Sewer and Drain Tips :: Plumbing Basics

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Sewer and Drain Cleaning

You’ve come to the right place, we can help! Whether you’re looking for guidance on a routine cleaning schedule, have a strange odor coming from your sewer drains, or a drain has started making weird noises, we have tips to help clean and unclog any pesky pipes.

Routine Cleaning

To avoid sewer or drainage problems in the first place, we strongly recommend cleaning your lines often with an enzyme cleaner. These cleaners are found at most hardware stores and serve many different purposes, but any high-grade cleaner will work.

Once you’ve purchased an enzyme cleaner, you’ll want to follow the cleaner’s instructions and dump it into your basement drain. If your basement drain is unavailable, find a large drain to dump it into. Enzyme cleaners work over time, so be sure to let it soak and have time to break down bacteria.

Make Sure You Have a Snake

If you’re already experiencing a clog, you will need to try something more than a cleaner. Any minor clog is typically fixed with a tool called a snake. They’re long, and easy to shove down a drain and pull out or move blockages. You want to avoid breaking the line. If you can’t get through a blockage – don’t force the snake, it’s probably a bigger clog than you think and it’s time to call a professional.

Homemade Cleaning Solution

To break down grease and grime, you can use baking soda mixed with vinegar as a solvent. You’ll want to use one part baking soda and one part vinegar for the mixture. When these two products are mixed together, they have a chemical reaction where it foams and breaks down any grease build up. We recommend this option for any sink drain issues, but can be an option for backed up drains anywhere in your home.

Flushing Your Pipes

This option is only viable if you are not dealing with a clog as it requires water to run through your system. All you need to do is mix a bit of the drain cleaner into the toilet water and flush. Note, drain cleaner is different from enzyme cleaner in that it uses chemicals to break down the bacteria. Therefore, you don’t want to use this on your pipes too often as it could cause wear and deterioration on your pipes. This will help the cleaner to run through and coat pipes to help avoid clogs.

*Again, do not try this option if a clog already exists.

Need a Plumbing Professional?

Any of these options are great to catch a clog in its early stages or prevent future clogs. Often, though, we catch them once the damage is already done and you’ll likely need an expert to assess the situation.

Call our team anytime to check out your sewer and drainage issues. You can reach out to us by emailing moonlightplumbingllc@gmail.com or calling (860) 863-8189. We look forward to helping you!

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What You Need to Know About Replacing Your Existing Cast Iron Drain Pipes

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If your house was built 50-100 years ago, you’re probably looking at replacing your cast iron drain pipes. They’ve likely started to leak, discolor your water, or caused some sort of plumbing issue in your home. Now, the big debate. Do you repair the damage done or replace the pipes altogether? Our experts at Moonlight Plumbing are here to help guide you through your decision making process and help fix your residential drainage issues.

Common Issues That Arise with Cast Iron Pipes

Cast iron pipes were designed to last for long periods of time. In fact, they were created to last 80 to 100 years, outlasting many of us. The caveat is you have to properly maintain them to make them last so long. Even if they are properly maintained, there’s no avoiding natural disasters like tree roots interfering with the underground plumbing systems. Most certainly, though, if not properly cared for, deterioration of cast iron pipes will happen at a very rapid rate. There’s truly no telling WHEN your pipes will go bad. But our experts can say, with confidence, they WILL go bad. If your home has cast iron pipes, consider investing in PVC pipes to save your house from the following problems:

  1. Discolored Water and/or Odors Around Your Home
  2. Mold in the Walls
  3. Slow Drains
  4. Cracks
  5. Sewage Puddles
  6. Lawn or Driveway Indentations
  7. Pest Infestations
  8. And More!
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Why You Should Not Repair Cast Iron Pipes, Rather Replace Them

We’ve all heard the saying “We won this battle, but not the war.” The same logic can be applied to cast iron pipe repairs. The fix may work temporarily, but after a short time there will be many other issues that arise. If you have to do a repair to the pipes, in general, that means their usage and time has nearly come to an end. The small, less expensive repairs will end up costing quite a bit and you will eventually need to replace the pipes. Thus, making all the time, effort and money put into the many small repairs a waste.

To make the full replacement cost less of a burden, you can always look into splitting up the replacement into phases. Meaning, replace a section of the pipes month one then do another section at month six. This is not always a feasible option as it varies depending on the house and piping. It also depends on if the contractor is able/willing to do this. It doesn’t hurt to ask, though!

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Conclusion: Call One of Our Experts for Your Residential Drainage Issues

At Moonlight Plumbing, our experts have handled various cast iron pipe repairs and replacements. We want to help guide you through your decision when it comes to any residential drainage issues. Contact our team today to further discuss your options and see how we may be able to help

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Commercial Plumbing Tips for Reopening Your Business

Commercial plumbing

Are you one of the thousands of businesses that shut down their physical location because of the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, we know that opening back up is essential but will take time and careful planning. The commercial plumber at Moonlight Plumbing wants to share a few things to look out for if your business has been stagnant for a while. These precautions will help keep your customers and employees safe when you reopen in this new normal. 

Commercial Plumbing Tips

Flush Out Standing Water

This tip is especially important for business where employees and customers use and consume water. As water rests inside pipes and appliances, it loses chlorination allowing harmful organisms to grow such as tuberculous mycobacteria and Legionella. These bacteria are harmful to the pipes, make water non consumable and should not be used for cleaning or cooking. We recommend both cold and hot water lines be flushed before you reopen to make sure only fresh, potable water is running through the pipes. We aren’t just talking about sinks. You need to think about showers, hot tubs, decorative fountains, cooling towers and any other water fixtures inside your business. 

Water Heater Inspection

Water heater temperatures need to be at 140° F to kill pathogens. They also need a mixing valve to bring the temperature down to 120° F. As water flows through the sink, tub faucets and shower heads, the mixing value ensures the water does not scold you. If the water heater has not been operational for some time, you may want to call an experienced commercial plumber to inspect the fixture to ensure it functions properly for everyone’s safety. 

Test Your Toilets

Even though you don’t consume, cook or clean with toilet water, you should not overlook the operation of your toilet before you reopen your business. One way to make sure your toilets are functioning is to check if they are flushing properly and not leaking. To test this, drop some food coloring into the toilet tank. Wait 15 minutes and check the toilet bowl for any color. If you don’t see any color, it’s a sign you may have a leak and will want to call a commercial plumber before opening. 

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Call A Commercial Plumber Before You Reopen

You can read more from the CDC about what steps you should take to reopen your business on their site. In the meantime, we, Moonlight Plumbing of Stonington and Mystic, CT, are here to help you reopen your business as quickly and safely as possible without any plumbing issues. Our commercial plumbing services can handle all of your plumbing needs big or small. Check out our services and contact us today for 10% off your first service. Let us help get you back to business!

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Four Plumbing Cleaning Tips and Tricks from Your Residential Plumber

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Has the pandemic had you looking around for your next home project? It may not be as exciting as a new build or a paint refresh, but as a residential plumber that sees it all, I bet your plumbing could use some TLC. Think of it as getting a head start on spring cleaning! 

With entire families having spent so much time at home the past several months, everyone’s plumbing has been working on overdrive and would benefit from a good cleaning. Fortunately, our residential plumber knows a handful of simple and effective ways you can clean your plumbing fixtures without many tools.

1. Clean Those Drains

While the drains in your home may be functioning just fine at the moment, consider giving them a quick clean. Gunk and grime will pile up over time leaving you with a clogged drain if you do not clean regularly. Cleaning out your sink, tub and shower drains every so often will also prevent future clogs. 

What you need: white vinegar, baking soda, hot water

  • Pour ½ a cup of baking soda down your drain 
  • Pour ½ a cup of white vinegar and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes 
  • Boil water 
  • After 15 minutes, pour one cup of your hot water down each drain
  • Repeat if necessary
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2. Clear Your Traps

If you didn’t know, the “trap” is the curved pipe beneath your sink connecting the drain pipe to the sewer pipe. The purpose of this pipe is to hold some flushed water. This sitting water creates a seal in the pipe that prevents smelly sewer gases from coming back up. The unfortunate part of this curve is that it can also retain other items you flush. A regular trap cleaning can prevent clogs.

What you need: rubber gloves, bucket, wrench, scrub brush and soap

  • Put on rubber gloves
  • Place a bucket beneath the trap
  • Loosen slip nuts using a wrench (you can also try by hand) 
  • Remove the trap and pour everything inside into the bucket 
  • Scrub out your trap with soap and water
  • Replace the trap and tighten the slip nuts. 
  • Run the sink to ensure water is flowing correctly

3. Clean Shower Heads

Showerhead nozzles get clogged overtime with scale build-up from water minerals and the usual grime. When your home uses hard water, you’ll find this happening more often. To get the most out of your shower, use this quick cleaning method.

What you need: white vinegar, baking soda, gallon size plastic bag, rubber band 

  • Pour ⅓ cup of white vinegar into plastic bag
  • Put ⅓ cup of baking soda into plastic bag
  • Shake the bag and tie it around the nozzle with the showerhead submerged

You can also try removing your showerhead and scrubbing the nozzles from the inside. You’ll need to remove the filter, so clean that out while you’re in there!

4. Clean Grout Mold

Dark and humid environments are the perfect place for mold spores to spread. This means showers can be one of the biggest culprits that carry mold in your home. Take a look at your grout lines and see if there are dark spots between the tiles. Over time, if this mold grows, it can spread to other parts of your bathroom and eventually affect your health. 

What you need: white vinegar, spray bottle, coarse scrub brush, toothbrush, caulk

  • Ventilate your bathroom 
  • Put white vinegar into a spray bottle
  • Spray the solution onto mold and scrub with brush
  • Use a toothbrush for hard to clean grout lines
  • Caulk any missing or worn out grout lines once you are finished cleaning.
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Need Assistance? Contact Our Residential Plumber Today!

Take it from this residential plumber that your energy is never wasted on a quick cleaning. However, if you do not have the time or motivation to clean your plumbing, we are here to help. Moonlight plumbing covers Mystic and Stonington, CT, and we are open and ready when you are. Whether you need a plumbing cleaning, fixture repair or replacement, we can handle any job no matter how big or small. Contact us today!

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Commercial Contracting Tip: What You Need to Know About Sewer Inspections, Repairs, and Maintenance

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If you go back to your grandparents era, you would see that sewer repairs were quite a headache. Thanks to ever-advancing technology, these repairs and inspections have become much easier to execute today. But, sewer repairs/maintenance can quickly become costly or cause much bigger issues with your piping. Especially, if you own a commercial property space. Understanding how to properly maintain your underground sewer for your commercial contracting properties can help to avoid costly repairs. We’re here to give you the inside scoop on sewer inspections, repairs, and maintenance so you know what to expect and how to properly care for your commercial property’s underground sewer.

Commercial Contracting – How We Complete Sewer Repairs

  • Just a few, short years ago we would have to do extravagant work if a sewer needed repairs. Typically, involving huge excavations, a dug up yard or street, and a mess overall.
  • Professionals often suggest a common repair called “pipe relining”. This process involves a high pressure hydro jet to help clean out a pipe. Then, he/she will insert the new pipe to line up against the old one in hopes that it hardens. This will prevent leakage in the pipes and help keep trees from rooting into them.
  • Another common repair is called a Resin injection. An expert will often do this when there are a few minor cracks in the piping. Professionals will dig to reveal the cracked pipe and proceed to fill cracks with resin which will eventually harden sealing the cracks.
  • Often, though, these repairs can get expensive fast at commercial properties. So, to avoid having to do repairs on your sewer, always do inspections and regular maintenance to your pipes.

How We Do Sewer Inspections

  • Your first sewer inspection should take place before buying a commercial property. This way you can avoid buying a property with sewer problems – what a headache!
  • Inspections are done by professionals with the proper knowledge and equipment to get a proper evaluation.
  • The expert will do the sewer inspection using a camera. The camera goes down into the piping and can help us see, at the surface, if there are clogs, cracks, root intrusions, or other areas of concern.

Commercial Contracting: Maintenance Tips and Tricks to Avoid Costly Repairs

  • Plant trees away from sewer lines on your commercial property (this will potentially avoid roots getting into the sewer pipes in later years).
  • Keep trees watered during drought. One reason roots get so long is because they are searching for water. Longer roots means greater chance of interference with pipes.
  • Know signs of sewer backup.
    • If multiple drains become slow on the commercial property at once, you have an issue!
    • Or, if water is running from one fixture to the next (instead of flushing down the drain).
    • Also, there’s likely a backup if you hear gurgling noises when water is flushed down pipes.
  • Always avoid putting any items down the drain that are not meant to be in pipes (hair, grease, etc) to help prevent clogging. Use proper tools to unclog drains from the store or contact a professional for extensive clogs.
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Need Sewer Help?

It’s important to keep up with sewer inspections and do routine maintenance, especially in commercial space, to avoid costly repairs. Understanding how sewers work, how to maintain them, and how to avoid repairs in general will help save you money and a headache. We hope the provided information is helpful from our commercial contracting team. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing sewage issues, contact our professionals today for expert help and guidance.

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Our Plumbing Contractors are Ready to Help With Your Next Bathroom Remodel

Remodeling bathrooms can be stressful and complicated which is why our plumbing contractors are here to help. Expert guidance doesn’t have to be pricey and intimidating, but rather an asset to you when remodeling your residential or commercial space. To help guide you a bit, our team of experts have provided some tips and trick below.

Remodeling Tips & Tricks from our Plumbing Contractors

  • Have a Plan Before You Start
    • As we stated above, working with experts doesn’t have to be difficult. Our professional plumbers at Moonlight Plumbing, are all about finding what works with your budget. In the end, working with an expert can potentially save you hundreds of dollars in repairs or redos. Planning not only helps you determine which experts to hire, but also helps set a budget and timeline for the project. Always a good idea to be prepared.
  • If You Need to Move Plumbing, We’re Here to Help
    • It is rarely recommended that one tries to move plumbing around without expert guidance. This can lead to much bigger issues if not done correctly. Our team of experts at Moonlight Plumbing consist of experienced plumbers who deliver high-quality work the first time around. Working in the commercial industry, we understand how important it is to meet deadlines and stay within approved budgets. That’s why we’re here to help.
  • Don’t Flush Your Money Down the Toilet – Instead Update it
    • Toilets are one of the biggest users of water in our bathrooms. With each flush you can save thousands of gallons of water each year using one of our toilet handles (both touchless and manual options to fit your budget). In the end, changing the toilet seat and handle instead of replacing the entire toilet can help save you money on your renovation and on your water bill.
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  • Touchless  Faucets and Shower Heads Can Change the Room’s Aesthetic (And Your Water Bill)
    • Touchless faucets, as we discussed in our last blog, are at a higher demand than ever because of the pandemic. We, at Moonlight Plumbing, can help spruce up your commercial restroom with a touchless faucet. In residential properties, we have manual faucets that have the functionality to reduce water usage. To accompany a new faucet, you can add a new shower head in the mix too. The best part about our new technology is that it’s not only aesthetically pleasing, but also is beneficial for conserving water. Check out all touchless options and statistics here.
  • To Accompany Your New Touchless Technology, Add New Lighting Too
    • Whether you add new light fixtures, additional light fixtures, or a skylight this will help make the space more welcoming and comforting. If you have the capabilities, dimmers are always a nice touch.
  • Finally, Add a Pop of Color with Paint and Decor
    • Typically, bathrooms are not always the biggest spaces. A pop of color and the right decor can drastically change the room. For budget friendly options, check out second-hand stores or garage sales to find “fixer-upper” furniture/decor.

Conclusion

Ready for your next bathroom remodel/renovation? Be sure to do your research on the best product for your new look, keep in mind the benefits of splurging on that new technology in the long run, and if you have any troubles reach out to an expert. Questions or concerns regarding plumbing, water heater, or equipment replacement? Call our team or reach out for a quote today. Talk soon!

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