Not many things will put a damper on your day or a kink in your schedule like a clogged drain in your Maryland home. Not only is the clogged drain itself a nuisance, but it can also cause an expensive plumbing problem that can lead to expensive repairs. Rather than worrying about how to repair the problem, avoid the problem by using these tips to prevent clogged drains in your Gaithersburg, MD home.

• Make sure you have have strainers installed in each of the drains in your home, especially in the bathtub or shower. Keeping the loose hair and shower build up out of the drain and ultimately out of the pipes is essential to preventing clogged drains.
• Pay close attention to the velocity of the a draining drain, if it moves slowly, you need to remove any buildup present before it becomes a bigger problem. The longer you allow the buildup to continue building-up, the more likely you are to face bigger problems in the future that are likely to cause a larger expense.
• Always avoid putting sticky or greasy liquids down drains. As the grease settles in the curves and bends of the pipework under the sink and beneath your Maryland home, it will collect other debris that passes by. As the grease and debris glob grows, you will eventually end up with a clogged drain.
• Pour boiling water down your pipes from time-to-time will aid in preventing clogged drains as it washes away and dissolves particulate matter that collects in the pipes.
• Never flush items down the toilet that are not intended to be flushed down the toilet; in fact, you may want to skip flushing some items down the toilet that are “supposed to be” appropriate for flushing. Feminine hygiene products, diapers, bandages, and any other cloth-like material is likely to lead to clogged pipes.

For more tips on preventing clogged drains and other plumbing problems, contact Harvey W. Hottel. Based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Harvey W. Hottel provides expert heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and geothermal services throughout the entire Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and Washington DC region.

When you turn the water off in your Maryland home, you probably have been surprised by a loud noise and deep vibrations that may sound reminiscent of a jack hammer at some point. This unpleasant noise is what is  known as water hammering — or noisy water pipes. The noisy pipe problem in your Maryland home is caused by fast flowing water moving through a small water pipe until it hits a closed valve. As you turn the handle on the water faucet, in your kitchen, bathroom or even laundry room, the suddenly stopping water causes the pipe to vibrate which results in the noise you hear.

Water is not able to compress itself, no matter where it comes from — a well or even a municipal water system; as it cannot change itself into a different form or size, as it stops moving a loud thud is likely to be heard throughout your Gaithersburg, MD home. The size and shape of the stream of water may change, but that is not truly the water changing shape, it is only the amount of water flowing through the pipes and out of the faucet that changes.

The noise itself does not present a problem when it comes to your plumbing system, but the vibration associated with it has the potential to cause harm. The water hammering may lead to problems in the plumbing joints and pipe connections, which in turn can lead to additional problems with leaking and broken pipes.

To help assist in the reduction of water hammering in your Maryland home, put water in all of the air chambers throughout the plumbing system. Do this by turning off all of the water in the home and draining all of the pipes by opening the faucets in various locations. Always be sure to open the faucet at the lowest elevation as well to ensure a full drain. As the water drains it will be replaced by air in the space previously occupied by the water  and the water chambers will be full of air.

When you have questions or problems with your Maryland plumbing, contact the experts at Harvey W. Hottel today.