Hot Topic: Clogged Drains

Find out about the most popular job requests of the week and ways to prevent the problem before it's too late. This week: clogged drains.

Popular Job of The Week

Recently, Keepe has been getting many jobs for clogged drains, these situations are never ideal for anyone. You’re trying to take a shower and the water keeps coming up to your feet or even higher. If you are dealing with a lot of standing water, your drain is probably clogged and you should address it as soon as possible. Standing water for long periods of time can lead to more problems for you. Depending on the severity of your bathtub’s clog, you might be dealing with standing water sitting in your tub for hours or even days. Insects tend to breed in standing water; mainly mosquitoes, flies, and dragonflies that will be a nuisance to you if allowed to reach its adult form and continue to breed. These insects can also carry diseases that can harm your family or your pets. Standing water also causes mold and mildew to form; this is a breathing hazard for anyone in the home.

To get rid of nasty clogs, try using baking soda and vinegar. Mix 1/3rd of a cup of baking soda with 1/3rd of a cup of vinegar in a measuring cup. It will fizz immediately, and pour it down the clogged drain right away. The fizzing action will help to remove the gunk, hair, and grime that has built up in the pipe. Let it sit for one hour or even overnight if you can. Flush with hot water to melt whatever is clogging your drain away.

Drain Tips!

Use a drain claw to help grab hair or anything else that may be blocking the drain
Pour dishwashing liquid and hot water down to clean drains
Invest in a drain wig to help prevent hair clogs
Use granular drain and trap cleaner to help prevent food or grease based clogs
To help prevent future drains, fill the tub or sink with hot water and let it drain regularly. This helps flush away small levels of debris before they can become a bigger problem.

Odd Job of The Week

This week, Keepe got a job request in the greater Seattle area for a kitchen sink in whic the water would only come out scalding hot. When the issue was reported the property manager stated that “When you turn all the way to cold you only get a trickle of cold water. You can't even get warm water, it’s always super hot.” and that the issue had been going on for a few months now. After the Keeper came in, they were able to assess the situation and find that the faucet valve was malfunctioning and killing the pressure on cold side; stopping the flow of cold water and only letting the hot water through. After the source of the issue was found, the faucet was replaced and is now working great!

About Keepe:

Keepe is an on-demand maintenance solution for property managers and independent landlords. Keepe makes hundreds of independent contractors and handymen available for maintenance projects at rental properties. Keepe is available in the Greater Seattle area, Greater Phoenix area, San Francisco Bay area, Portland area, and is coming soon to an area near you. Learn more about Keepe at http://www.keepe.com