Tag: Drain Repair

Garbage Disposal Tips for the Holiday Season

Posted on | by The Great Plumbing Co.

With the holidays just around the corner, you’re probably already thinking about all of the delicious food you’ll make for your friends and loved ones. At The Great Plumbing Co., we’re just as excited for the holidays as you are, and in today’s post, we’ll provide you with a few tips that will help you protect your garbage disposal this season.

When you’ve finished reading this post, head over to our website to schedule a residential plumbing appointment. Whether you need garbage disposal repairs or preventative maintenance throughout your entire home, The Great Plumbing Co. is here to help you with all of your residential plumbing needs!

Garbage Disposal Tips

Avoid These Seasonal Items

While you’re busy cooking delicious food for your friends and loved ones, be sure that you’re protecting your garbage disposal by disposing of these items in the garbage can or compost bin:

  • Pumpkin: Many Toronto homeowners will be baking pumpkin pies this year. If you’re preparing fresh pumpkin instead of using a canned product, then make sure that you’re disposing of the strands and skin in the trash. Fibrous vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and rhubarb will all clog your disposal.

  • Coffee grounds: While coffee is certainly a year-round drink for many Toronto residents, it’s especially nice to sit down with a warm cup of coffee when your friends and family are in town. Coffee grounds tend to compact and become hard as they dry, and this is the last thing you want in your drain.
  • Egg shells: As you’re cracking eggs to use in cookie dough, pies, and other delectable holiday treats, be sure that you’re composting or throwing your eggshells away. Much like coffee grounds, they can easily jam your garbage disposal.
  • Grease: As we mentioned in one of our previous posts, grease is one of the worst things you can put down your drain. Whether you’re cooking bacon for your friends and family or frying pastries for an upcoming party, you should never dispose of grease in your sink.

Never Use Ice

You may have heard that putting ice down your garbage disposal will sharpen the blades, but this is a myth that will actually harm your disposal over time. The vast majority of garbage disposals in Toronto homes do not actually have blades, but, instead, have grinding mechanisms that spin in a circular motion. Ice jams the mechanism and will actually dull the metal components over time, so reach out to a professional plumber if you think you need new blades.

Call a Toronto Plumber If You Have a Jam

At The Great Plumbing Co., we know that the holiday season tends to be expensive. Between shopping for your friends and family, traveling, and taking time off of work, the costs of the season can quickly add up. That being said, you should never attempt to repair a clogged garbage disposal on your own. The mechanisms in your garbage disposal require the attention of a professional plumber, and you don’t want to risk your personal safety just to save a few dollars.

Do you need residential plumbing in Toronto or any of the surrounding areas? Click on the button below to schedule an appointment, or give us a call at 541-709-5381.

Four Common Plumbing Problems

Posted on | by The Great Plumbing Co.

Your home’s plumbing is a lot like your HVAC system in the sense that you depend on it daily, but you don’t often stop to think about how well it’s working. In fact, we tend to only notice our plumbing and HVAC systems when they’re not working properly. In today’s post, we’ll review four of the most common plumbing problems homeowners in the Toronto area experience. If you are experiencing any of these problems, or any kind of issue with your plumbing, then schedule an appointment with The Great Plumbing Co.

Stubborn Drains

Stubborn drains are one of the most common problems homeowners experience throughout the year. Maybe your kitchen sink isn’t draining as well as it used to, or perhaps your shower drain is completely clogged. The good news is that while clogged drains can be frustrating, they’re often not difficult to fix. Instead of taking your chances with a drain cleaner from your local hardware store, call an experienced Toronto plumber and let us ensure that your entire plumbing network is working efficiently. We’ll perform an inspection and make sure that your drain is the only problem with your kitchen plumbing and that everything is in working order.

Leaky Faucets 

A leak of any kind will slowly but surely drive up your monthly water bill. Leaks are generally caused by a loose washer that leads to a broken seal, allowing water to slowly trickle out. Repairing a leaky faucet isn’t a difficult task in and of itself, but it’s always best to have a professional plumber perform the work. You may not have the proper tools and hardware to repair the leak yourself, and you may even inadvertently cause more damage.

Strange Noises

Strange noises whenever you flush a toilet, run the faucet, or turn on the shower are almost always a cause for concern. With the temperatures now dropping below freezing, clunks and bangs are often indications that there is ice in your pipes. During the summer, odd noises can be a sign that there is a blockage somewhere in your pipes, or that water is leaking somewhere in your system. Regardless of the season, you should always schedule a residential plumbing appointment when you hear odd noises coming from your home’s plumbing system.

Clogged Toilets

While many homeowners believe that toilets should be able to flush anything, non-flushable items like baby wipes, paper towels, and cotton balls can all contribute to toilet clogs. Even in instances in which you’re only flushing toilet paper, mineral deposits that build up over time can often cause a plumbing system to slow down significantly. The problem could also be that your sewer line needs to be repaired, or that your home’s toilet is simply outdated and needs to be replaced. Every situation is different, and we’ll work with you to find an ideal, cost-effective solution for your home.

Residential Plumbing in Toronto

Keep an eye on our blog page, as we’ll continue to add information about residential plumbing and common plumbing problems in future posts. The Great Plumbing Co. is proud to be your Top Rated Local® plumbing company — schedule with an appointment with a Toronto plumber today!

Plumbing Tips for the Holiday Season

Posted on | by The Great Plumbing Co.

With the holiday season just around the corner, you’re probably preparing to host your friends and family for parties, or leave for a fun holiday vacation. No matter where you go or how you spend the holidays, it’s important to ensure that your home’s plumbing is protected. In today’s post, we’ll provide you with a few tips that can help you keep your plumbing in optimal condition this holiday season.

Get in touch with The Great Plumbing Co. today to schedule a residential plumbing appointment for your home!

Store Your Fat

There’s no shortage of delicious food to be found during the holiday season. From oven-roasted turkeys to delicious cookies and other sugary confections, your home will smell nothing short of amazing as the holiday season kicks off.

Be conscious of how you’re disposing of cooking byproducts like grease, as improper grease and oil disposal can quickly lead to serious plumbing problems. You’ve probably seen how grease solidifies after it’s been cooked, and this will happen inside your pipes if you simply rinse it down the drain when you’ve finished cooking. Set aside a jar or plastic container in which you can store leftover fat and cooking oil, and contact your local waste management center for further disposal instructions.

Take Care of Your Disposal 

Your garbage disposal is designed to handle small bits of leftover food from your plate, but many people use their disposals as a catch-all way to dispose of any leftover waste. Garbage disposal clogs are one of the most common residential plumbing problems experienced during the holiday season, as homeowners and their guests often put hard-to-grind leftovers straight into the disposal when they’ve finished eating. You don’t want to have to call a plumber in the middle of your holiday celebrations, so remind your guests that large waste items need to be thrown away or composted.

Prevent Frozen Pipes

Cold weather and falling snow make for a magical holiday season, but below-freezing temperatures can also put your home’s plumbing at risk. Check under your kitchen cabinets, in your crawl space, and anywhere else that isn’t highly insulated to see if there are any signs that your pipes have begun to freeze or have already frozen. If certain areas feel colder than others, then try insulating them yourself or turning up your home’s thermostat while you wait for a plumber to perform an inspection. We noted some of the signs of a frozen pipe in a previous blog post, so be sure to catch up on that information.

Make sure that your home’s temperature never dips below 12.7 degrees Celsius, and don’t be shy about asking a friend or neighbor to check on your home if you plan on leaving for a few days.

Choose a Reliable Plumber in Toronto

The Great Plumbing Co. provides residential plumbing services in Toronto, Ajax, Etobicoke, and the surrounding areas. Whether you need a routine checkup or you need emergency plumbing, you can count on us to protect your home this holiday season. Schedule your plumbing appointment online today!

Clean drain

How to Keep Your Drains Clean

Posted on | by The Great Plumbing Co.

Drains are a lot like your HVAC system or gutters in the sense that you don’t usually notice them unless something is wrong. Maybe your shower is taking a while to drain, or perhaps your toilet is clogging more and more frequently. No matter what the problem may be, keeping your drains clean and working efficiently should be one of your top priorities. If you need to schedule a drain cleaning appointment, then schedule a residential plumbing appointment through our website! Read on to learn more about how you can keep your drains functioning properly.

Use a Filter

One of the best ways to keep your drains clean throughout the year is to utilize a filter. A high-quality filter will keep your drains from becoming overly saturated with hair, food products, and other materials (depending on where the drain is located, of course). Simply clean the filter whenever it becomes dirty and your drains will be in great shape year round!

Start a Compost Bin

What do egg shells, coffee grounds, potato peels, and leftovers have in common? They’re all things you should try not to put down the garbage disposal. While most of these materials will seemingly go down without any trouble, your garbage disposal isn’t a replacement for your garbage can. Moreover, you don’t want to discover that your sink suddenly won’t drain because of a food buildup deep in your pipes. Even worse, you may find yourself having to call a plumber due to a burst pipe.

Try starting a compost bin instead of putting your food waste down the sink. You can use the finished product for gardening, and you’ll be saving quite a bit of water over a long period of time. Even if you don’t see yourself using the compost, there are plenty of community gardens that would welcome a donation.

Collect Your Grease

As we noted in a previous blog post, pouring your grease down the sink is something you should always avoid. Many homeowners dispose of cooking oil or grease by pouring it down the sink along with hot water, but even this isn’t enough to guarantee clean pipes. The water will likely cool down before it reaches the sewer, which means that the grease has time to solidify in the pipes. Don’t risk a clogged drain — collect your grease in a designated container or speak with your local waste management company about how to properly dispose of cooking byproducts.

Contact Us for Drain Cleaning in Toronto

At The Great Plumbing Co., we know how important it is to have clean drains. As the Top Rated Local® plumbing company in Toronto and the surrounding areas, we’re committed to helping you keep your plumbing functioning flawlessly. When you call us for residential plumbing, you can expect fast, friendly, and affordable plumbing services that deliver lasting results. Whether you’ve got a clogged toilet or a sink that won’t drain as quickly as it once did, we’re the Toronto plumbing company you can count on!

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plumbing myths busted

Plumbing Myths Busted — Part II

Posted on | by The Great Plumbing Co.

Can you really flush wipes down the toilet? Will using hot water allow you to pour grease down your sink? There are many myths in the plumbing industry, and it’s not always easy to know where to turn for answers. We examined and clarified a few common plumbing myths you may have heard in a previous post, and in today’s post, we’ll continue to examine some of the most common plumbing myths we’ve heard over the years.

If you need residential plumbing of any kind, then schedule an appointment with The Great Plumbing Co. through our website!

Common Plumbing Myths

A Leaky Faucet Is No Big Deal

You’ve heard your faucet leaking throughout the day, but it’s a slow drip that probably isn’t raising your utility bills by much, right? While a leaky faucet probably isn’t going to break the bank, unresolved drips will cost you a significant amount of money over a long period of time. Moreover, leaky faucets are one of the leading causes of water waste. In the United States, for instance, the average untreated leak is estimated to waste up to 10,000 gallons of water every year. As a nation, it’s estimated that roughly 1 trillion gallons are wasted due to leaks. While Canada’s population is much smaller, we can expect the figures to be proportional. Give us a call or schedule a residential plumbing appointment if you have a leak that needs to be fixed.

Cat Litter Is Flushable

Many litter manufacturers claim that their litter is flushable, but it’s best to throw your cat’s litter out with the rest of your waste. Many modern toilets use less water than their older counterparts, meaning that they may not have enough water to transport the litter all the way through the pipes. Further, cat fecal matter isn’t exactly the softest material around. It dehydrates within a matter of days, and if you’re not scooping multiple times per day, then it’s likely to become stuck in your pipes.

If this isn’t enough to convince you, then consider the fact that cat waste sometimes contains the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is one of the most common in the world, and it can cause toxoplasmosis, a flu-like disease that can lead to serious complications. Water treatment facilities have become more and more effective in recent years, but many are still not able to fully filter out every contaminant. Keep yourself and your fellow Canadians safe by disposing of your kitty litter elsewhere!

Letting Bleach Sit Is Fine

Bleach is a common chemical used to clean toilets, but letting it sit for too long can corrode your toilet and your pipes. If you’re going to use bleach to clean your toilet, then let it sit for no longer than 10 minutes before you begin cleaning. Letting it sit for any longer won’t increase its effectiveness, but it can slowly damage your porcelain.

All Plumbers Have Similar Skills

This myth couldn’t be further from the truth! If you’re relying on someone for residential plumbing in Toronto, you need to ensure that you’re choosing a plumber with the skills to get the job done correctly the first time around. At The Great Plumbing Co., we’re proud to have been in the industry for nearly three decades. We’re known for quality, integrity, and fast service, but don’t take our word for it — read our reviews for yourself!

We’ll keep revisiting this topic in future posts, so be sure to keep an eye on our blog page. If you need residential plumbing in Toronto or any of the surrounding areas
, then get in touch with The Great Plumbing Co. We can help you with kitchen, bathroom plumbing, and so much more!

myths busted

Plumbing Myths Busted — Part I

Posted on | by The Great Plumbing Co.

Every industry has myths that have somehow remained in public consciousness for decades, and the plumbing industry is no exception. As one of the top residential plumbing companies in Toronto and the surrounding areas, we’re proud to be a go-to resource for information about drain cleaning, frozen pipe repair, and other common plumbing problems.

If you need residential plumbing in Toronto or any of the surrounding areas, then schedule an appointment with The Great Plumbing Co. today!

Common Plumbing Myths

Ice Is an Effective Disposal Blade Sharpener

You’ve probably heard that pouring a few ice cubes down the sink will keep your blades sharp before. Maybe you had a parent who would put a few ice cubes in the disposal every month or so, or maybe you read about this myth online. This myth is false, in large part because most garbage disposals have teeth and grinding mechanisms instead of blades (and even if they did have blades, ice would quickly dull them). Ice can damage and jam the mechanisms in your disposal, so call us for garbage disposal repair if you’re concerned that your disposal isn’t working as well as it once did.

Hot Water Prevents Grease Clogs

While it’s true that hot water melts grease, it’s unlikely that a hot stream of water will carry the grease all the way out of your plumbing system. In fact, it’s likely to cool down around the same area and cause a buildup further down the pipe, which can be even more difficult to repair. You don’t want a clogged pipe to burst and cause damage to your home, so practice proper grease disposal whenever you’re cooking with oils and fats. For instance, if you’re cooking bacon on a weekend morning for your family, then pour the grease into a disposable container and throw it away once it’s solidified. Alternatively, you can reuse the grease, use it for compost, or ask your local waste management company for disposal advice.

You Can Flush Wipes

Wipes, and even wipes marketed as flushable, are one of the most common reasons why clients schedule clogged toilet appointments with our plumbing company. Toilet paper is designed to break down as it travels through your plumbing system, but wipes won’t break down as easily. If you’re going to use wipes — even flushable ones — then err on the side of caution and find somewhere to throw them away rather than putting them down the drain. We provide exceptional bathroom plumbing, so get in touch with us if you need help with a clogged toilet in your home.

These are just a few of the most common plumbing myths we’ve heard in the past few years. Keep an eye on our blog page for future posts in which we’ll continue to revisit this topic in more detail. If you’re ready to get started with an appointment, then click on the button below to schedule plumbing services at a time that is convenient for you. We look forward to working with you soon!