South West Condo

Sink and Drain Maintenance Top Seven Things that Make You Go Glug


There are certain things that you shouldnt put down your sink. Its true there are certain things that go down your drain and it has to be that way, but you can keep it cleaned out. If you dont keep it cleaned out it will become clogged up. Sink and line maintenance is a part of being a home owner. Its good to review the basics, and learn about what some people purposely allow into their sinks and lines.

Read this list about the donts of rinsing the wrong thing, and not keeping a drain clean.

1. Food. Dont rinse foods down you sink unless you have a garbage disposal, itll stop it up. This includes things such as pop corn kernels, peelings from any vegetable or fruit, pasta shells, breads or butters. All of these can form a plug between your sink and line for drainage to the outside. Breads and butters are really bad about clogging up a line because it forms a gooey mixture, and clings to the sides and bottom of the line.
2. Grease. It doesnt matter what type of grease it is. Nor does it matter if its hot or cold grease. Hot grease wont clean a line nor run any faster down a drain. It clings to the sides of it and forms a hard plug. It thickens very fast when exposed to the cooler lines beneath your sink. Always dispose of grease after its cooled in an air tight container either in the refrigerator or left on a counter top. Dispose of your grease into the garbage after its cooled.
3. Detergents. Using a dish washing liquid thats made for sink usage is the only thing you should put down your sink. Other types of detergents made for car washing or even for the dishwasher will clog it up, especially if you use in abundance. It seems logical that youd be able to use a dishwasher liquid in the sink. However the force of the dishwashers agitating action breaks apart the thicker detergent where you just rinsing it down the drain will not. The same applies for a clothes washer too. The detergent itself is exposed to the agitating and breaks down.
4. Pesticides. Never pour toxic pesticides down your sink. They can when mixed with water congeal, and form hard cores in the sink line. Besides it eats out the lines and causes leaks to occur. Dispose of them properly.
5. Calcium Chlorate and Lime. Some people that are on septic systems have poured excessive amounts of calcium chlorate down a sink line drain to get rid of odor. Its true some products consist of these substances, but they are specially formulated for sink usage. Bags of calcium chlorate and lime will cause a plug not only to develop at the sink goose neck, but farther down the line too. When calcium chlorate gets wet it turns to cement and hardens. Never pour the powered form down you sink lines because it will break off down the line and cause a secondary plug.
6. Outside Oils. As with grease from the kitchen never allow mechanical or cleaning oils down your sink. Outside cleaning oils have a strong petroleum based formulation. Lubricating oils for joints or hinges, and motor oil are two of the tops on the list. People have poured this down their sinks, and had horrible plugs in the drain sink lines. You need to know that its against the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency to pour motor oil in anything besides a designated container for it. You could get into huge legal and financial trouble if any traces of it show up in a water contamination test. Its not worth the risk, and its bad for the environment too.
7. Inside Oils. Your lines wont appreciated having baby oils, liquid eye liners, bottles of very oily based moisturizing oils, and hunks of oil based soaps shoved down its drain lines. Dispose of them properly by leaving them in the container, or poured into another container if you want to reuse the bottles. Pick out the soap and throw away in the garbage too.

Hair is another thing that will stop up your drain. Use a hair trap on all drains so it wont stop up your lines. Also conduct a monthly hair sweep, and clean out all drains in the house, and that does include your kitchen drain too. Every month or so pour a reliable drain cleaner down your lines, so there wont be any more plugged drains to fight with.

Many people who have sold their own homes have gotten the sale process tied up by a buyer who cannot secure proper financing.

Hot Wire MishapsFive Things to Do BEFORE Working on Electrical Problems


Many do-it-yourself (DIY) projects are trial and error. You may still laugh at your first attempted faux finish or the shelves that crashed to the floor five minutes after you triumphantly tapped the last nail in.

Electrical projects do not fall in the trial-and-error category. However, all homeowners do need to perform some basic electrical repairs. Before attempting to fix electrical problems, follow the steps below to ensure a safe and successful repair.

1. Do I have your permission?
Depending on where you live, you may or may not need a permit from your local electrical authority to do electrical work on your own home. According to the Oregon Department of Business and Consumer Services (ODBCS), homeowners do not need a permit to replace electrical devices or to perform the maintenance on an existing electrical installation. However, the ODBCS states that a permit is require to:
install or alter any permanent wiring or electrical device
run additional wiring, put in an electrical outlet or light fixture, install a receptacle for a garage-door opener, or convert from fuse box to circuit breakers
install or alter low-voltage systems such as security alarms or stereo or computer systems
The laws about permits vary from state to state, so be sure to check with your local office about whether you are required to have a permit or not.

2. Lights out.
Turn off electrical power at the source, through a circuit breaker. Even if you flip a wall switch, the related appliance or socket will still be live. Although many electrical distribution panels have a diagram on them detailing which circuit is hooked up to which breaker, do not trust them.

Check for yourself that the circuit is dead by using a voltage tester. For this part of the process a helper can be quite useful, to prevent you from scurrying to and from, from the circuit breaker or fuse box to test the circuit and back again. Tape the circuit breaker into the off position to ensure that no helpful person tries to restore power while youre working. Do not restore power until you have completed your work.

Although you can turn off a switch or breakers, the main wires entering an electrical distribution panel from the outside can not be turned off. Do not touch these wires, and do not go near them with anything metal. If you believe the problem lies with the service wires, contact the power company.

3. Getting shocked puts a damper on things.
Do not stand in water on a damp floor. This could result in a very dangerouseven life-threateningshock. If water is on the floor, put down a rubber mat to stand on. Ensure you yourself are not wet by wearing dry clothes. As always, if you have any doubts about the safety of the situation, call a professional.

4. Metal or rubber?
Metal is bad. Rubber is good. Metal conducts electricity, which means that if you simultaneously touch metal and a live wire, your body conducts current from one to the other. Not pleasant or healthy.

Rubber, on the other hand, is a nonconductive material and, therefore, insulates you from electricity. Use tools with rubber- or plastic-coated handles and wear rubber-soled shoes or sneakers. Safety glasses and gloves are not a bad idea, either, when feasible.

5. Test it out.
Once you have finished your repair work, flip the fuse or circuit breaker to return power to the area. Use a voltage tester to check and see if the appropriate amount of electricity is flowing. Conventional lights, receptacles, and appliances use 120 volts of electricity. Larger appliances such as air conditioners and electric ovens require 240 volts. Certain appliancessuch as doorbells and telephonesutilize transformers that convert standard power to a lower voltage (usually between six and 12 volts) for safety.

To improve your electrical skills, many DIY stores offer clinics and workshops. Learn from the pros and ask questions so you feel more prepared the next time electrical work is needed. If you have any doubt about your abilities or the safety of the situation, leave it to the experts. Go work on repairing your faux finish or build new shelves while youre waiting for your friendly local electrician to arrive. And when he or she does come to the rescue, watch and learn.