Why is My Drain Acting Up?

Drains are important parts of your plumbing, but they take a lot of abuse — which can lead to various problems, from clogs to bubbling to unsettling noises. No matter the issue, however, there are steps you can take to get your drain back in working order. Here are some common drain problems and their causes

Clogged

Drain clogs often occur when items are disposed of improperly. This happens a lot with kitchen sinks. Many people dump the wrong types of waste down the drain — fats/grease are a common example. The fats solidify after cooling and block the drain.

Clogs may also happen simply from use over time, such as in the bathroom. Hair accumulates in the shower or sink drain and clogs it up.

Backing Up

Sometimes, a drain blockage is the result of improper waste disposal. In many cases, however, a backed up drain isn’t your fault.

In the spring, groundwater levels can increase. This can lead to more water in your drainage system, which can back up your drain.

Leaking

Leaky drains could be caused by loose or damaged drain components. Sometimes, you’ll just have to tighten the nut to stop the leak. However, you may need to take apart your drain to identify any damaged parts that need to be replaced.

A more obvious and observable reason for a leaky drain would be damage to the drain pipe. Putt is usually necessary to fix drain pipe holes.

Bubbling

When you drain is bubbling, that might be a sign that it’s only partially clogged in the drain pipe. However, it could also be caused by a blocked vent pipe.

Your vent pipe allows sewer gas to escape, funneling the gas upwards and out of the roof of your home.

Objects such as dirt, leaves, or bird nest materials can come from above and block the vent pipe. This forces the gas back down, leading to the bubbling or gurgling sound you hear.

If your vent pipe is blocked, your only solution is to call a professional such as Barner Murphy.

Smelling

A smelly drain can be caused by a few issues.

Clogs are a common reason. Clogs provide a breeding ground for bacteria. As the bacteria colony consumes the debris trapped in the drain and continues to grow, your drain will begin to smell bad.

Mold is another possible cause. You want to take care of mold right away, because the gases they release can be dangerous — leading to headaches, dizziness, and nausea, among other things.

Lastly, escaped sewer gases could be causing the bad smell. If your drain isn’t slow/clogged yet it smells, this may the reason.

Making Noise

Drains sometime make obnoxious noises. This is usually accompanied by bubbling, which results either from a blockage or trapped sewer gases.

If you turn on your garbage disposal and hear loud noises, something may be stuck in the blades — such as chicken bones. You’ll have to remove the chicken bones to get your garbage disposal back to normal. 

Don't Forget About Your Plumbing When You're Spring Cleaning

Spring is almost here. With the warm weather upon us, we can soon crack our windows and open our doors to let the fresh air in.

Along with that comes spring cleaning. Soon, you’ll be furiously vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, and wiping down all surfaces in your home. You might even do some decluttering.

But while you’re making everything in your house shine, it’s important not to forget to give your plumbing a little spring cleaning treatment. Doing so can keep you home life running smoothly while saving you thousands of dollars and plenty of headache.

Here are a few of the most important ways you can spring clean your plumbing.

Empty the Gutters

The winter snow that piled up in your gutters has obscured lots of leaves, dirt, debris, and other stuff. A clogged gutter can cause water to spill over onto your home, causing mold and other water damage.

Make sure you clean those gutters out once the snow starts melting to prevent clogs.

Check Your Pipes

Winter is not friendly to pipes, as temperatures can cause pipes to freeze. Even if you were vigilant about ensuring your pipes didn’t freeze, now would be a good time to check them for leaks, corrosion, or other damage. Call a plumber right away if you find any issues with your pipes.

Clean Your Drains

Drain clogs are nasty problems to deal with. Even if your drain isn’t clogged, it never hurts to perform some preventative maintenance. There are many ways you can use water, vinegar, and baking soda to clean out drains. Alternatively, you can buy a drain snake and use that to keep drains clear.

Check the Water Heater

If you haven’t peeked at your water heater in a while, your spring cleaning would be a good time to do so. Check your water heater’s temperature, but also perform an all-around check of it to make sure everything’s in working order.

Clean Around Your Toilet

Most of your spring cleaning will involve sweeping, mopping, and wiping. Now is a perfect time to deep clean your bathroom, especially the area around and behind the toilet.

Sure, it might be a nasty area, but cleaning around and behind your toilet kills germs and creates a healthier bathroom. Not to mention that the bathroom may smell even better once everything’s clean.

Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals take a lot of abuse, so they deserve a cleaning every once in a while. Giving it a good cleaning will ensure it functions optimally year-round.

In addition, make sure to only put things down the drain that belong. Doing so will further help to keep your disposal working like new.

Need help spring cleaning your plumbing in Bucks County? Call the professionals at Barner Murphy. Let’s prepare your plumbing for the warmer months.

Garbage disposals do wonders for your kitchen, giving you an easy way to get rid of small food waste. Thus, when your garbage disposal has issues, you really notice it. Garbage disposals can experience several kinds of problems.

Here’s a list of common garbage disposal issues and how you can solve them.

1. Clogged Garbage Disposal

Clogged garbage disposals are a common plumbing complaint. Most clogs are caused by one of the following:

• Improper waste disposal (such as pouring grease/oils down drain)

• Adding too much waste at once

• Failure to run water down the drain — running hot water helps wash away bits of waste trapped in the disposal

When a clog happens, the blades are trapped. You’ll hear a humming noise without the sound of blades turning.

Solving a Clogged Garbage Disposal

If your disposal has a hex hole on the bottom, you can insert an Allen wrench and turn the blades until they can rotate completely. If it doesn’t have a hex hole, you’ll want a dedicated garbage disposal wrench.

Run water after freeing the blades. If water doesn’t pass through, fill the sink halfway and use a sink plunger until the sink drains.

If none of this works, you’ll need a plumber’s help.

2. Garbage Disposal Won’t Turn On

A garbage disposal could fail to turn on for a few reasons. Its motor might be damaged, electric power might not be reaching it, or its overload protector may have been tripped.

Solving a Garbage Disposal That Won’t Turn On

First, check the overload protector to see if it’s been tripped. If it is, find the reset button on the bottom of the disposal and push it. Wait 10 minutes and try again if it doesn’t stay in. Turn on the disposal once you get the button to be pressed up to see if it’s working.

If not, see if the circuit-breaker has been tripped. If it hasn’t, look for any loose electrical connection.

If none of these were the case, call a technician, as your disposal motor may be damaged.

3. Leaking Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposals can leak from the top, sides, and bottom.

Solving a Leaking Garbage Disposal

Top leaks are caused when the garbage disposal does not have a proper seal between it and the sink drain hole. You will have to replace whatever item is causing the imperfect seal.

If it’s a side leak, then the cause is a bad connection with your dishwasher connector or drainage pipe. If it’s the dishwasher connection, remove the connection and clean out the pipe and connector. Clamp them back together tightly afterwards.

If it’s the drainage pipe that’s causing issue, it’s likely because the rubber gasket inside has been damaged in some way. Take the drainage pipe apart, clean it out, and replace the gasket; then, reconnect everything, making sure all connections are sealed tight.

Lastly, leaks from the bottom of the disposal unfortunately don’t have a quick fix. See if your disposal is still within its warranty period — if so, the manufacturer should replace it for you.

How to Keep Your Sink From Clogging

Sink clogs may seem like a minor inconvenience, but they can turn into a serious problem when left untreated. Not to mention that they can be pretty unpleasant. If you don’t want to deal with the nasty results of an unpleasant clog, you need to take measure to keep your sink from clogging.

Follow these tips to do so.

1. Know What Can Go Down Your Sink

Sinks mainly get clogged by people throwing the wrong kind of waste down the drain. Some of the primary culprits are oil/grease, hair, coffee grounds, and bones.

• Never put oil or grease down the drain. Instead, scrape it into an old coffee can or something similar. Then, throw it in the trash.

• Throw away coffee grounds. If you have a reusable coffee filter that you wash using the sink, it’s ok for a few bits of coffee grounds to go down the drain. Keep it to a minimum, though.

• Use a hair guard for your bathroom sinks. This will catch hairs before they get stuck in the drain and cause a clog.

• Back in the kitchen, don’t throw food bones down the garbage disposal. They will get stuck in the blades most of the time, spinning around indefinitely.

2. Run Hot Water Down the Drain After Each Use

Sometimes, a little oil or grease may make its way into the drain. Run a bit of hot water after each use to keep the oil moving down the drain.

Additionally, you may consider pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain to wash away any other stubborn oil residue.

Don’t use cold water, as the grease will solidify and worsen the problem.

3. Baking Soda and Hot Water

Every once in a while, you may want to throw some baking soda down your drain before running the hot water. Baking soda does an excellent job of cleaning out extra particles, and it eliminates many foul odors that may arise from food waste.

4. Vinegar and Hot Water

Vinegar is another excellent household sink cleaner. It contains a mild acid — ascetic acid — which can help break down and loosen buildup from food particles and other organic material.

Every so often, pour 1 cup of vinegar down your sink and let it rest for a half an hour; then, run the hot water to wash away the vinegar and buildup from your sink’s drain.

5. Don’t Use Drain Cleaning Chemicals

Drain cleaning chemicals are a tempting solution when your sink clogs, but they can corrode your pipes over time, leading to worse problems down the road for your plumbing.

If you have a serious clog that you aren’t sure how to fix in Bucks County, skip the drain chemicals and call Barner Murphy. Our professionals will get your drain running smoothly in no time.

Prevent Plumbing Nightmares With These 5 Tips

Modern plumbing is a wonderful invention. However, failure to take proper care of your plumbing system can result in some nasty effects.

Prevent plumbing nightmares from occurring with these tips.

Check the Water Pressure

If your water pressure every drops significantly while showering or washing your hands, check the water immediately. This drop in water pressure could be serious. A leak in the water main will affect everything is your home; call a professional right away to handle this. If the leak is localized to a shower head or a sink, you may just need to clean the aerators.

Call a professional if you can’t identify what is causing the issue.

Check for Leaks Regularly

Leaks can run up your water bill, but when left untreated for a long time, they can also cause costly damage to other systems in your home.

Inspect your faucets, under your sinks, and around your toilets regularly. If you see any water that shouldn’t be there, you might have a leak.

Check appliances such as dishwashers and laundry machines as well.

If you can find the leak, repair it as fast as you can to minimize potential water damage. If you are unable to locate or fix a leak, have a professional do it as soon as possible.

Prevent Clogged Drains

Clogs are more than annoyances; they are a breeding ground for bacteria that can get into your water and cause serious health issues. Clogs may even cause leaks in other parts of your plumbing.

Do not flush anything but toilet paper and waste down toilets. Do not put anything down your sink that doesn’t belong, either. Use sink guards if shaving is a cause of clogs in your home.

As for your kitchen sink: only put food down your garbage disposal that it can handle, and never pour grease or fat down your drain.

If you experience a drain clog, avoid drain cleaning chemicals. They work in the short term, but can cause your pipes to corrode. Call a professional if you are unable to unclog a drain yourself.

Clean Your Toilet Tank

Your toilet bowl accumulates bacteria, mold, mildew, and other substances over time. Since flushing your toilet causes toilet tank water to transfer to your toilet bowl, a dirty toilet tank can make cleaning the toilet bowl difficult to later on.

Clean Your Toilet Bowl

Your toilet bowl deserves a regular cleaning, too. Not just because it looks nice, but also to help your toilet function normally. Dirty toilets can clog and corrode, leading to future problems. Plus, you can more easily identify early warning signs of plumbing issues.

In particular, keep your siphon jets (the holes in the toilet rim that transfer water from the tank to the bowl) clean. You can find many solutions for cleaning your siphon jets online, or you may have a plumber look at them.

Bonus 6th tip: Call a professional plumber if you aren’t sure of your ability to complete any of these tasks. Contact Barner Murphy if you’re looking for a Bucks County plumber to nightmare-proof your plumbing system.

Drain Cleaning

During this past holiday season, you hopefully got to experience family, friends, and lots of food.

But among the festivities, your plumbing systems probably took a hit. In particular, your drains might be clogged.

Drain clogs often happen soon after the holiday season due to large amount of food being prepared and more guests in the home who may not fully understand your plumbing system.

How to Unclog a Drain

Plunger: For smaller clogs, a plunger may be enough to loosen the clog. Start by using your plunger a few times.

Boiling Water: Bring a full pot of water to a boil. When done, pour a little bit of the water down the drain at a time, pausing a few seconds between pours to let the water loosen the clog.

Wire Hanger: Wire coat hangers can reach into tight drain spaces and grab materials causing clogs. First, straighten the hanger as much as possible. Then, bend one end into a hook shape. Now, you can stick the hook into the drain and pull up the material causing the clog. Do this until you think the clog is clear, then flush with hot water.

Vinegar & Baking Soda: Mix about ⅓ cup vinegar with ⅓ cup baking soda, then pour down the drain. The bubbling caused by this science project mixture will help break down a clog. Wait about an hour, then run hot water down the drain to clean it out.

Plumbing Snake: If you have a plumbing snake, this can be used to reach into the drain and break up the clog.

What About Drain Cleaner?

Avoid drain cleaner products. These products might be tempting if you’re looking for a quick clog fix, but they can corrode your pipes over time. Once your pipes corrode, larger plumbing problems can occur down the road.

If the clog is that bad, a professional plumber would be the best choice for the health of your plumbing system.

How to Prevent a Future Drain Clog

Kitchen

Sink: Improper food disposal causes most kitchen clogs. Fat, oil, and grease are the main perpetrators. They’re liquid when hot, but when they solidify after cooling, they clog your drain.

Instead, let any fat, oil, or grease cool, the scrape it into a container you can throw out. When the container is full, put it in a plastic bag and throw it away to prevent leaking.

Garbage Disposal: some think that the garbage disposal can take any waste, but that’s not true. Avoid putting the following down your garbage disposal:

• Bones

• Coffee grounds in large amounts

• Egg shells

• Fruit pits

• Celery

• Potato peels

• Pasta

• Nuts

Bathroom

Leave a trash can in a visible location in your bathroom so all waste not meant for any of your drains ends up there.

Sink: Don’t fill the sink with water before shaving. Use drain guards when you shave, and ask that any guests do so as well.

Toilet: The only materials that should go down the toilet are waste and toilet paper. Even “flushable” wipes should go in the garbage.

If you have guests that aren’t keen on that, consider buying a sign that says so. They exist in many forms, from simple to stylish.

Shower: Install a drain screen to catch hairs in the shower. You will need to clean it out after use, but it’s better than a clog.

Do you have an especially nasty drain clog in Bucks County? Don’t dump a bottle of drain cleaning chemicals down the drain — call a professional plumber. Barner Murphy is ready to help your drains get back to work.

With the holiday season in full swing, you want your house to line up with the holiday spirit. Most people go all-in on the exterior of their home with lights and a wreath, as well as decorating main areas inside like the living room and dining room.

But if you really enjoy decking out your home for the holidays, why not add some holiday spirit to your bathrooms?

Spice up your bathroom’s decor this holiday season with some of our favorite stylish holiday-themes bathroom ideas.

Use Red and Green Anywhere You Can

One of the easiest ways to add some holiday flair to your bathroom is to add some holiday color. Switch out your boring old white towels for some red and green ones. Add some green touches around the bathroom as well.

Here’s a clever idea to make your bathroom even more cheery: wrap pieces of red felt around each toilet paper roll. Your guests will notice and appreciate these small details.

Deck the Shower Curtains

Run out of room for ornaments on your Christmas tree? Your shower curtains are an excellent place to put your overflow ornaments. 

Hang these ornaments along your shower curtain rings; be sure that all ornaments are the same type for a clean look.

Add a Holiday-Themed Shower Curtain

While you’re focused on the shower, why not switch it out completely for something themed for the holidays? Find a shower curtain with a holiday-themed image on it, such as a reindeer or a tree.

Holiday-themed shower curtains will definitely come in holiday colors too, adding more holiday cheer to your bathroom.

Apply a Holiday-Themed Toilet Cover

Even your toilet can add to the holiday cheer with a toilet cover. Put a holiday-themed toilet cover, such as Santa Claus, on the top of your toilet lid. Anybody who pays your bathroom a visit will crack a smile when they see it.

Hang Up Wreaths

Wreaths don’t just have to go on your front door. Adding a wreath here and there in your bathroom can really enhance the holiday feel.

One good spot for a wreath, aside from the bathroom door, is on your hand towel rack. However, where you put it is ultimately up to the style of your bathroom and your personal tastes.

Hang Garlands Around the Mirror

Don’t have much space in your bathroom? Look no further than your mirrors. Hanging garlands around the perimeter of your bathroom mirror conserve space without sacrificing a pleasant holiday look and feel.

Beautify Your Bathroom for the Holidays

By following some of these suggestions, you can create a beautiful holiday-themed bathroom without spending a lot of time or money.

Of course, beautifying your bathroom is only a small part of getting ready for the holidays. You’ll also want to get the underlying systems, aka your plumbing, ready for the cold weather.

Call up Barner Murphy to get your plumbing system fully prepared for the winter. That way, you can enjoy your winter wonderland of a bathroom without mishap.

Although it’s not technically wintering until the middle of December, the ice, snow, and freezing winds are upon us. While you’re bundling up to protect yourself from the elements, don’t forget that your house, particularly your plumbing system, needs to be prepared for the winter as well! 

At Barner Murphy, we want to remind you to winter-proof your house and your plumbing ahead of time so you don’t have a plumbing disaster. If you have any trouble winterizing your plumbing in Bucks County, don’t hesitate to contact Barner Murphy.

1. Insulate Your Pipes

Perhaps the most important winterization step is to properly insulate your pipes. As temperatures approach 20 degrees, your pipes are at great risk of freezing, which can lead to them bursting. Not only are pipe repairs expensive, but there’s also the cost of water damage cleanup.

Insulation for your pipes as well as the tools to install it can be found at any local hardware, home improvement, or plumbing supply store. You’ll want to grab polyethylene or fiberglass insulation.

Make sure you measure the diameter of your pipes beforehand so you get the right size insulation.

2. Seal Off Your Crawl Space

Crawlspaces under your home put your pipes at risk of freezing. You’ll want to seal yours to protect against the cold weather. 

To do this, cut heavy-duty pieces of cardboard to fit the vents. Use duct tape to attach the cardboard; make sure there aren’t any cracks around the cardboard for air to slip out.

On top of that, seal off access to the crawlspace. This might sound like a tedious task, but it will further ensure you don’t end up with a costly frozen/burst pipe problem.

3. Check For and Seal Cracks

Cold air can seep in through cracks in your walls and foundation, possibly freezing your pipes. Scan for any cracks or holes on your outside walls and foundation, then seal each one with caulk and spray foam insulation to keep the cold air away from your pipes.

As an added benefit, less heat from your HVAC system will leak from inside your house to the outside, saving you money on your heating bill.

4. Disconnect and Store Garden Hoses

Outside your house, you’ll want to disconnect your garden hoses and store them somewhere safe and warm. If you fail to do this, your pipes will freeze and burst.

If your home has a separate external faucet shut-off, turn it off and drain the water out of your external faucets.

5. Turn Off and Drain Your Sprinkler System

Still outside, you’ll want to turn off and drain your sprinkler system too. There may be leftover water in the underground lines in your sprinkler system - in this case, you’ll want to call in a professional to blow the water out, otherwise, that water could freeze and cause damage.

6. Never Turn Off Your Heat When You Leave Home

Back inside, never turn your heat off during the winter when you’re away from home. It could get cold enough inside to damage pipes. Instead, set your thermostat to 55 degrees to ensure safety while minimizing your heating bill.

If your house has several heat zones, do this for each zone’s thermostat.

Winterize Your Home Before Winter Hits

While most of these tasks can be DIY-ed, they take some time and clever handiwork. Call Barner Murphy if you want your home winterized by professionals this winter.

Technology is affecting and disrupting all industries, including plumbing. As we approach 2020, there are a lot of cool new technologies and trends to look forward to that 

Here are some of the hottest plumbing trends and pieces of news in 2020.

Barner Murphy proudly provides plumbing services in the Bucks Country, PA. Get a head start on fixing up your plumbing for 2020 by calling Barner Murphy today.

1. Water Consciousness

Environmental awareness has been slowly on the rise for decades, but it seems that’s ramped up in recent years, especially in regards to water usage and pollution.

The average American family uses at least 300 gallons of water every day; it makes sense that people are seeking out ways to cut down their water consumption and reduce their environmental footprint. On top of that, families are looking for ways to free up room in their budget, and decreasing water usage can aid them in cutting their expenses.

One way this is being done is with water-efficient appliances. Such as dishwashers or high-efficiency (HE) laundry washing machines. These appliances can accomplish their designated tasks using much less water than before (and HE washing machines require less detergent as well), saving massive amounts of water.

2. Hands-Free Fixtures

Once reserved primarily for businesses, hands-free/touchless fixtures are making their way into homes as well. These fixtures can reduce the spread of germs by reducing physical contact between human hand and fixture.

They’re also more convenient. No need to turn a handle to get the right amount of water flow or push a lever to flush the toilet; just wave your hand and the fixture does its thing for you.

3. Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things or IoT for short is a network of physical objects that exchange data with each other in order to communicate. These physical objects are usually things in your home such as your fridge, thermostat, or coffee maker.

In 2020, we can expect to see the IoT implemented into plumbing scenarios. For example, smart toilets exist that can alert you to leaks and other issues, as well as provide data on your water usage.

Plumbing fixtures that use the IoT are not financially accessible to many at the present; however, as manufacturers continue to innovate and find ways to make these fixtures more inexpensive in 2020, more people will get to take advantage of this technology.

4. Luxurious Fixtures

People are moving away from basic fixtures and towards a more luxurious look and feel.

For example, curbless, walk-in showers are growing in popularity. Originally meant to help seniors get in and out of the shower without slipping, people outside this demographic are installing curbless showers for the convenience and the look.

These showers, along with more luxurious faucets, can turn a boring old bathroom into what feels like a spa.

Plumbing emergencies occur either as a result of neglecting to fix something or as a DIY attempt gone wrong.

Here are some of the most common. If you experience one of these plumbing emergencies, call a plumber like Barner Murphy right away. 

1. Burst Pipes

Many factors can cause or contribute to burst pipes:
Cold weather - If indoor temperatures reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the water inside could freeze
Irregular/unregulated water pressure
Corrosion/rust - Weakness the pipe walls
Clogs in pumps or toilet - Increase pressure inside pipes

You can actually cause your pipes to burst if you don’t know what you’re doing. Pipe sizes can be hard to tell apart at the store, but picking the wrong pipe can lead to corrosion or leaks.

Pipe issues are usually best left to professionals.

2. Leaky Pipes

Leaks happen for many of the same reasons as burst pipes, as they are essentially the precursor to a pipe bursting. The factors mentioned above can cause cracks to form in the piping, allowing water to leak out.

Trying to fix leaky pipes yourself might not work if you aren’t skilled at it. Failing to tighten joints the right amount or using the wrong materials can at best, not fix the leaky pipes; at worst, you might cause different problems elsewhere with your plumbing.

3. Sump Pump Failure

Your sump pump, usually located in your basement and in crawl spaces, prevents flooding and water damage by draining it away from your home.

Without a working sump pump, you’re putting yourself at risk for thousands of dollars in water damage. Sump pumps are a doable DIY project, but they’re not easy; many prefer hiring a plumber to do the work instead.

4. Clogged Fixtures

Clogs are inevitable in your home’s fixtures. Whether it’s waste, hair, grease, pieces of food, paper towels, toilet paper, or even clothing, a clog can cause plumbing joints to overflow and leak.

Toilet clogs aren’t too hard to handle on your own. If a plunger or toilet snake doesn’t work, pouring half a cup of dish soap in, waiting a few minutes, then pouring in boiling water should do the trick.

If not, you’ll want to call a plumber.

5. Water Heater Malfunction

You’ll know if your water heater’s malfunctioning if your water tastes or smells strange, comes out too hot or too cold, or makes excessive noise.

Water heater leaks require a professional. However, if your water heater is not leaking, you might be able to at least eliminate the funny taste/smell by flushing the heater’s water tank.

When in Doubt, Call a Plumber Instead of DIY

The truth is many plumbing emergencies come from DIY attempts on plumbing repairs. Some simpler repairs, like leaky faucets, can be done on your own if learned properly; but things can go wrong even with these quick fixes.

When in doubt, your best bet is to call a plumber. The professionals here at Barner Murphy are highly trained in providing all manner of plumbing services in Bucks County, so if you have a plumbing issue but you’re not confident in your ability to solve it, contact Barner Murphy today!