One of the services provided by Sewer Specialists is garbage disposal maintenance/install/repair.  You can usually call us for the service but if you’d like to know how to install one yourself, Lowes.com has a great DIY on how to do it.  (Remember, you can call us for the installation but if you think you can, go ahead. )

If you intend to install one where there was none previously, it will require installing a switch and running electrical power to the unit. You can do this yourself if you are confident in your wiring ability and are familiar with local codes. If not, have an electrician run the wire for you before or after you install the unit. A new installation will also require that your sink have a full-size drain opening.

Although we’d love to charge customers for detecting leaks here at Sewer Specialists Inc., most minor leaks can be fixed without even calling a plumber.

Before calling us for our plumbing services, we highly suggest you to check out the following DIY on how to detect leaks in your home plumbing:

Step 1
The first thing you will need to do is shut ALL doors in the house.
Step 2
Next, locate the white vent pipes on your roof. Choose one for the test and stuff an old rag into the opening of the others.
Step 3
Wearing rubber gloves, empty the contents of 3-4 bottles of peppermint extract [can find in baking aisle] into the open vent pipe. Follow with the gallon of very hot water.
Step 4
Cover that pipe opening immediately.
Step 5
Starting in the lowest floor of the house [basement counts] start by opening one door at a time. You should NOT smell peppermint as you open each room. If you do chances are there is a leak in your sewer pipe behind the walls of that room.
Step 6
Congratulate yourself for saving a few hundred dollars over what a plumber would have charged you to perform the test.

via eHow

For most clogs, there’s easy ways to unclog your drain.  Before you call the plumber, try this DIY that shows you how easily most pipes can be “unscrewed”:

Traps: If you have lost a valuable item such as a contact lens or ring, removing the trap, known as a “P” OR “S” trap, will be a perfect way to retrieve the lost item.

Step 1. Place a basin or bucket to catch water from the trap. If chemicals are present use a chemical resistant bucket and wear chemical resistant gloves. Also shield eyes.

Step 2. Loosen the two end nuts of the couplings. Some can be loosened by hand, but a pipe wrench may be needed. The trap will come free and you can get the lost item, or remove the plug.

Step 3. Check the washers for any damage when putting the trap back on. Replacing the damaged washers now may save you a leak later on.

via doityourself

Welcome to the Sewer Specialists’ SF Plumbing Blog!

We will be showcasing and covering many plumbing HOWTOs, DIYs, and informational blog posts to help you fix plumbing problems around your house.