to bigger dilemmas down the line. This might be a perfect time to repair those nagging flushing issues you’ve been having — the handle that needs a few jiggles or needs to be held down just to get the toilet to flush. Replacing the handle or the interior components of the tank isn’t overly expensive, and can save you money on your water bill (and daily aggravation).

You should also check to see if the holding tank is leaking water into the bowl. The easiest way to do this is to add a few drops of bright food coloring to the tank. If you see the water in the bowl change color in about half an hour, you’ve got a leak! Leaking tanks waste water and crank up your bills, so call our plumbing experts to have you airtight in no time.

Once you’ve scrubbed the tub, why not take the time to clean the showerhead to have more powerful flow? Mineral deposits can really seal up the small holes, so to get them clear you’ve got to do some dissolving. Either take off the showerhead completely or attach a plastic bag filled with vinegar with a rubber band. You want the head to float in the vinegar overnight. Afterward, go at it with a toothbrush. If you don’t usually use the bathtub in question, pour a gallon of hot water down the drain to get things moving again. You can always snake the drain as a good start to a working relationship.

After you’ve given your sink a wipe, look for more water-wasting leaks from the taps. You can catch a slow leak by placing a bowl under the faucet and checking for drops. A simple repair might be required — a replacement or greasing of the spring and seat of the stem. You could also unscrew the trap and empty the contents to find a blockage. Of course, if you don’t want to go to the trouble, we’d be happy to help!

Check underneath the sink, too — check for moisture and mould. Then clean out your sink with a zip tool or snake, getting rid of accumulated debris. For both your bathtub and bathroom sink drains, we’d recommend investing in good strainers — they’ll catch excess soap, hair, and other substances that cause clogs.

Bigger Problems?

These are just a few basic, introductory tips, but don’t limit yourself to these or to a close look at the bathroom alone — your house’s plumbing is all part of a connected web, and if one part is slow or problematic, it can cause problems for every inch of the building. If you’d like some help with your spring-cleaning maintenance updates, simply give us a call and we’ll have a plumbing specialist help you through any job. Make this spring a real time of change, and let’s get to work!

Install A Water Softener!

Installing a water softener will get rid of your hard water problem! Take a minute to read the following to figure out if your water supply is suffering from the presence of too many minerals. If so, we’re certainly able to help!

Hard Water Versus Soft Water

The difference between hard and soft water is all in the mineral composition. Hard water has a higher percentage of calcium carbonate, magnesium, lime, chalk, sulfates, and other ions. It can be tasty and deliver more nutrients per glass, but isn’t ideal for cleaning or your pipes. That’s why it’s a smart idea to leave your drinking water alone, and focus on softening the water you use to bathe, clean clothes, and do the dishes.

One way to know the softness or hardness levels is how your bath and shower feels. Do you have a hard time getting soaps and detergents to lather up nice and bubbly? Does it take extra work to really get a nice froth going? Take a look at your shower curtain and the inside of your tub — how quickly does soap scum accumulate after purchasing a new plastic curtain? If you’ve got a scum/residue issue, and it’s tough to lather up, your water is on the hard side of the spectrum.

Problems With Hard Water

Hard water will also make your hair look a bit dull and sticky and will make your skin feel rough and dry, and will block your pores. Extremely hard water can even dye your hair a nasty orange color.

Hard water’s foul effects aren’t limited to bath-time — it also makes cleaning clothes and dishes more difficult, and more wasteful. Generally speaking, clothes come out looking duller and dirtier the harder the water, and glassware and other dishes will seem dingier, with more smudges, stains, and other soapy film left behind. Washing machines, water heaters, dishwashers, and other appliances have to work harder in harder water, making them less energy and water efficient.

Another problem with hard water is that it can erode and rust your plumbing system. Limescale and scum can build up in your pipes and cause major problems — and the last thing you want is a rusted plumbing system!

Install A Water Softener Today!

Luckily, HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning works in partnership with www.waterdirect.ca to provide great deals on AquaMaster® home water appliances, and water softeners and water filters in particular! A properly installed water softener can remove water hardness, letting you save on your appliances, your plumbing, your skin and hair, and your water bill.

And if you purchase an AMP50, AMP51, or AMP55 model through our recommendation, you can benefit from even more savings. Simply enter “HYPRO” in the coupon code section to receive $200 off your order. If you’d like help installing the model, you can forego the rebate to enjoy free installation by entering “FREEINSTALL” in the same section.

Once you’ve got a handle on water hardness, you’ll want to schedule semi-regular maintenance checks to make sure it’s been installed and is operating properly. Once again, we’re more than happy to help you keep your new investment in tip-top shape. Order a water softener from Water Direct and enjoy the HY-PRO bonus, then have us over to ensure things run as soft and smooth as your next shower.

Having A Drain Flies Problem?

Drain flies are a scary thing. The all-too-common drain fly (otherwise known as the Psychodidae) and the fruit fly (or the drosophila melanogaster) can be an occasional nuisance or a major liability. Having flies buzzing around your drains in the home is never a welcome quality, but they’re even more aggravating in a business setting — a cloud of insects circling around fountain lines, beer taps, or in the bathroom might turn customers off in a major way and start eating into your profits.

Drain flies live and lay eggs in decomposing organic matter that sometimes accumulates in sinks, basins, toilets, and so forth, and hang out in moist areas nearby (you’ll notice that they’re most active at night). Both drain and barflies go through breeding and life cycles extremely quickly (we’re talking a matter of days and weeks), so trying to kill the adults you see via swatter or fly traps will only temporarily alleviate the problem.

Plus, you can’t use pesticides or toxins in a restaurant or bar due to concerns over cross-contamination. You’ve got to go right to the source and remove the conditions they find so appealing if you want them to buzz off.

How To Deal With Them

Before dealing with these guests, figure out which drains they’re coming from. One trick to this is placing a strip of clear Scotch tape across the drain overnight. If you see some flies caught in the tape, you know they’re travelling in and out of that particular drain. Once discovered, you can take measures to thoroughly clean it out by removing all organic materials: that means cleaning the hair catcher, using a metal pipe brush and a plumbing snake, following up with a cleaner and a thorough plunging.

For bars and restaurants, get rid of customer-disturbing barflies by keeping your taps and lines clean, scrubbing surfaces and hard-to-reach places with a mixture of water, vinegar, and baking soda, by keeping drains covered at night, and cleaning drains as described above. Flies thrive in moist conditions where sugary, organic materials are left behind, behind a bar, in a kitchen, and in washrooms. That means extra diligence on your part in keeping things clean and tidy!

Having a cleaning regimen in place won’t immediately zap every last fly in your establishment, but it will mean that they’ll slowly disappear or find more suitable locations to breed and hang out.

Our Drain Flies Eliminator!

Our team depends on Drain Blast™—Drain Fly Eliminator to eliminate the areas where drain flies and bar flies live and breed. Using a powerful but all-natural combination of bacteria, citric acid, fumaric acid, and sodium bicarbonate, Drain Blast™ degrades the left-over organic material in drains, cracks, crevices, urinals, taps, and fountain lines without damaging your plumbing or leaving behind harmful chemical residues, toxins, pesticides, or poisons.

That means it’s safe for the food and beverage industry as well as for any home. It’ll also kill any foul odours, leaving your bathroom, kitchen, restroom, or bar smelling fresh and clean.

If dealing with pesky airborne intruders has you at your wits’ end, or nothing else seems to keep them away, let’s get together! When it comes to flies, our plumbing experts have seen it all. We’ll get to the bottom of every drainage problem for both residential and commercial dwellings and have your home or business insect-free faster than you can say, Psychodidae!

Septic Tanks

Septic tanks are an important component of the home. Every time we turn on a tap, use a clothes- or dishwasher, take a shower, or flush the toilet, we’re creating wastewater. Since all this water needs to go somewhere, every property needs to have some kind of plumbing system in place. Most of our homes and businesses are connected to a centralized wastewater treatment facility, but for those ‘off the grid’ structures, permanent on-site systems, or septic tanks, are installed.

These concrete, fiberglass, and plastic tanks are carefully sized for the volume and type of materials they’ll be receiving, which depends on the sinks, appliances, and activities in your home or business. They are situated a few feet beneath the earth and at least five feet from your home, in a spot where a crew can easily access them when necessary. They’re ideally positioned to drain down and away from your home (and any wells) into what’s called the drainage field, which itself should be free of rain water to avoid any saturation.

How Does A Septic Tank Work?

Our wastewater contains organic matter, solid particles, and harmful pathogens and nutrients that can’t simply be dumped into the ground; if they were, the groundwater would become contaminated and public and environmental health would be a major concern. When wastewater reaches the sealed septic tank, solid elements either sink to the bottom or float to the surface.

They then decompose, becoming a kind of sludge that needs to be removed (usually sucked out of the tank) every once in a while. Harmful elements are either removed or absorbed through pre-treatment — through aeration chambers and microbial processes — effluent filters, and (eventually) by the surrounding soil. The process of removing harmful pathogens and organisms can take several stages before cleaner water can be released into the soil.

Having Septic Tank Problems?

When you have a faulty septic system, its symptoms can vary widely. It might take a long time for water to empty down your shower bathtub drains, or your toilet might overflow frequently. Toilets in your home may make a gurgling sound when they’re flushed, or they might take a long time to empty. You may detect foul odours emanating from your drains or in your yard near the tank or drainage field. In some cases, you could see vibrantly green-coloured grass, or completely dead spots or areas of your lawn near the system. Dark wet spots or surfacing pools of sludgy water are also indicators that something’s amiss.

Many people immediately panic and think that if their septic system is acting up, they’ve got to replace it entirely and spend thousands of dollars in the process. Please don’t do this! First give us a call to come inspect your property, septic tank, and sewer lines. It may just need a small repair, a partial replacement, or a correction in your piping — or you may need some quick lessons on proper maintenance. In any case, regardless of how things progress, we’re here to help you out of the worst septic messes and have your fields clean, dry, and fresh smelling again!

Looking For A Quality Plumbing Service?

A quality plumbing service has insured and licensed plumbers at your disposal. Say you’ve got a leak, water damage, busted pipes, clogged drains, back flow or tree root problems, and it’s an emergency. Your first instinct is to dial up a local plumber from the phone book or do a quick Google search. You don’t have time to shop around, compare policies, or read reviews — you need help, now!

But after long waiting times, poor customer service, lackadaisical workmanship, and unclear pricing, you kick yourself for not preparing for this moment sooner, and actually finding a company that cares about you and your investments.

What Should You Look For?

During an emergency or simply when between routine repairs, it’s best to find a company that’s dedicated to your satisfaction. The following are the hallmarks of an excellent plumbing service — and qualities that we think we have in spades!

Etiquette And Appearance

On our homepage, we stress the fact that common courtesy, etiquette, and basic neatness of appearance for all staff speak to guiding principles of any business. Our receptionists will always treat you as their number one priority, and when you encounter our service crews, they’ll do the same. Our trucks will be clean, orderly, and clearly associated with our company, our repair personnel will strive to ensure your home stays as clean as possible, and they’ll always treat you with the utmost respect while they are guests in your home. If a company isn’t dedicated to treating you well, ditch them!

References, Referrals, and Community Investment

We’re currently sitting at a 4.6/5 rating based on 62 ratings — that’s 92 percent satisfaction rate — and we’re registered with the Better Business Bureau so you can check up on us if you do feel the need. And we never shy away from criticism! Ask your friends, family, associates, and neighbours if they’ve encountered good service from us or other plumbers: your community networks will point you toward companies you can rely on. We’ve been servicing southwestern Ontario for many years, love this part of the province, and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Pricing, License, and Insurance

You can call your municipal office to determine whether any local plumber is indeed properly licensed to perform complicated (and sometimes dangerous) repairs. Of course, you’ll never need to double-check with us — our technicians are all properly licensed and arrive on each site with a Master Plumber who’s been working in the industry for many years. We also come with Workman’s Compensation Insurance just in case of any unavoidable incidents and to protect everyone involved. Evidence of insurance should always be presented upon request. Our up-front and flat rate pricing system also ensures that you won’t be charged for time and materials, and you won’t be waiting around all day (or night) for our teams to finish the task.

Availability and Speed

Any plumbing company worth its salt should be available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week to attend to unexpected needs and emergency situations. We’re here to help you out of flood, clog, or other disaster in over 12 areas in southwestern Ontario, whether you live in the 226, the 905, or the 519.

You Deserve The Best

Without a doubt, we have the best referrals, references, pricing system, availability, and efficiency in a plumbing service. We’re consistently courteous and professional, always licensed and insured, and treat your home and appliances with respect. When you need immediate service or another repair, we’ll work tirelessly to restore your plumbing systems to working order and leave you completely satisfied. When it comes to your own home, never settle for less than the best!

We’ve all been in that situation—equal parts frustrating, frightening, and embarrassing—when we’re faced with clogged toilets and are the ones who caused it. Try as we might, we can’t get the water to flush properly, and time’s running out. It’s bad enough when we’re alone, but all the more dicey when we have guests over or if we live with other people—and even worse when we’re unable to unblock toilets at one of our host’s washrooms! So before you panic, start flushing madly (a terrible idea, by the way!), and flood the room, remember HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning’s quick (and dirty) tips on unblocking toilets and saving the day.

How To Unblock a Toilet: Tips and Tricks

If you’ve got the time, remember to slap on a pair of rubber gloves and prep the area around the clogged toilet with newspaper or paper towels. You don’t want to make an even bigger mess, and nobody wants to be shoving bare hands down a drain. Wait until the water level drops as much as possible before you unblock a toilet. If you have a real problem with excess water—and you have access—you can always turn off the water supply while working.

Suck it up and get it there. Seriously—use your gloved hand to try to dislodge what’s causing the blockage. It can be gross, but it’s sometimes effective. Though please keep in mind that these plumbing solutions are designed to unblock your toilet wisely by eliminating nearby clogs in your drain line and are not designed to treat sewer line clogs.

Plunge It Right

When you have your plunger handy, make sure it’s designed for the purpose, and you can use it effectively. Sometimes all it takes is assiduousness, pumping up and down ten, fifteen, or twenty times, so don’t give up after a few feeble pumps. It’s worth a shot! When you unblock toilets, make sure your toilet bowl actually has water in it, or this method won’t work. Also, always wash your plunger off when finished. Purchase a toilet plunger that’s actually designed for this task, with a small nozzle-like protrusion (suction cup) that fits into the drain, as opposed to the flat variety.

Use Soap

When you need to unblock a toilet, try dish soap and water. Squirt a few drops of liquid dish soap into the bowl, then pour hot water from a few feet above the surface. This pressure and grease dissolving combination might force the water down and dislodge the drain. Be careful not to burn yourself while trying this out.

Wire Hanger Trick

Hang in there. If you don’t have a professional toilet auger, grab a wire coat hanger, unravel it, and use it as a long wand by bending it into a snake shape. When unblocking toilets, try to dislodge obstructing masses and employ a circular motion for extra efficiency. If you can wrap a small rag or piece of fabric around the business end of the hanger, this might work even better, but make sure it’s attached securely (or you’ll just be adding to the problem).

Baking Soda and White Vinegar

Get cooking. Just kidding—but you can raid your kitchen for baking soda and vinegar, which make a great de-clogging combination to help unblock toilets. Add a cup of baking soda, then a cup of vinegar, and wash it all down with a pot of very hot water.

Drain Cleaning Product

Use a commercial drain cleaner product to help unblock toilets. If you opt for this method, always go for eco-friendly products. Our plumbers use GES+ Grease Eliminator and Drain Treatment, as well as Drain Blast Drain Fly Eliminator, to treat severe blockages. Unlike household cleaners, these enzyme products are biodegradable, non-toxic, non-pathogenic, kill foul odours, and are free of pesticides and poisons. You don’t want to harm your plumbing system—or the environment—with harmful chemical products. As you can see, our plumbing technicians prefer to steer clear of chemical cleaners that are not only bad for our nature, but also bad for your plumbing system.

Another Way To Unblock Toilet

If you have some basic plumbing knowledge and possess some essential tools like a plumbing wrench and a pair of slip-joint pliers, you can try disconnecting your toilet’s p-trap by removing the nuts. Remember to turn off the shutoff valve and clear the toilet bowl from excess water.

Our customers have also asked about using household bleach, which, from our experience, doesn’t do much either in unblocking toilets, similar to the vinegar mixture attempt. It’s also a type of chemical we prefer not to use.

All Attempts in Vain? Unblock Toilet With Hy-Pro Plumbing!

Depending on your property’s design, the waste pipe connecting your toilet usually has the closest access to your residential sewer line. If all the attempts above end up in vain, it indicates that there is an underlying issue concerning your sewer system that requires a professional plumber to inspect.

With our professional plumbing tools, we’ll be able to inspect your toilet drain and check if there is a major blockage in your sewer line. If lucky, and your pipes are all intact, all you need is a drain cleaning service to recover your drainage systems. Count on us to unblock your toilet clog, so you won’t have to worry about any more stubborn clogs in the future.

How To Prevent Clogged Toilets In The Future

While the unclogging process is a huge pain, there are ways to eliminate this unnecessary chore. Unfortunately, there are people who treat their toilets like a garbage can by flushing down all sorts of objects they are not supposed to, including paper towels, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, Q-tips, tooth floss, and other household items. But your unit is only designed to wash down human waste and toilet paper. That is because solid waste breaks down and toilet paper is designed to dissolve.

Need A Professional Plumber To Unblock Toilets At Home?

The final step in this fretful process should always be to call your local plumbing service in Ontario, HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning! If you can’t get the job done using one of the methods above, there’s no need to worry; we’ll bring the expertise and skill to efficiently unblock your toilet and make sure it won’t happen again.

Our expert plumbers in Ontario are here to help you out whenever you’re having trouble, night or day, seven days a week. Unblocking toilets is a chore and can end up horribly wrong besides just causing you discomfort—let us be your clogged drain experts and bathroom saviours!

Prepping Pipes For Winter

Prepping pipes for the cold winter is essential in maintaining its health. You’ve enjoyed your cottage, lodge, or cabin as much as humanly possible this year—in fact, you’ve squeezed every last moment out of your cherished holiday house, trying to escape the city or the doldrums of work.

But now it’s time to face the facts: once again, winter is upon us, and you’re going to have to wait through another four months of cold wind, snow, and ice before you can enjoy another relaxing getaway. For you, it’s high time you made sure you cottage’s plumbing systems are outfitted for another winter. Here are a few things to remember when winterizing any vacant dwelling.

How Can You Begin Prepping Pipes?

Obviously, you’re going to want to have some heat flowing through the premises to not turn your property into an ice cube. Some residual heat through the house is absolutely essential. Pipes are most likely to freeze if they’re exposed to the elements, either outdoors or underground. Fiberglass and polyethylene are great for insulation, as is heat tape. If your pipes have sustained damage in the recent past, be extra careful when applying an insulating tube or tape. Of course, not everyone is experienced in insulating pipes, so get in contact with us at HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning if you need some help!

Know where your emergency shutoff valve is in case of any burst pipes, but always drain your pipes before leaving the premises. This means shutting off the water supply, opening up a faucet at the highest point in your plumbing system (and by highest, we mean furthest from the ground), and opening another faucet (or drain valve) at the lowest (often in a basement water heater). Make sure you have a bailing bucket with you while you open the drain valve in your water heater; since you’ve got another faucet open above, the water will come out quickly. This might take you anywhere between 20 and 60 minutes to finish, and may require an assistant!

You may need to blow water from dips and valleys in your piping system—and you may need help with this step. Moreover, you’re going to have to pour antifreeze into your drains so that it can coat your pipes. If you’re not comfortable doing any of these steps, or for help with any other plumbing concern, contact our drainage experts and we’ll get it done for you with speed and efficiency!

Cold air is your main enemy, so do what you can to allow for heat to reach your pipes. Leave cabinet/cupboard doors open to allow access. Make sure that exterior cracks in your home’s walls are filled in to avoid infiltrating breezes. If you have a cold crawlspace or unheated basement, make sure that it’s sealed off from the elements. This is especially appropriate for homes with ventilated space beneath the main floors.

Any cracked glass in your basement could allow cold air in to damage your pipes. Garages and other outdoor areas might have insufficient insulation, so be sure to check that there aren’t cold drafts and weakened areas. If you have open vents that can’t be easily closed, you can always cover them with thick cardboard.

Protect Your Investment

You, of course, want to protect your investment, so knowing your home’s plumbing and drainage issues is an absolute must. Contact us at any time to help you winterize the pipes in a home, cottage, getaway, or any place that’s going to be unoccupied for an extended period. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are happy to help you with all your drainage concerns.

A Handy Dandy Drain Specialist

Having a trusted plumbing and drain specialist is handy, especially over the holidays. Have big plans for the holidays? Are you fixing to entertain friends, family members, and other honoured guests, preparing sumptuous and multi-course feasts, stop-overs for out-of-towners, and plenty of fireside cheer for those cold (but very merry) nights? Got a major “ugly Christmas sweater” party planned? How about a comfy evening of wine and cheese for a few close friends? Maybe you’re saving all that energy for New Year’s Eve, when you’ll open your doors to 2015 and to a crowd of countdown revelers!

Choose A Local Drain Specialist

However you decide to share your home this holiday season, having substantial meals and numerous guests means your plumbing and drainage system will be working overtime to accommodate all that extra flow. Dishwashers, sinks, and garbage disposal units will have their work cut out for them with all that scrubbing and cleaning to do after your merry meals. Overnight guests will be giving your showers and bathroom sinks a run for their money as they freshen up in the mornings. And if alcohol starts flowing at your party—as it has a propensity to do, for some reason—your toilets will certainly be taxed, so to speak. So let’s be clear—the worst time to encounter a plumbing problem is while you have guests! Imagine being unable to clear up after dinner, run a bath in the morning, or use the washroom during a major bash! Suddenly those little drains will become the focal point of a whole household of people.

So let’s be clear—the worst time to encounter a plumbing problem is while you have guests! Imagine being unable to clear up after dinner, run a bath in the morning, or use the washroom during a major bash! Suddenly those little drains will become the focal point of a whole household of people.

Knowing this—and especially if you know your plumbing isn’t exactly in tip-top shape, or is in need of a good tuning up—you’d be wise to plan ahead and know who you’ll call if problems arise. Choose a local plumber like the good people at HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, who are available seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day! There’s no time too late and no day too busy to give us a call—our live operators are waiting to help you even when the weather outside is frightful.

In fact, if the weather does drop down to frosty levels, it’s even more imperative that you have HY-PRO’s number handy. Water in unprotected pipes can freeze, expanding to a point where it might burst your pipes (especially if they’re in an unheated basement or in outdoor walls). You can prevent damage from becoming permanent by having HY-PRO experts come and thaw your pipes properly.

Most people are on a budget over the festive season—gifts, food, alcohol, party supplies, and clean-up means everyone is watching their wallets. For that reason, you don’t want to be buried in debt if you have an unavoidable plumbing problem over the winter. Luckily, HY-PRO will never charge you for time and materials, but will ensure you receive a flat rate and an honest, up-front price. As many people who host annual holiday parties and extended stays are often grandparents or parents to returning children, you’ll also be relieved to note that HY-PRO offers a generous senior’s discount—just let our operators or attendants know and they’ll be happy to adjust the final price accordingly. And rest assured that if having a spic-and-span venue for inquisitive (and let’s be honest—sometimes nosy!) guests is a top priority for proud homeowners, our neat and attentive plumbers will treat your home as they would their own, wearing protective shoe coverings and ensuring that any mess made in the process is cleaned up, leaving your house as good as new.

As many people who host annual holiday parties and extended stays are often grandparents or parents to returning children, you’ll also be relieved to note that HY-PRO offers a generous senior’s discount—just let our operators or attendants know and they’ll be happy to adjust the final price accordingly. And rest assured that if having a spic-and-span venue for inquisitive (and let’s be honest—sometimes nosy!) guests is a top priority for proud homeowners, our neat and attentive plumbers will treat your home as they would their own, wearing protective shoe coverings and ensuring that any mess made in the process is cleaned up, leaving your house as good as new.

Get Prepared!

An excellent host is a prepared host; you won’t leave your much-anticipated holiday gathering to chance, so don’t turn to just any service if you run into an issue with your pipes. Contact HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning to keep people smiling (and merry!) by keeping the water running!

Is Your Bath Clogged? Tips On Avoiding a Clogged Bath Drain

There are few things more irritating than finding your bath clogged when you need to use the tub or shower. But if you live in an old apartment or house, or your plumbing hasn’t been updated in a long time, you may have to endure this somewhat gross phenomenon more often than you’d like. Here are some tips for the trade to help prevent a clogged bath.

Remember, you don’t have to struggle alone with a bath clogged by stray hair, mineral deposits and other substances like soap scum. Trust the Ontario plumbing professionals at HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning to eliminate your clogged bath problem quickly and effectively.

Professional Drain Cleaning

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t enjoy taking a shower with a clogged bath drain. Having dirty water rising up past your ankles doesn’t exactly scream “refreshing!” The best way to avoid ever having your bath clogged is by calling our expert plumbers for routine hydro jetting services. Homeowners often don’t consider calling a professional plumber for drain services unless there’s an obvious problem that can’t be easily solved with a plunger or a hair snake. But if you can’t stand having your bath clogged and want to prevent it from ever happening again, a routine, professional drain cleaning service is necessary.

Hydro jetting machines are revolutionary tools that blast away clog-causing debris and blockages before they have a chance to get really bad and cut off the flow of water. They remove substances that are clinging to the interior of the wastewater line, which means there’s nothing for debris to hold on to, and clogs are less likely to form in the future. Regular hydro jetting also keeps your lines in great shape for longer because they don’t suffer the wear and tear damage of building pressure from household clogs, so you won’t need sewer line repair or replacement as frequently.

Regular Maintenance

Don’t assume that just because you can’t see it, the dirt and grime aren’t there! First, invest in a screen or mesh for your bath sinks to collect any hair or chunks of soap (soap residue is a major factor in many clogs, so don’t overdo it on the suds and only use what you need to get clean). Second, once per week—maybe while scrubbing the bath tub—remember to remove the drain cover and get scrubbing underneath. If you’ve got a tub stopper that’s pre-installed, you’ll need a pair of pliers to get it up and to get cleaning. Third, you can then sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda down the pipe.

As a chaser, pour several cups of hot water down the bath drain, as this will push the soda through the pipe and get any grease moving along. Don’t use boiling water, though—this can potentially damage sealants, wax, and rubber parts. If the baking soda and white vinegar trick doesn’t work, try just using a cup of vinegar instead, but let it sit for about half an hour before you chase it with very hot water.

Beyond kitchen remedies to avoid a clogged bath, you should occasionally use a bacteriological drain cleaner and grease fighter rather than harsh chemical drain cleaners. Look for a natural alternative to chemical cleaners that’s 100% biodegradable, non-toxic, non-pathogenic, and non-corrosive. Here at HY-PRO, we use GES+® Grease Eliminator & Drain Treatment, which will keep your pipes and the environment safe and clean.

Kids and Pets

If you’ve got little children, sometimes a mysterious drain in the bath is just too tempting not to experiment with—tiny beads, pieces of LEGO, doll hair, jewelry, and other toys often wind up down the line, and you end up with your bath clogged. Make sure you have a chat with your kids to let them know that waste lines aren’t fun to play with and that bath-time isn’t the place for anything smaller than the rubber ducky.

Pets are also notorious for jamming your bathroom drains because they can shed so much fur. During the warm weather, and if you have the space, try to bathe Fido outside. If it’s not possible, make sure you use your sink’s mesh screen or bathtub drain stopper or lay a thin cloth over the sink or tub drain when letting out the water—it’ll catch most of your best friend’s hair. But when doing it too often, you could experience slow drains and standing water in your bath. Separate wash tubs are a good alternative to using household plumbing fixtures.

Install a Water Softener

Ontario generally has hard water, which means our tap water has high concentrations of dissolved minerals such as calcium in it. While that doesn’t make it unsafe to drink, it can constitute a big plumbing issue because, over time, the inside of your water supply and wastewater disposal lines become coated in hardened mineral deposits. One way to help prevent a bath clogged by mineral build-up is to install a water softener on your shower head. This will prevent those minerals from making their way into your drainage lines, and as an added bonus, you may notice that it makes your skin softer as well. The experienced plumbers at HY-PRO Plumbing are experienced at installing both residential and commercial water softening systems. Not only will this improve your experience in the bath, but it will also be healthier for your plumbing pipes.

Additional Tips to Prevent a Clogged Bath

While the above points are the main ways to avoid having your bath clogged, there are a few other smaller steps you can take to stop this irritating problem with clogs from occurring again. Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when using the bath:

• If your long gorgeous hair is to blame for the majority of your slow drains and clogs, invest in a shower cap when just washing your body. Also, before washing your hair, give your head a vigorous brushing—you’ll collect a lot of loose strands that would otherwise come out in the wash (and head down the drain).
• Use a pair of rubber gloves when dealing with bathtub cleaning and even a clogged bathtub drain—you don’t want to get a lot of gnarly gunk on your hands.
• Finally, and it may seem like common sense, but make sure you have a top quality plunger and standard plumbing snake—it’s surprising the difference a well made and functional plunger can make.

Whether Your Bath Clogged or You Want to Prevent a Clogged Bath, Call HY-PRO Plumbing

If you practice good drain care and drain maintenance, you should avoid a large number of minor clogs and jams. However, when dealing with bathroom plumbing, it’s always good to have the number of an excellent local plumber at the ready should you encounter a clog beyond your ability to clear. Sooner or later, we need the help of a trained expert, so contact us at HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning for all your residential plumbing requirements.

When you rely on the team at Hy-Pro Plumbing, we’ll ensure your water flow is optimal and drain pipes are healthy. Wave goodbye to clogged baths for good!

Looking To Upgrade Plumbing Pipes?

By upgrading plumbing pipes, you can increase the value of your home. If you’re like many of the property owners we know, there’s a good chance that recently, you’ve found yourself looking around your house and wondering what you should be doing before summer comes to an end. You want to take care of any renovations or repairs before the winter cold sets in and renovations become costly and difficult – but where to begin? What’s the most crucial thing you can do for your home that will serve you all year ‘round? How can you know what the right thing to do for your home is?

Now, we understand that we might sound a little biased when it comes to this question, but hear us out: there’s a good chance that the thing your home needs most as this summer comes to a close is a good plumbing check-up. This will ensure that your upgrade plumbing pipes is looked at by professionals. A well-maintained plumbing system is worth its weight in gold, and if you take the time now to look after any existing issues, you’ll be doing so much more for your quality of life than a new armchair ever could.

Issues With Plumbing?

There are any number of issues that can come up if you’ve been taking your plumbing system for granted: Maybe your water simply isn’t coming up out of the pipes like it used to, or maybe your drains aren’t working properly. Or perhaps – as is common in many cases – there is a smell permeating up from the drain that smells like rotten eggs. These are signs of clogged and debris-filled plumbing lines that need repair, and they need to be addressed immediately. Stagnant water flowing back and onto counters or flooring can not only cause water damage that is costly, but can also be a real breeding ground for hazardous mold and mildew.

It’s absolutely crucial for your health, safety and comfort (as well as the happiness of everyone else in your home) that you seek out professional help when it comes to your upgraded plumbing pipes – and now is the perfect time to do it. At HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Services we are here for you in these situations, as well as for annual maintenance and repair work – whatever you need, whenever you need it. Our technicians believe in a job done right the first time, and will arrive at your home with all the tools and parts to get the job done.

Upgrade Plumbing Pipes Today!

Using state-of-the-art equipment, we can check out your drain conditions with cameras, easily obtain access to tight spaces and ensure back flow is prevented. Outside drains and clean-outs are also worked on to ensure the proper flow away from the home, and tree roots choking the lines can be cut back. If your problem does end up happening in the colder months, we can help with pipe thaw to prevent freezing and cracking.

Whether you have an urgent plumbing-related issue or are just looking to get your systems checked up and fine-tuned as summer comes to a close, we’re here for you. Contact us now to set up an appointment with one of our technicians, and feel safe in the knowledge that you’ve made the right call.

What Are Some Important Plumbing Issues?

Important plumbing issues have to be addressed in a timely manner. When you need a plumbing job done quickly and well, it can seem like a life-or-death situation – and in many cases, a well-timed visit from a reliable and skilled plumber really can be the difference between damage to your property or belongings and the relief of knowing that everything in your home is as it should be. However, when you don’t know who to call, finding a reliable local plumber who won’t take advantage of you, overcharge you or do shoddy work in the name of speed can seem like a daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be.

At HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, we pride ourselves on offering plumbing services to homes and commercial properties all across Ontario, with an emphasis on high-quality work as well as reducing the cost for you. When you have a plumbing repair issue, you want someone on the job who is, first and foremost, experienced and ready to deal with your exact problem. Our technicians are fully licensed, insured and qualified to perform a wide variety of services.

Common And Important Plumbing Issues

One of the most common and important plumbing issues we have to deal with in Southern Ontario is tree roots and the ways in which they can affect your plumbing. Trees are beautiful, but their root system can wreak havoc on drain lines. Trees naturally grow toward moisture and sewer lines are a great source of water. By using a drain line camera, we can go into the pipes and see exactly where the problem has occurred. This is especially valuable outside when dealing with septic lines. We can remove the roots, fix the lines and restore full functionality to the home or business.

Another common and important plumbing issues are frozen pipes. The winters in Canada are bitter cold, and this can be hard on indoor pipes. When pipes freeze they can burst and cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Pipes that are located on an exterior wall, in a basement or under a sink usually freeze first. Some people will assume they can deal with this on their own, but this can lead to all sorts of mishaps – put away the hairdryer and stop trying to take care of it yourself. When your pipes freeze, you need a professional on the job.

Nearly everyone experiences broken pipes at some point or another. When water’s gushing everywhere, it is often not always easy to pinpoint where the break is, and you can find yourself overwhelmed or even potentially messing around with a part of your system you shouldn’t be touching. To our trained professionals, this job is easy. We will quickly find where the interruption is and repair the breakage. The longer water is pouring out, the more damage it will cause.

Get In Touch!

The bottom line is that no matter what your important plumbing issues are, HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning can take care of all your plumbing needs when they occur. Contact us today to make an appointment and see if we can help with some of those pesky important plumbing issues you’ve been putting off – we guarantee you won’t regret it. Local plumbers with verifiable experience can always handle the job; we respond quickly and work smarter to save you money!

Hiring A Local Plumber?

Hiring a local plumber can be hard work, especially when it comes to hiring a local plumber to help with plumbing repairs when you have an emergency situation in the house. DIY tricks are always discouraged because plumbing, as a profession, requires a high level of skill and training. Plumbers have to go through rigorous apprenticeship training before they can perform full time jobs, and this is the biggest reason why you have to hire a professional plumber. You can’t afford to take chances, so get the benefits of professional services that will be carried out to the fullest degree.

Common Problems That Require A Local Plumber

Common problems in which you need to hire a local plumber could include blocked taps, leaking faucets, clogged sinks, and drains, stopped up toilets, erratic water pressure in the shower, smelly drains, regurgitating drains and many more unpleasant circumstances we don’t need to describe in detail. Problems with sewers and drains are fairly common, and they can be avoided with a little bit of preventive maintenance.

Oil should never be dumped directly in the sink. When plates are placed in the dishwasher, they should be cleared of all food leftovers. Similarly, for drain and sewer protection, any low hanging tree branches should be cleared that could be growing closer to the mouth of the drain. Many other tips can be obtained by hiring local plumbers who have in depth knowledge and experience, especially regarding your specific area and building codes.

Benefits To A Local Plumber

By hiring professional local plumbers, you can get access to both commercial and residential plumbing services. The traditional and faulty ways of fixing your drains are gone and there are exciting, new technology options available for taking care of your woes. Drain camera inspection ensures that any problems with your drains can be pinpointed and time is saved. Trenchless technologies are also available which not only save time, but are infinitely more efficient. By making use of services like hydro flushing, pipe thawing, back flow prevention and water damage prevention, your entire home can be taken care of.

The biggest benefit, however, of hiring us at HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning is our 24×7 emergency services. We understand that many problems do not come with a huge warning. Sometimes, when you really need your devices to work, your pipes give out or drains get clogged. Usually, you can wait till the morning but when water is being regurgitated from the toilet or the drain, you need a professional as soon as possible. You can trust us to be there at a very short notice as our phone lines are always open 24×7. We also make use of environment friendly materials and our green odor control products are very effective. Overall, we make sure that the products we use are not harmful to the environment or your family in any way.

We As Your Local Plumber!

These are just some of the benefits of hiring a HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning plumber to take care of your issues. You should know that we employ plumbers who are fully qualified in repair work, and we always have a Master local Plumber on-site. Also, we are fully insured and licensed, so you can rest assured that we adhere to the industry standards in terms of products used and services rendered. Our customer testimonials are proof of that, and you can contact us anytime for more information or plumbing advice!

A Licensed Insured Plumber At Your Fingertips

Having a licensed insured plumber at your fingertips will prevent emergencies from getting worse. The reality of life is that a plumbing emergency can happen anytime, day or night. When such an occurrence happens and water damage occurs in your house, you need to have a reliable company available 24/7 to attend to your needs. It’s always more convenient to choose a local company who can be at the job site quickly and provide local references for past jobs.

Whether you are a business or homeowner, emergencies like this never happen at a convenient time and having a reliable company, such as HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning available to assist helps ease the stress of such a problem. Customers can rest assured that they are calling upon a company which keeps fully a licensed insured plumber and only sends out trained professionals to handle any job or to represent our brand.

We offer economical services designed to fit almost any budget, as we know you can never fully anticipate repair bills. During the time of crisis, you need reliable expert service, at a great price. We recognize the importance of treating our environment properly and we constantly strive to be environmentally friendly in the process. Our professionals have a thorough knowledge of the industry and are adept at the use of drain line cameras, which show the exact problem you are contending with and allows us to offer the proper solution.

Annual Inspections And Routine Maintenance

Of course, annual inspections and routine maintenance can help prevent emergencies. Our highly trained professionals can perform these inspections and services such as a hydro-flush, which can alleviate build-ups in your system and return its performance to brand new. Another problem that frequents Canadian businesses and homes is frozen pipes, especially after the winter we just had! If this occurs, we can expertly thaw those frozen pipes to decrease or eliminate pipe breakages and even further expensive repairs. The point is, we know how to stop the damage, and prevent it from happening again.

One of the biggest causes of clogs and backups is growth of tree and plant roots into the drainage system. With the use of drain line camera inspections and root cutters, we can return your system’s performance to its original function. However, water is the most frequent cause of damage to homes and businesses, and can be the most costly as well. Annual preventative maintenance or immediate repairs performed by our experts can reduce or eliminate water damage to your home or business. Another problem often associated with sewer drainage systems is a foul smelling odor emanating from the system.

Keep A Licensed Insured Plumber At Hand

If this is a problem at your property, consult our highly trained experts as they can find a solution to this “stinky” situation. 

Whether you are looking for immediate assistance from a local and reliable company for an emergency situation or would like professional assistance with an annual inspection and maintenance program, HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning has the knowledge and trained experts to get the job done. For immediate plumbing services or some sound advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

Replacing Bathroom Fixtures?

Replacing bathroom fixtures can be costly and frustrating but it doesn’t have to be. Depending on how hard you hunt for the right bathroom fixture, you can find something affordable, appropriate, and gorgeous that suits your décor. The first step is to decide how much you are willing to spend. Once you have this ballpark figure, it will be easier to start shopping. Next, you will need to determine the size and shape of sink that you will need in order to fit the dimensions and placement of various features in your bathroom or kitchen.

Tips On Installing Bathroom Fixtures

In order to replace a faucet, check first to see how many openings there are in your sink and how far apart they are. Bathroom faucets in particular can have a variety of faucet styles which will need to be matched for ease of replacement. Once you have established what kind of faucet you require, go invest in a good quality one that you will be able to use for an extended amount of time.

Before beginning your replacement, review the instructions provided by the manufacturer and defer to their instructions when in doubt. You may wish to consider purchasing a basin wrench for this project as it will be extremely useful in removing the old faucet and installing the new one. Finally, remove everything from under the sink and store it out of the way. Make sure you have plenty of light and turn off the water supply to the faucet and you’re ready to start.

First, loosen the tube nut just above the valve on each tube and lift the tubes out of the valves. Water will come out of each tube as they drain back from the faucet so be sure to have a towel handy to collect water. It is a good idea to replace tubing at this point, especially if it is getting old or made of a flexible material. The best material for these tubes is braided stainless steel reinforced supply lines which virtually eliminate the possibility of flooding due to a line bursting.

Second, remove the large nuts which hold the faucet in place. There can be anywhere from 1-3 of these nuts and this may be the hardest part of the job. If you are unable to reach them, you will require a basin wrench as discussed above. Third, lift the old faucet up and out of the sink and give the sink a good cleaning.

Fourth, assemble the new faucet and slip it into place through the holes in the sink. Fifth, tighten the new nut from below the sink and stop when you get close. Sixth, check that the faucet is standing upright and not at an angle before you finish tightening the nut.

Seventh, insert the tubes into the valves under the sink and tighten the tube nuts. And lastly, turn on the water and check that your faucet is working correctly with no leaks. If necessary tighten the nuts a little more and check once more for leaks.

Need Some Help?

If you’re finding it difficult to install your bathroom fixtures, HY-PRO is always here to help. Our trained and experienced professionals are here to ensure that your bathroom fixtures are installed properly in a timely manner and within your budget. For any questions or concerns, contact us today!

Looking to Unclog Sewer Pipes?

To unclog sewer pipes can be a difficult job but with the right tools, it is possible to get it done yourself. The two techniques described below should be enough to unclog most sewer pipes but remember: when in doubt, it is best to call a professional. Plumbing problems can quickly escalate so be sure to stop and call an expert if you run into any complications.

How To Tell If Your Main Sewer Pipe Is Clogged

The biggest clue that your main sewer pipe is clogged is multiple and simultaneous clogged drains throughout your home. This will usually involve more than one toilet, shower, or sink that is clogged or overflowing in more than one room at the same time. Sometimes a problem can be identified in its early stages if you notice that you frequently have to unclog many drains throughout your home.

Method 1: Plumber’s Auger/Snake

To unclog sewer pipes, there are a variety of methods available to you. First is the plumber‘s auger or snake. Available in both 3 and 6 foot lengths, plumber’s snakes are often the easiest way of cleaning out serious drain problems. For clearing your main sewer line you will want to choose the longer option, find your home’s main cleanout, and then follow these steps:

1. Disconnect plumbing in order to reach sewer pipe.

2. Spread newspaper on the floor for extra protection – this can get messy.

3. Insert the plumber’s snake down the sewer pipe until you meet resistance.

4. Begin turning the crank to bore through the clog.

5. Keep cranking until you feel the pressure release it is works its way through the clog. This may take several attempts to clear out a clog completely.

Method 2: Sewer Jetter Nozzle for Power Washer

The second method to unclog sewer pipes If the plumber’s snake does not do the trick, is to use a sewer jetter attachment for your power washer instead. This will typically clean a drain more completely and more quickly than a snake and may work when a snake has failed. Before beginning, be sure to wear appropriate eye protection and rubber gloves.

1. Insert the nozzle into the drain’s opening.

2. Make sure the tip is at least 1-2 feet down inside of the drain and begin spraying highly pressurized water into the pipe to dislodge the clog.

3. The nozzle will work its way deeper into the main pipe as the debris clears, continue to feed it more hose until the blockage is clear. You may need to pull it back a few feet and repeat the process to fully unclog the drain.

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Need Additional Help?

To unclog sewer pipes can be a tricky job if you are not experienced or a professional. As such, HY-PRO provides all the assistance you will need when we are unclogging your sewer pipes. Our plumbers are trained, insured and licensed to provide you with the best service possible. Your sewer pipes will be debris-free and be healthy in the hands of our great plumbers. Contact us today!

Prevent Major Drain Problems

There are many major drain problems that can be fixed at home by a confident DIY-er but it is important to keep in mind that it is often best left to those with years of training and experience. For one thing, professionals are more likely to be able to see the big picture and accurately assess the cause of your problems in order to come to the right solution. You may be able to fix a small leak on your own but if that leak was systemic of a larger problem you may inadvertently make the situation worse in the long term. That being said, it is also a good idea to have some idea of what is wrong and how it might be solved so that you know what to expect.

Steps in Solving Major Drain Problems

The first step is to determine which pipe is causing the problem. If you are experiencing slow or clogged drains, establish the extent of the problem by testing other sinks and drains. If only one drain is experiencing issues than the problem is probably located in that drain or the pipe connecting it to the main drainage pipe. If many drains are acting up than you may have a blockage in one of the main pipes.

If this is the case, try to determine the route water takes from the slow drains to the main drainage pipe. This will help your plumber to identify where the problem is and what solutions will be required to get your drains running smoothly again.

Before calling in the professionals, try flushing the drain(s) with boiling water or using a baking soda and vinegar mixture to clear blockages. If this does not work your problem may require the use of a plumbing snake. This is not recommended for unfamiliar users as it can be messy and worsen the problem is used incorrectly.

General Home Plumbing Tips

To further prevent major drain problems, here are some general home plumbing tips. Learn the location of the water supply shutoff as well as individual water supply vales. This can save you a lot of money, damage, and time in the case of a leak. Insulate all exposed water pipes to prevent freezing. As water freezes inside pipes it exerts great pressure on them and can cause cracking and even bursting. Avoid this messy and expensive problem by making sure your pipes cannot freeze no matter the weather outside.

Most major drain problems have smaller symptoms that can be identified before it becomes a major problem. Things to look for include:

• Slow sink or tub drains;
• Water backing up in sinks, toilets, or bathtubs
• Wet areas in walls or along floors adjacent to walls containing drain pipes
• Wet areas in your lawn near the drain piping; and
• Unusual gurgling or bubbling sounds while draining.

For additional information on major drain problems that can occur, do not hesitate to contact HY-PRO with a group of licensed and insured plumbers to combat all of your major drain problems.

Clogged Drains

To ensure you have smooth drains, clogged drains will usually require the work of trained professionals as it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to plumbing problems. Bad clogs may require snaking and this is best done by an experienced plumber so that they have to opportunity to make sure the clog is not systemic of a large problem. Very slow drains and stubborn clogs may require professional help but there are many things you can do to prevent your clogged drains from reaching that point.

Prevention

The best way to deal with clogged drains is to avoid having them by practicing some simple habits around the home. Here are some kitchen, bathroom, and some general tips to help your smooth drains running just as it should.

Kitchen Tips

Never pour grease or oil down the sink as this can have a serious impact on the health of your entire plumbing system. Instead, pour the grease or oil into a sealable container and throw it out.

Avoid letting food scraps go down the drain as they can get caught in bends and lead to clogs. Consider using drain screens on kitchen sinks to prevent this.

Garbage disposals are a great thing to have but they cannot handle every kind of food so avoid placing thick, sticky foods like banana peels and coffee grinds down the disposal. Always remember to run a steady stream of cold water while you are using it as this will help to carry waste material through the system.

Bathroom Tips

Clean bathtub and sink stoppers on a regular basis as hair, soap scum, and general gunk can quickly cause a clog, especially for those with long hair.

Never flush heavy paper products down the drain as they are common culprits of clogging problems.

General Tips

Pour boiling water down the drains once a week to help break up residue and move debris through the system. Second, adding vinegar or baking soda will help in breaking down soap scum. And lastly, never pour paint or paint thinner down drains.

Baking soda and vinegar can be combined in a one-to-one mixture to create a safe and natural solution which will help clear more stubborn residue. Leave the solution in the drain for at least 8 hours without running water and then run very hot water and plunge the drain to clear any remaining residue.

Hydrogen peroxide can also be used to break down sediment and soap scum but it is not as effective on hair. If you suspect your slow drain is due to residue buildup, pour a cup of hydrogen peroxide down the drain. Wait 10 minutes and then plunge the drain. Repeat as necessary.

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Need Some Help?

If you’re noticing that your clogged drains are getting nastier despite your efforts, don’t hesitate to give us a call. At HY-PRO, we take great pride in unblocking clogged drains and maintain the health and cleanliness of your entire system.

Plumber Questions

If you don’t know much about plumbing, that’s okay. You’ll have to hire a plumber eventually, and you’ll want to know which plumber questions to ask. Here are a few of the most important plumber questions you should be asking any plumber you’re considering hiring.

Do You Have Insurance?

This is one out of the many plumber questions you should ask. If the answer to this question is no, run the other way. Every plumber doing work in your home should be able to provide you with insurance. Any damage that is caused to your home will have to be fixed, and you don’t want to have to foot the bill for someone else’s mistake.

Do You Have A License To Do This?

If there is a requirement for a plumber to have a license in your area, it’s important to know that they have one. If the plumber you’re considering to hire doesn’t have a license, there’s probably a good reason for it. You wouldn’t ask an unlicensed doctor to treat you, so don’t ask an unlicensed plumber.

Have You Any References?

References and good reviews are one of the strongest indicators of whether or not a person will use a product or service. Ask for references. Get names, phone numbers and call them. Find out if they were satisfied and if they would use the same person again if they ran into problems.

What’s The Cost?

A plumber should know the approximate cost of the job before they do it. You should be able to get a list of the required materials and a breakdown of the cost of service.

Can You Give Me A Guarantee?

A plumber should stand behind their work. They should be able to say that the job will be done right the first time, and if not, they’ll come back at no charge. If they can’t give you a guarantee, there are plenty of plumbers out there that will. The last thing you need is to be stuck paying to fix the exact same problem weeks or months down the road.

Have More Questions?

These are the most important plumber questions you should have on your list. Write them down and think up a few of your own. Keep them handy. Keep a tally of each plumber’s response, so it’s easier to choose which one is the best when the time comes. Make a good decision on hiring, and you’ll make a great decision for your plumbing.

Plumbing Career

A plumbing career can be a dirty job, but someone has to do it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have running water! And with a continued shortage of workers in the skilled trades across Canada, prospective plumbers could be well-positioned for steady work and a good salary. Here are some considerations to keep in mind.

Solid Prospects

The most recent job outlook published by the Ontario government predicted good prospects for trained plumbers. That’s good news, considering global economic instability and unemployment in Ontario at nearly 8 percent in December. For young people, that figure tends to be even higher.

Demand for plumbers is more solid than other trades linked to construction because there’s always a need for people with the know-how to maintain the existing network of pipes. That means you’re less vulnerable to economic downturns.

Work Hours Varied

The 2009 Employment Ontario report showed that most plumbers have a standard 40-hour work week. But that refers mostly to those working on the construction of new buildings, whose livelihoods may depend on the ups and downs of the real estate market.

A more varied schedule sometimes awaits those workers who choose the path of maintenance and contract work. If you go this route, you may find yourself doing weekend and evening shifts. And those plumbers who show up to fix your overflowing toilet or storm pipe in a time of need may find themselves working whenever and wherever disaster strikes!

The Money Will Flow

The average full-time plumber in Ontario was earning nearly $50,000 annually in 2005, according to Employment Ontario. It’s a decent salary, although a few thousand shy of the province-wide average of $56,000.

But how much a plumber brings home varies widely. If you have an entrepreneurial streak, consider going into business for yourself. One industry veteran noted recently on this Reddit thread that after 23 years in the trade, he has a staff of 17 people, over 3.5 million dollars in assets, and a salary of $180,000 annually.

Get The Skills To Pay The Bills

Choosing a career as a journeyman plumber means getting the right education. Ontario plumbers require a Certificate of Qualification, which they earn through a five-year apprenticeship. This mostly involves on-the-job training, along with about 720 hours of school.

This means you can often earn enough to pay for your studies and living expenses instead of taking out a student loan.

Tough Work

New technologies mean plumbers are increasingly expected to have computer literacy skills and book-smarts. But keep in mind this job requires a certain toughness: you’ll sometimes be fitting pipes or soldering metal in awkward physical positions for long periods of time.

There are also certain health risks, as detailed on this federal government list: you may be exposed to biohazards like raw sewage, or harmful materials like asbestos. Always stay safe.

Stick With The Pros

One of the best ways to get into the business is to start with well-established plumbing companies. Hy-Pro Plumbing operates across Southern Ontario, providing solid residential and commercial services.

Plumbing Mistakes

Before long, everyone will face plumbing mistakes. Whether it’s a clogged drain, a backed-up toilet or any other number of problems, we’re willing to bet you’ve come across one of these problems a number of times in your life. Take these mistakes into consideration when you’re around your plumbing to prevent disaster.

Things Down the Drain

Your drain just isn’t meant for some things. If you let things wash down the drain that aren’t meant to be, like toys, big chunks of food, and any other large objects, you’re bound for a plumbing problem. If it can fit down a drain, you can bet it’s been flushed by someone at one time or another.

The Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal is not a garbage can. Even though it may be tempting, because it’s easy, if you put everything down the sink thinking it can handle it, it won’t. Some objects, like potato peels and pumpkin carvings, will clog your drain.

Unnecessary Weight

Do you have a rack laden with products hanging from your shower? That added weight on your pipes can cause problems if it becomes too much. If the weight gets too heavy, this can lead to the pipe snapping and a horrible shower experience. Many people also lean on the fixtures in the shower. If this is you, be careful. You might be in for a broken pipe and a slip that could mean other broken things.

DIY Plumbing

If you’re into a bit of DIY plumbing, take care that you’re reassembling everything correctly. If things aren’t put back the way they were, this can cause problems down the road. We understand that sometimes you have to get in there and take things apart, but if you don’t understand how things work down there or how everything goes together, it’s probably best if you call a professional.

Quality Parts

If you do fix things, you should always buy quality parts. Purchasing low-quality parts for your plumbing might just mean a failure in the future. When selecting new parts, go with brands you know and trust. Take the time to do some research and be sure that these parts will be able to stand up to your plumbing needs over time.

Are You Still Having Plumbing Problems?

Learning about what can and can’t go down your drain will save you a lot of frustration. If you do experience a plumbing problem, and you decide to fix it yourself, be sure you completely understand the problem and how to fix it before you start taking things apart.

Doing A Bathroom Renovation?

So, you’re tired of your bathroom and want to do a bathroom renovation. It’s time to grab the sledgehammer. There are a few considerations to keep in mind before starting. Before you tear everything down, use our tips to ensure that your bathroom functions as well as it looks.

Go With Quality

When tallying up the entire cost, it may seem financially secure to go with lower quality for a better price. This could cost you down the road, so when you’re thinking about renovating, choose quality parts for pipes and fixtures. Plumbing problems are commonly due to parts that just aren’t up to the task, and your renovation could end up costing you much more than you thought it would.

Soak In The Tub

When you’re out shopping around for you bath tubs, don’t be afraid to get in and go for a soak. You might be enamored by the look of a tub, but when you get it home you find it’s just too small to be comfortable. If you can fit the tallest person in your home in the tub, you can bet it’ll be big enough for everyone else.

Purchasing a Toilet

Sticking in the middle of the road when buying a toilet is a good way to get a quality piece of porcelain without having to spend too much cash. Toilets can get rather expensive, but if you cheap out you won’t have a toilet that will stand over time. Keep in mind, elongated bowls and seats are often more comfortable.

Other Upgrades

Renovations can also other upgrades like bath-to-shower conversions and make-up counters and more. Speak with your local bathroom remodeler to get the best advice. They will help ensure you plan this out properly so that you have enough space in your to plan out a successful bathroom renovation project.

The DIY Guru

If you can’t do it yourself, swallow your pride and call a professional. We all like to think we can do anything sometimes, but if you’re lost in all those pipes, call up someone who can get the job done right. It’ll prevent your wallet and pipes from getting damaged in the long run.

Flooring

You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on flooring, but make sure that your flooring can stand up to constant use. Bathroom floors are at risk of being splashed with water and abused, so they should be able to take the punishment and keep on looking great.

Need Some Help?

Doing a bathroom renovation can be a big job, so it stands to reason that you should think long and hard about every aspect of it before you start. Use these tips to ensure that your renovation stays looking and performing for a long time to come.

Advantages To An Efficient Toilet

An efficient toilet means more than just flushing properly. There are environmental advantages to them as well. Some people look at high-efficiency toilets and wonder whether they can really get the job done. That’s an understandable concern. No one wants a toilet that can’t flush properly. The truth is that high-efficiency toilets are designed to work just as well as regular toilets. In fact, they offer several benefits that might convince you to replace your old toilet.

Use Less Water

High-efficiency toilets use less water than traditional designs. The amount that you save depends on the specific model that you purchase. Many of the latest models use less than five liters of water per flush.

Why should you care how much water your toilet uses? There are a few reasons.

• using less water means you pay lower utility bills
• high-efficiency toilets put less stress on the municipal sewage system, which means fewer sewage backups and maintenance
• using less water helps protect the environment
• it also reduces the amount of water that processing plants have to filter before returning it to waterways (if everyone used high-efficiency toilets, we might actually see even lower utility bills)

So, not only efficient toilets are environmentally friendly, they also help you save money. All the better reason to install an efficient toilet today!

Today’s High-Efficiency Toilets Work Better Than Older Models

If you already have a high-efficiency toilet, then you’re way ahead of most people. Still, you should consider upgrading to a newer model that will save even more water (and give you stronger flushes).

High-efficiency toilets made before the 1980s usually relied on 19 to 26.5 liters per flush. Significant improvements were made during the 1980s, when the best toilets only needed a little over 13 liters.

That sounds great until you compare your old toilet to those created today. A newer model uses about half what your old one needs. If you’re concerned about saving money and helping the environment, you need to upgrade to a new and improved toilet.

Depending on the size of your family and the type of toilet you currently have, you could easily save more than $110 per year by switching to a newer model.

High-Efficiency Toilets Get the Job Done

Let’s address your biggest concern: high-efficiency toilets can’t get the job done, and that’s something you don’t want to deal with no matter how much cash you’ll save in a year.

New efficient toilets are not like the ones you might have encountered a decade ago. You won’t stand there flushing over and over again. Engineers worked to create designs that allow smaller amounts of water to exert more force that flushes toilet water down the drain.

A new efficient toilet might actually work better than the old traditional design that you’ve used for decades.

An Efficient Toilet That Is Properly Installed

These are three convincing reasons to check out efficient toilets. Of course, efficient toilets should be properly installed for you to enjoy its perks. Anything that is improperly installed can be dangerous and costly. So, make sure you know what you’re doing when you’re installing an efficient toilet of any kind. Getting help from a professional is also never a bad option. If you like to save money, protect the environment, and get a strong flush, it’s time to browse your options!

Winter Plumbing Tips

Winter plumbing can get frustrating and tedious. But freezing temperatures in the winter months can cause serious damage to your home’s plumbing system. Before it gets too cold, make sure you follow these winterization tips for preparing your water lines and drain lines for the winter. They could save you a lot of time and money, not to mention the inconvenience of living in a house with busted pipes!

At Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, we are committed to helping our customers in Ontario maintain healthy pipes all year round by providing professional maintenance services and efficient plumbing repairs. Let us help you stay on top of your winter plumbing preparations with our reliable annual inspections. For immediate assistance, call our friendly customer service reps at 1-877-554-9776 or read on to learn more about our plumbing winterization tips.

Pipe Insulation

This is one of the easiest steps you can take to prevent frozen pipes during the cold season. Nothing is more worrying than frozen water in your supply lines, especially without you knowing until you experience a decrease in water pressure or signs of water leaks.

During your winter plumbing preparation, search your home for exposed pipes that you can thoroughly examine. They could be in your attic, basement, or even under your floor. If you find that these pipes don’t receive adequate heat, you should insulate them.

As part of your winter plumbing, wrap these pipes with insulation foam to help protect your residential plumbing from the extreme cold. Insulating foam from the hardware store doesn’t cost much for winter plumbing duties and is also very easy to install. Another option is to ask your plumbing technician to install heat cables around your water pipes.

To avoid winter plumbing problems, such as basement flooding and pipe bursts, you should also insulate any outdoor spigots or outdoor hose bibs. Several manufacturers make insulating products that fit right over them. Many hose bibs also have shut-off valves, or you can ask your certified plumber to install a frost-free hose bib for you. But, most importantly, turn off the water so that it can’t reach the outside.

Another important winter plumbing maintenance to consider includes your sump pump because its discharge pipe is prone to freezing. We recommend checking with your licensed plumber about what they can do to redirect the pipe, so it’s not exposed to cold temperatures.

Leaky Pipe Repair

Leaky pipes are a common winter plumbing issue because they tend to freeze more easily than those that aren’t leaking. That makes it important for you to search the interior and exterior of your home for even small leaks.

Do this before the temperatures drop too far. Once a leaky pipe freezes, you’ll have a hard time fixing it (you’ll also run the risk of a pipe burst, which could lead to water damage, mould, basement floods, and other problems).

If you have foam insulation in place (good for you!), you can check for leaks by feeling around the insulation for wet areas. Any moist area probably indicates a leak. Remove the insulation for a closer look. In the event of a leak, apply some plumber’s tape or a repair clamp to temporarily fix the issue and call a qualified plumber for leak repair and proper winter plumbing maintenance.

Winterize Outdoor Faucet and Irrigation Systems

Most high-quality sprinkler systems are designed to handle cold weather. Still, you want to give them some extra protection during your winter plumbing maintenance. This way, they won’t break before the spring thaw.

Start by turning off the water running to the sprinkler system. Once you have turned off the source, remove water from the irrigation system so that it cannot freeze. Newer systems usually have drains that will eliminate the water automatically. If yours does not, or you aren’t sure whether it does, then you can drain the pipes manually by turning on the sprinklers and letting them run until they stop putting out water. Standard garden hoses should be detached from the outdoor faucet, drained and put away.

Protecting your outdoor water supply system is essential, and we highly recommend that you schedule regular maintenance services to ensure that your backflow preventer is working properly so as to not have contaminated water flowing through your water lines. During a winter plumbing maintenance appointment, our professional plumber will also make sure that your shut-off valves are turned off, and water lines are clear.

Hot Water Heater Maintenance

Not many people are aware that it’s essential to winterize their water heater tank, especially if the system is situated in a non-heated area and you’re living in a cold climate. Water heater breakdown is a common plumbing issue that homeowners experience in the colder months.

A part of essential water heater maintenance includes periodic flushing of the hot water tank because, over time, the accumulation of sediment at the tank’s bottom can lead to rust and other issues. We bet that during the winter season, you count on your hot showers and baths, so winter plumbing upkeep is essential! The last thing you need during the holiday season is your heater to break down and deliver nothing but cold water. When you hire our experienced plumbers, you won’t ever have to worry about system malfunction or heat loss.

Need Help With Your Winter Plumbing Preparation?

These tips are meant to prepare your household pipes for the harsh winter. By taking a few preventative steps, you can give your pipes a fighting chance no matter when a cold snap hits.

However, when you discover frozen pipes or run into some kind of winter plumbing problem, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-877-554-9776 to get a skilled plumber to provide you with professional winter plumbing maintenance services.