Signs That Your Home Needs Drain Cleaning

Signs That Your Home Needs Drain Cleaning

  • drain cleaning

Maybe it’s happened to you before: Suddenly, none of your home’s drains work anymore. When a plunger or hot water fails to work, you may be experiencing a clog or blockage deeper within your system. Clogs can be a major disruption in your home that affects your daily routine. In order to remedy plumbing problems before they escalate, you may need professional assistance. Here are the signs that your home needs drain cleaning:

Warning Signs

When it comes to your plumbing, it tends to show you signs of an issue before anything major happens. Being aware that your home’s drains need clearing in the first place can prevent them from getting clogged — and you could have saved yourself a lot of hassle and money. Here are the major signs that you need drain clearing:

  • Foul odor. Your drains should never smell. A bad smell is a sign of a bad clog forming in the drain system. Since the clog captures more and more organic waste, that waste will simply sit and rot in the drain. Sometimes it attracts little fruit flies that gather around the drains in the kitchen and bathrooms. The clog and flies can eventually even attract vermin and become a health hazard to you and your family.
  • Slow drainage. If you notice that your bathroom or kitchen drains keep getting slower and slower, then there’s a problem somewhere in the drain. It could be a simple, superficial clog, but it could also be something more serious. Tree roots are constantly looking for their food source: water.In their search, it’s not uncommon for them to break into a pipe of yours.  It could also be a damaged drain that has caved in due to shifting ground or some other cause.
  • Your toilet won’t go down. If your toilet won’t drain and plunging doesn’t help, then you probably have a clog further in the sewer line. In order to maintain sanitary bathroom conditions and keep up with your daily routines, you should have a professional locate the problem immediately.
  • Strange noises. When clogs build up and water is slow to drain, it can create gurgling and bubbling noises in the drain. It can also be a signal of a crack or leak somewhere in your system.
  • Standing water. If you have a serious clog, then the water from the drain system will eventually back up. You’ll first notice it in the shower and bath since those drains are closest to the floor. If the problem gets worse, you’ll notice it in the sinks and your toilet as well. If water is left to build up, you may face potential water damage or mold contamination.

If you notice one or more of these signs, you should call a plumber right away. A professional will be able to locate the problem and get your plumbing back up and running in no time.

Prevention Is Key

Of course, you can minimize the chances of needing drain clearing by maintaining your drains properly. Twice a month, clean your kitchen and bathroom drains with a homemade cleaner. Most store-bought ones have harsh chemicals that can actually damage your pipes or surroundings if they leak. Pour a pot of boiling water into the drain, followed by half a cup of baking soda. After a few minutes, pour a cup of vinegar and more hot water in. Cover the drain and let the mixture work in for about five minutes, then flush the drain with very hot water.

Don’t wait until it’s too late – call McHale’s for all of your drain cleaning and clearing needs. 

By McHales

5 Signs You Need Drain Opening in Bucks County

5 Signs You Need Drain Opening in Bucks County

  • drain cleaning
  • Plumbing

Like any area of your home, drains can fall into disrepair and need some attention. Whether its loose hairs, food debris, or dried cleaning products, it’s likely that you’ll have to deal with drains clogging. You may try store-bought drain cleaners as a way to clear your drains before calling a plumber. However, these chemical cleaners are a bandaid that never truly fixes the root of the problem. Luckily, you can call McHale’s to help alleviate your drain clogs, perform a professional drain opening in Bucks County, and take advantage of our $88 drain opening special. But how do you know when the problem has gone beyond a slightly sluggish drain and into a need for a plumber’s help?

Here are five signs that you need a professional drain opening in Bucks County:

Slow draining.

When it comes to clogged drains, one of the easiest signs to notice is slower drainage. Is your sink or bathtub draining slower than it normally does, if at all? Is your washing machine or dishwasher still have a lot of water in it after a cycle? As well as being an inconvenience, this is a sign of a blockage somewhere in your pipes. A professional drain cleaning will release the clogs in your drains and allow water to easily flow through your pipes.

Backed up drains.

When drains need cleaning, sometimes water that should have been drained will come back up. You might have gurgling toilets or standing water in your sink. If water is going back up the drain, it’s a sign that it should be cleaned.

Sewage smells.

One of the more unpleasant and noticeable signs of a clogged drain is the smell of sewage. When drains are clogged, anything that goes down into the drain will build up and rot in the lines. This can become even more noticeable and disgusting if you live in a warmer area. If you smell sewage in your home, it’s a good idea to act quickly.

Fruit and drain flies.

When waste and other sewage starts building up in your drain, it’ll start to attract flies. Fruit flies like the smell and can be a health risk when they get into your kitchen and food. Meanwhile, the aptly named drain fly (also known as sewer or filter fly) likes to breed in septic tanks, sewers, and clogged drains. If you start noticing lots of flies, you’ll definitely want to start cleaning your drain.

Strange noises.

If your drains are clogged, they may start making some odd noises. When drains get clogged, the water may be forced to go through small spaces or change course. This can result in strange gurgling or bubbling noises.

Why is McHale’s my best choice for my plumbing problems?

Instead of relying on harmful drain cleaning products that don’t solve the problem, call McHale’s to clean your drains. Our plumbers are fully certified and have years of experience. We have the technology and experience to handle it all, and we come to your house fully stocked. Call for a drain opening now, and you can get your drains clean for only $88! If your drains are slow, producing bad odors, or making odd noises it’s best not wait. Call McHale’s today to get your plumbing back in tip-top shape!

By McHales

Springtime Drain Cleaning Tips

Springtime Drain Cleaning Tips

  • drain cleaning
  • Plumbing
  • Uncategorized

As we approach springtime and the snow continues to melt, it is important that you focus on drain cleaning. If you want to maintain your home’s health throughout the year, then take advantage of the opportunity of doing some springtime cleaning. Home plumbing is an important aspect that so many people forget to take care, until it’s too late. Drainage backups and leaking faucets are just a couple things no one likes to deal with when it comes to their home. Spring cleaning is for your home is just as important as drain cleaning. Being proactive about your plumbing system and maintaining care for your drains will go a long way in making sure the health of your home is in great care. Your home may have quality materials and built with a quality plumbing system design. So, to keep its quality in check, here are a few drain cleaning tips for the spring season.

Why Go to McHales for Drain Cleaning Tips?

McHales Plumbing takes pride in bringing you great customer service. Spring cleaning for your home is always important, that is why our services offer repairs and installations so that you can stay on top of your plumbing system. It’s never easy to keep track of all your home’s appliances, which is why we are always available to keep you at ease. With our experienced and well-trained technicians and contractors, we are readily available to handle any situation. Prolong the life of your home plumbing system with expert care from McHales and use this tips on drain cleaning so you can enjoy the spring season.

Clear the Drains

The three biggest contributors to a clogged drain are food, hair, and washed-off material. Not only is drain cleaning necessary when you come across this situation, but every drain should be checked often. You want to make sure that water goes down quickly and does not rise back up with extended flow. A simple tool to solve this is to purchase a drain ripper for your drain cleaning needs. This inexpensive tool uses a long plastic strip with a handle that is inserted in the drain and saws up any soft debris similar to hair. The water will flow better and you’ll prevent an eventual plug up.

Buy and Place Strainers

Drainage pipes obviously work best when wasted water goes down it. So, when it comes down to drain cleaning, purchase a strainer for all drains. They are cheap and effective in preventing blockage material from entering the pipe. Strainers are great for sinks that used often, like your kitchen or laundry cleaning sink. These units see most of the material that gets washed down the pipe, so use this drain cleaning tip to prevent further maintenance.

Break Down Minerals

For those of you struggling with hard water, mineral deposits will build up quickly. It will plug up fine mesh faucet heads like your shower head. No one wants to deal with that, so stay proactive and use this drain cleaning tip in which you soak a bag of vinegar and tie it around the faucet or shower head. This is a great and natural way to break down deposits and increase water flow.

Check Your Toilet

When it comes to your toilet, the water in it doesn’t just float around in the bowl, it’s also in the tank above it as well. Toilet ceramic can crack over time and the seals of the pipes can age as well. So, to avoid future damages such as small leaks that could potentially grow over time, pour food dye in the water tank. If the bowl changes color without flushing it or you find dye stains an hour or so later, then you’ll know that there is a leak on one of the seals.

Sump Pump Check

Another drain cleaning tip to practice for those of you with a basement. Test your sump pump regularly with a few buckets of water. The sump pump should immediately respond and pump out of the drainage. If not, then ask a plumber to check the pump. Simple as that.

Don’t Forget Outside

These drain cleaning tips are great for the inside of your home but don’t forget about the appliances outside of your home or in your yard. Look for broken landscape plumbing and drainage from rain spouts or AC plugs. If you find problems with these accessories early on, then the cost for a repair is low.

Stay prepared when springtime rolls around and take care of your drain cleaning – call McHales Plumbing today!

By McHales

5 Easy Tips for Drain Opening in Doylestown, PA

5 Easy Tips for Drain Opening in Doylestown, PA

  • drain cleaning
  • Uncategorized

Drain opening in Doylestown, PA is absolutely necessary if you want to prevent drain clogs from running rampant on your home’s plumbing system. Without it, you risk losing access to your most essential plumbing fixtures like sinks and toilets. Have you tried living in your home without a working toilet? We’re guessing not, because you take steps in avoiding problems. The same should apply for all of your drains and if you begin to suspect they aren’t working up to your standards, you need to take action for the sake of your entire plumbing system.

McHales is more than ready to provide you with drain opening in Doylestown, PA. We can provide you with water jetting, drain snaking, and video camera inspection to ensure drain clogs are gone forever. When your most essential plumbing fixtures are on the line, you need to call for dependable service that will be there for you immediately, and you will not find more dependable service than with the team of licensed plumbers at McHales.

Drain Opening in Doylestown, PA: What Can You Do?

If you want to know how you can help in the fight against drain clogs, please take the following steps to keep your plumbing system clog-free:

  1. Bend a Wire Hanger: If you have a wire hanger available, you bend it and use it as a tool to get rid of any clogs. It’s simple yet effective in removing any source of clogging that would otherwise go unnoticed by, say, a plunger.
  2. Drain Snaking: A drain snake is a quick, effective tool in removing clogs. It’s literally snake-like in its appearance. It’s a long metal rope with a spiral of metal at the end that will be used to scoop out any hard-to-remove material in your drains.
  3. Boiling Water: You know how hot water can be used to clean dishes effectively? The same can be applied to your drains. The boiling water will loosen any source of clogging in a similar vein to how it would loosen up any filth on your dishes.
  4. Baking Soda and Vinegar: A mixture of baking soda and vinegar may seem like an odd solution for drain opening at first, but mixing the two creates a fizzing solution that can send any source of clogs up and out of your drains.
  5. Monthly Performance Checks: Keeping your drains free of clogs is sometimes as easy as running monthly performance checks. This will allow you to stop clogs while they are still in their early stages. In addition, calling us for annual maintenance will take further steps in ensuring any potential clogs are avoided.

Contact McHales today if you need drain opening in Doylestown, PA and we’ll get rid of clogs in a hurry!

By McHales

5 Types of Drain Problems in Levittown, PA You May Encounter This Spring

5 Types of Drain Problems in Levittown, PA You May Encounter This Spring

  • drain cleaning
  • Uncategorized

Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to take care of any drain problems in Levittown, PA. After a long, tedious winter, your drains may be filled with all sorts of junk that needs to be cleaned out before it causes clogging and soon impacts your home’s entire plumbing system. Drains in your sink, toilet, and shower are all at risk for clogging. Besides, when you’re trying to make fun springtime plans, the last you thing you want is to deal with your drains!

But what exactly can go wrong with your drains? Well, the team at McHales is happy to help you! We want you to be prepared for any drain problems in Levittown, PA you may face this season so you know to make the call to receive our drain cleaning services. Springtime should be bright and fun, and we’ll make it so you will never have to worry about drain problems during the spring and beyond!

What Drain Problems in Levittown, PA Can You Expect?

If you experience any of the 5 following problems, please call McHales as soon as possible to have your drains cleaned:

  1. Clogged Kitchen Sinks: Your kitchen sink may be clogged with soap and grease that can harden and make passage through your drains practically impossible. While a plunger can solve simple clogs, something like grease buildup may require professional attention, including drain snaking service.
  2. Clogged Washer and Floor Drains: Soap and debris are the main sources of clogging for washer and floor drains. While methods like drain snaking can take care of the problem, it may also require camera inspection to determine what exactly is causing the clog.
  3. Clogged Toilets: Of all the potential drain problems in Levittown, PA to face this season, clogged toilets need to be fixed immediately or else it can result in some incredibly unsanitary consequences that may take more than a plunger to fix.
  4. Tree Root Intrusion: Camera inspection is also needed if you suspect your drain problems may be due to tree root intrusions blocking passage in your drains. Water jetting service can be performed in this case to blast away tree roots with high-pressured water.
  5. Deteriorating Pipes: Your drain problems may not necessarily be due to any clogging, but rather due to deteriorating piping that is preventing regular passage through your drains. Extensive work may need to be done to ensure your pipes are good as new and ready to withstand anything.

Contact McHales today if you are experiencing any of these 5 drain problems in Levittown, PA and we will be glad to provide you high-quality drain cleaning service!

By McHales

Drain Cleaning in Levittown: 4 Common Causes for Clogs

Drain Cleaning in Levittown: 4 Common Causes for Clogs

  • drain cleaning
  • Uncategorized

Drain clogs will certainly put a damper on all of your holiday time fun, so call for drain cleaning in Levittown to keep your spirits high! There are plenty of consequences that will come your way if you don’t seek professional assistance right away to treat a clog, including higher utility bills and inconsistent plumbing fixture performance. Wait long enough and you’ll spend more worrying about drain clogs than gift shopping this year!

At McHale’s, our drain cleaning in Levittown will keep clogs from ruining your holidays. Our team of plumbers will work quickly to remove whatever is hindering the performance of your drains with innovative cleaning methods. But do you really know what’s making you pick up the phone and calling for our exceptional drain cleaning service? Our plumbers are ready to tell you about the most common causes of drain clogs!

Why Are You Calling for Drain Cleaning in Levittown?

Drain cleaning in Levittown from McHale’s is fast and easy, but it’s important to know what is exactly causing all of your drain cleaning problems so you can pick up the phone and send a call our way as soon as possible. Here are 4 of the common clog causers:

  1. Cooking Grease: Cooking grease can often slip down drains and while you would think grease would actually create an easier, slicker drain pathway, grease actually hardens and slows down passage through pipes significantly. For any food waste that uses a significant amount of grease, it’s better to store the grease in a plastic bag before throwing it in the garbage.
  2. Physical Objects: Physical objects may find themselves lodged in your drains sooner than you realize. If you have a naturally curious small child in your home, then their favorite toy may find itself clogged in there! These items should be discarded in the garbage, but all too often do we come across customers who try to flush them down the drain! This can also lead to toilets overflowing, which can lead to some unsanitary consequences in your home.
  3. Undissolved Food Items: Foods like whole fruits and vegetables, potato skins, and rice should not go down your drains. While your garbage disposal, if you do own one, can chop up smaller food items, anything bigger can create huge problems for your drains and lead to major clogging.
  4. Dish Soap Buildup: The somewhat thick consistency of dish soap can prove harmful to your drains and buildup until you experience a clog. Dish soap passes through your drains too slowly and while it can clean your dishes, it’s best to keep it away from your drains. Also, if you’re using drain chemicals to clean drains, do not rely on them too heavily as they can damage your drains in the long-run.

Contact McHale’s today for drain cleaning in Levittown, especially if you’re looking to stop clogs once and for all!

By McHales

Drain Cleaning in Yardley: 3 Common Mistakes Made by Homeowners

Drain Cleaning in Yardley: 3 Common Mistakes Made by Homeowners

  • drain cleaning
  • Uncategorized

When it comes to drain cleaning, sometimes homeowners like to roll up their sleeves and do the dirty work themselves.  After all, if a clog is so minor, you don’t need extensive work done by a professional service to remove it. However, while it’s certainly fine to do the work by yourself, DIY drain cleaning lacks the precision and expertise often seen in work from a professional service. A lack of drain cleaning acumen leaves room for plenty of mistakes, which can see homeowners actually create some long-term damage for their drains instead.

If you’re a DIY type of homeowner, then you’ll understand better than anyone that you need to seek advice on drain cleaning in Yardley from a professional service. Luckily, McHales is that service, as our team of certified, experienced plumbers are always ready to give advice for homeowners always looking to do their own drain cleaning. Our main goal is to see our customers have clean, working drains that maintains quality performance in their home’s plumbing system. We’ve seen homeowners make mistakes time and time again, and we have an invested interest in helping you avoid them!

What Mistakes Do Homeowners Make?

In our years of service, we’ve seen homeowners make mistake after mistake when it comes to cleaning their own drains. Of course, our team of plumbers is always here to help, but if you are planning DIY drain cleaning, then please avoid these common fumbles:

  1. Use of Commercial Solutions: While it’s easy to be fooled by a flashy television commercial featuring the best big drain cleaning solution, don’t fall into the trap. While commercial drain cleaning solutions can provide relief during emergency situations, it’s best not to rely too heavily on them as they may cause even more damage to your drains, meaning you’ll spend more money in getting them fixed.
  2. Renting Equipment: Drain snakes and water jets are incredibly effective in removing clogs, but they must be handled by a fully trained professional. One mistake we see customers make often is renting their own drain cleaning equipment, even if they aren’t trained to handle it. This can be quite dangerous, as it may lead to anything from drain damage to physical injury.
  3. Undoing Pipes: While this immediately seems like something you absolutely should not do under any circumstance, it’s never stopped some homeowners from undoing their pipes and making things even worse for their plumbing. Even if you are experienced in dealing with pipes, undoing pipes can only make matters even worse.

If drain cleaning in Yardley seems too extensive, then it’s time to call McHales for excellent professional service now!

By McHales

3 Tips for Drain Cleaning in Levittown

3 Tips for Drain Cleaning in Levittown

  • drain cleaning
  • Plumbing
  • Uncategorized
Plumber Fixing Sink In Kitchen

When you own your own home, maintenance is super important, which is why we advise regular drain cleaning in Levittown. By keeping your drains clean, you can avoid clogs and costly damage to your plumbing system.

As a top-rated plumber with more than 65 years of experience, we often see plumbing problems that arise from a lack of knowledge about how to maintain household drains. However, if you know how to properly clean your drains, you can avoid unpleasant and unhygienic blocked drains, as well as damaged pipes.

What follows are our top 3 tips for drain cleaning:

  1. Clean your drains on a regular basis. Every day, pour some dish soap into the kitchen sink and some regular hand soap into other basins such as bathroom sinks, showers and baths. Then once a week, do a more in-depth cleaning by pouring a cup of baking soda followed by two kettles of hot water down the drains. This should remove any sediment or small clogs. Then flush out the drain with cold water.
  2. Use a commercial drain cleaning solution for clogged drains. Purchase a commercial drain cleaning solution, and carefully follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for safe use. Remember to run the cold water for a couple of minutes to flush out the drain.
  3. Keep a plunger handy. For more resistant clogs, place a plunger over the drain and pump it up and down a couple of times. The suction will start to break up the clog. Repeat as many times as necessary until the clog is completely gone.

At the same time, observe the following best practices to avoid clogged drains:

  • Never wash oil or grease down the sink, as it can congeal and create a blockage. Instead, dispose of it in a container, or wait until it hardens and throw it in the trash.
  • Use your garbage disposal to break up large items.
  • Never throw sanitary items in the toilet, as they can cause blockages.

Remember: if you have a blocked drain that’s resistant to household remedies, call McHales, your trusted neighborhood plumber!

By McHales

Ask a Newtown Plumber: 3 Drain Cleaning Tips for the Summer

Ask a Newtown Plumber: 3 Drain Cleaning Tips for the Summer

  • drain cleaning
  • Uncategorized
George School Newtown

If, like so many of us homeowners, you’re taking advantage of the mild weather to get your home in good shape after the harsh winter, your trusted plumber in Newton has some useful drain cleaning tips that will help keep your plumbing system in good shape. After all, it’s only logical that if you make sure your pipes are clean, you greatly reduce the chances of having to deal with a blocked pipe or overflowing toilet.  Don’t spend your summer worrying about faulty plumbing in your Newtown home – instead, let McHale’s worry about for you so you can enjoy all that Bucks County has to offer.

3 Drain Cleaning Tips

Your home’s drains lead wastewater away from your pipe system and into the municipal sewer system. However, wastewater isn’t nice, clean H2O. Instead, it’s usually full of other substances such as detergents, sanitary products, food and other organic waste. These other substances can cause blockages in the pipes, causing the drain to back up and leaving you to deal with standing water in sinks, baths or toilets. What’s more; water itself can contain minerals that cause a build-up of sediment along the inside of the pipes, reducing the space available for the wastewater to pass through. Combine both of these problems, and it’s easy to see why you need to clean your drains regularly. What follows are 3 drain cleaning tips:

  1. Routine drain cleaning: Even if the drain’s not blocked, it’s a good idea to perform a routine drain cleaning in sinks, bathtubs and toilets. Pour a cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by a kettle of hot water. When all the water has drained away, add another kettle of water. Then rinse the drain with cold water before using.
  2. Chemical drain cleaner: If water isn’t draining quickly enough or not at all, purchase some chemical drain cleaner. Follow all instructions to the letter to clean the drain of blockages and sediment build up.
  3. Snake: Carefully insert a snake into the drain until it meets resistance. This indicates a clog. Gently hook the clog and pull it slowly out of the drain, then clean the debris off the snake. Repeat as needed until the drain is clear, then rinse with cold water.

If you have a blocked drain and none of these methods work, call the team of experts at McHales!

By McHales