What Is a Safe Drain Cleaner to Use for Your Pipes and HVAC?

Like any other drain in your home, sometimes the drain line in your HVAC system gets clogged. Dirt and other contaminants build up on the inside, making it more difficult for water to drain. When this happens, it can affect your system's efficiency. In order to combat this, the drain needs to be cleaned.

However, your HVAC drain isn't the same as the one in your sink or toilet. Therefore, you shouldn't use conventional drain cleaners on it, as they may cause damage. Instead, here are some safe drain cleaners that you can use on your HVAC system to get rid of blockages.

Safe Drain Cleaners

There are a number of different commercial drain cleaners on the market that are specifically designed for your HVAC system. Some come in liquid form, while others come in tablets. Check your local hardware store or shop online, and be sure to always get one that's formulated specifically for HVAC drains.

However, there are also some cheaper options that are safe and just as effective. The most common is vinegar. A little bit of distilled vinegar will dissolve the buildup and help your drain run smoothly again. If you don't care for the smell of vinegar, you can also use peroxide, dish soap, or even hot water to fix HVAC clogs. However, distilled vinegar is the most effective.

Unclogging Your HVAC Drain with Safe Drain Cleaner

Before attempting to unclog your drain, first turn the HVAC system off. Next, look for an access point on the drain. It's often a T-shaped pipe, and it may have a cap covering it. Remove the cap and check for a clog.

If the drain is clogged, pour your safe drain cleaner into the pipe, wait 30 minutes, and flush the drain with water to remove the blockage. Then replace the cap and turn the system back on. If your drain is still clogged, call your HVAC technician to fix it. They may also perform HVAC drain cleaning as part of your annual maintenance.

For help cleaning your HVAC drain, contact us at Air Assurance. We keep Broken Arrow's home-comfort systems in top condition.

Garbage Disposal 101

Your garbage disposal can break down, clog your drains, and cause other problems if not operated and maintained properly. Repairing it and the plumbing mishaps that result can be a costly affair. Follow these tips to use and maintain your garbage disposal correctly.

Operation

Allow enough time for food particles to get ground thoroughly and flushed. Leftovers can cause odors.

Cleaning

Clean your disposal at least once a week. Use a bottle brush to scrub the inside. You can clean the grinding elements and eliminate odors by filling the disposal with ice cubes and one cup of rock salt, and running it for a few seconds. They will grind up against the interior components and scrape sludge and debris away. Alternatively, you can use vinegar ice cubes or pieces of fresh citrus fruits.

Repairs

When your disposal malfunctions unexpectedly, turn off the power switch before doing any repair work. Use tongs or pliers to dislodge any objects that may be stuck inside. Never insert your fingers.

What to Put In

• Cold water — Run cold water whenever your disposal is on. It solidifies grease and oils that can get into the unit.

• Small food scraps — Your disposal is intended for small bits of food. Avoid putting in large chunks.

• Cooked vegetables and meat — These are soft enough to be ground with ease.

What Not to Put In

• Rice and pasta — They expand inside your pipes when mixed with water and can cause clogs.

• Grease, fats, oil and fat-based foods — They harden when cooled and can gum up blades and cause clogs.

• Stringy vegetables — Vegetables like asparagus and celery can twist around the blades and impede their functioning.

• Anything that's not food — Although the name is deceptive, your garbage disposal shouldn't be used as a trash can. Non-food items can damage the motor and blades.

Your disposal will give you many years of excellent service if you properly care for it. If you have any questions about your garbage disposal, please contact us at Air Assurance. We've served the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about garbage disposals and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Brett_Hondow/Pixabay”

Toilet Flapper Troubleshooting

A malfunctioning toilet flapper can prevent your toilet from working correctly. If your toilet is running or won't flush like it should, check for some common signs that will help you pinpoint the problem.

The Toilet Won't Stop Running

Your toilet flapper's job is to rise up from the flush valve and let water into the bowl when you flush, then drop down and stop the flow of water when the flush ends. As the flapper wears out, it can warp, harden or deteriorate and no longer form a tight seal. When this happens, it can't completely stop the flow of water. This leaves you with a toilet that runs constantly and wastes water.

First, make sure the toilet flapper chain isn't so long it's getting tangled and stopping the flapper from closing or so short that it's holding the flapper up off the flush valve. If this isn't the issue, adding a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank will help you detect a leak. After you add the coloring, wait 10 minutes and if you find the color has seeped into the bowl, you have a leaky flapper you'll need to replace.

The Toilet Won't Flush Correctly

Your toilet flapper chain should have just a slight amount of slack. A chain that's too short will cause the flush to cut off too soon, leaving too little water in the bowl or even fail to fully clean the bowl. A short flush can also happen when the chain is too long. In this case, the rushing water pulls the flapper closed before the flush is complete.To check for this toilet problem, remove the tank lid and watch the toilet flapper as you flush. The flapper should start to drop when around 80 percent of the water has left the tank. If it doesn't, readjust the chain by unhooking it from the flush lever and shortening or lengthening it as needed by two links.

For help with your toilet or any other plumbing fixture, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere around Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “gmstockstudio/Shutterstock”

Things You Shouldn't Put Down the Drain

It's dangerous to adopt an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude towards your household drains. Some things that go down your drain can come back to haunt you in the form of clogs, flooding and other costly plumbing problems. To help you maintain a healthy plumbing system, here's a list of items that shouldn't go down your drains.

• Grease – Kitchen grease solidifies when it cools. It coats the inner walls of sewer pipes. With time, it can build up and even block an entire pipe. To get rid of it in an environmentally-friendly way, pour it into an old can or sealed container and put it in the trash.

• Eggshells – Although they seem fragile, they don't break down easily once they're inside your drains. They can mix with other items and form clogs.

• Stringy or starchy vegetables – Vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, celery, kale, rhubarb, lettuce and potato peels are too starchy, stringy or fibrous to be put in your garbage disposal. They can easily get tangled around the blade and clog drains.

• Coffee grounds – To you they may be fine and harmless but to your drains, they are a recipe for disaster. When they mix with water, they get heavier. They can compact in the disposal trap and cause a blockage. Why not put them to work by using them in your garden as fertilizer or a deterrent to ants, snails and slugs?

• Large wipes – Paper towels, baby wipes and other large wipes may be biodegradable, but can cause problems for your septic system. Their absorbent nature can make them clog up drain lines.

• Pasta and rice – Pasta and rice expand when they mix with water. They'll expand every time water goes down your drains. Eventually, they'll fill up the trap and clog your drains.

When you avoid putting the wrong things down the drain, you also save the environment by creating a healthier habitat for marine life. For more information on how to take care of your drain, contact us at Air Assurance. We serve the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “nattul/Shutterstock”

Clogged Drain? Find Out What to Do Before the Plumber Arrives

Sooner or later, all homeowners will encounter a clogged drain. Depending on the cause of the clog and where it's located, you may experience anything from an annoying slow drain to a serious overflow and even flooding. Some clogs you'll be able to fix yourself; others will require professional attention. Here are some tips for either case.

Minor Drain Clog

Most minor drain clogs are caused by congealed food, soap and hair. More than likely you can fix a minor drain clog with some do-it-yourself remedies. Here are some of the most effective:

• Pour a half cup of baking soda in the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. Cap it off and let it foam for 10 minutes. Follow up by pouring boiling water down the drain.

• Sometimes, simply pouring a pan of boiling water down the drain will loosen the clog. You may have to pour several pans to effectively loosen and move the clog.

• Use a drain snake or hanger to reach into the pipe. Try to loosen or snag the clog.

• Remove the P-trap underneath the sink. Clean it out and replace the trap, making sure that water flows freely through it.

Major Clogged Drain

You'll know when you have a major drain clog. The water won't drain from the sink, tub or appliance (dishwasher or washing machine) or else it may overflow, resulting in flooding. If the clog is in the sewer line, and is a result of grease, tree roots or collapsed pipes, you will need a plumber. If water is overflowing somewhere in your home, find the valve to the sink or appliance and turn it off. It's a good idea to also turn off the water at the main valve, probably located in the yard, near the street. Do not turn the faucets on until the plumber arrives.

For more information on clearing a clogged drain, contact Air Assurance. We provide quality service to residents of the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “cigdem/Shutterstock”