• Call for plumbing help if you need it, whether it be from Plumbing Doctor or, for a leak contained to one room, a neighbor or friend.  Without trying to alarm you, understand that you are no in a contest against the clock since mold can develop in as little as 24 hours.
• Open the windows for ventilation.  If you still have electricity, turn on fans to get air circulating and reduce odors.
• Remove anything and everything that has been touched by water, including rugs, furniture and books.  Get these wet items out of the house – don’t just set them aside – so that you don’t create more work for yourself later.  Place wet items on a tarp in your garage or on the lawn.

• When you retain Plumbing Doctor, we can refer you to reputable water damage restoration professionals and the water will be extracted in no time!
• In the meanwhile, use a wet vac to start removing the water.  Depending on how much water has accumulated, this step could take a while; emptying the vac takes time, too.  Keep at it until your efforts literally come up dry.
• Tend to wood flooring before carpet  since it is now susceptible to warping.  Check your flooring warranty for emergency care instructions.  At the very least, wood floors should be dried out through with fans.
• Pull back sections of waterlogged carpet and padding and train a high-powered fan on the area to dry it out.
• Run a dehumidifier to draw moisture out of the air.

• Clean vinyl floors with soap and water.  If you fear mold or mildew growth, use bleach too.  Fill a 1-gallon bucket with water and clean ceramic tile with 1 cup of white vinegar and stone tile with 1 tablespoon of Murphy Oil Soap.
• Check your drywall for water damage.  If the seams are still intact, the drywall should be fine.  If the seams have swelled or separated, you will need more than plumbing help from Plumbing Doctor; you will need new drywall too.  But, NEVER FEAR, when you call Plumbing Doctor, we can refer you to a reputable dry wall and painting professional and your wall will be better than new in no time!

• Test the other plumbing fixtures in the bathroom to see if they are working as they should.
• Check the other toilets in your home to see if they flush properly.  A toilet can overflow for several reasons, including: a problematic septic field (if your home is on a septic system); a blocked trap, an S-shaped device located between the bowl and the drain line which is supposed to keep the drain from clogging in the first place; a clog in the pipes inside your home or business; a clog in the pipes leadings outside your home or business, including the main sewer line, which can be disrupted by the root systems of trees; or a low-flow toilet, which generally means older models.  Most often, toilets overflow because they are unable to process a foreign object (such as a children’s toy) or and influx of material (such as tissue).
• Call Plumbing Doctor to your home or business for help the minute you encounter anything troubling or suspicious.  You will be quickly respond to your call and help you diagnose and fix the issue!
• Unclog the toilet yourself.  If only one toilet is affected, chances are that its is blocked and you can attempt to unclog it yourself.

• Plunge the Toilet.  Place the cup of a toilet plunger at the center of the hole in the toilet bowl.  Exert slow pressure at first; then gradually increase the pace and pressure of your movements until the clog is dislodged and the toilet flushes freely.
• Clean Up.  For large amounts of water, use a wet/dry vacuum.  Old towels should suffice for smaller spills.  Be sure that you dry out smaller spills and soaked areas – and disinfect them with bleach – so that you don’t develop a mold problem.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends checking your winter water usage to find out if a leak is occurring somewhere in your home.  If a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons of water per month, there’s probably a serious leak problem somewhere in your plumbing system!

If you see that your water using is very high, call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 as soon as possible!  We will come out and perform a comprehensive plumbing inspection to determine why it’s happening.

If your water bill is rising consistently but your water use habits have not changed, a leak may be to blame.  Gather some water bills from the past few months and compare them to see if there’s a steady increase.  Your water bill should remain within the same range month to month.  Remember that some of your pipes may be underground.  You may never detect leaks in this part of your system, but you will always pay for them.  it’s best to have a professional plumber make a through check of all the pipes.  A warm spot on the floor (with under slab piping) or the sound of water running need prompt, professional attention!

If you determine that you may have a hidden leak, call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 immediately!  We will come out and perform a comprehensive plumbing inspection to determine where the leak is!

Toilets can account for up to 30 percent of your water use, so you should check to ensure they’re running properly.  To test for leaks, add a few drops of food coloring to your toilet tank and wait 10 minutes.  If the color shows up in your bowl, then you have a leak allowing water to flow from the tank to your drain without ever being flushing the bowl!

If you see this issue occurring, call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 as soon as possible!  We will come out and perform a comprehensive plumbing inspection.  We will find and fix that hidden leak immediately!

Mold damage is nothing to ignore because it can cause upper respiratory issues, affect allergies and irritate asthma suffers.  Hidden leaks, from both drain lens and supply lines, can often lead to hidden mold problems as well.

Musty Odors

Often the nose is the first way to recognize a potential mold problem.  Musty odors, especially those that bring to mind wet cardboard or dirty socks, generally means there is a moisture leak somewhere in the home and that mold has begun to grow.  Open cabinets and closets with known plumbing lines behind them and give a strong sniff, since leaks often hide in area that are rarely accessed.

Visible Growth

Sometimes, the mold growth shows in areas that are visible, bur which you might not automatically associate with a water leak.  For example, if a leak is in an upstairs bathroom, you may see a dark stain on the ceiling in the room below.  Mold may even start to grow on the inside of a cabinet door, even though the leak is behind the cabinet wall, simply because of the increased moisture in the enclosed space.

If you find mold growing anywhere other than areas exposed to moisture, like shower walls, a leak check is needed to make sure there isn’t a worse problem lurking in your walls.

If you smell these mold issues occurring, call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 as soon as possible!  We will come out and perform a comprehensive plumbing inspection.  We will find and fix that hidden leak immediately!

Moisture Damage can often hide in plain sight since it may not look like how you expect it to or it may appear in areas that are rarely inspected.

Under the Sink

The most common place for visible moisture damage to hide is beneath the sink or in a closet behind where a water line runs.  Check inside closets and cabinets at least once a month.  Look for damp wallboard or cabinet backings, warped wood and water stains.  Use your fingers as well as your eyes so you can feel for dampness as well as look for it.

Wallboard Issues

Whether you have plaster or sheetrock, moisture will cause damage.  Sometimes, the walls feel soft or water stains form.  Often, the paint first begins to bubble.  This bubbling is caused when moisture accumulates behind latex paint, which is the type of paint typically used on home interiors.

Wet wallboard must be removed and replaced, but only after the leak has been addressed.

If you see this issue occurring, call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 as soon as possible!  We will come out and perform a comprehensive plumbing inspection.  We will find and fix that hidden leak immediately!

Kitchen sinks are usually stopped up by grease that has cooled and expanded in your pipes.  That grease then catches other particles and adds to the problem.  The best way to prevent clogs with your kitchen plumbing is to keep the sink from getting clogged in the first place by not putting grease down the drain!  Once clogged, a plunger can be used to try and unclog the drain.  The plumber’s snake can also be used as it might easily clear the pipe.  Finally, Drano or something similar can be used, but be very careful with using any product as using too much may damage your pipes.

The best solution to a clogged kitchen sink when you can’t unclog it yourself is to call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 as soon as possible!  We will come out and perform a drain cleaning to solve your problem!

Your tub and shower drains will probably have the same issue as the bathroom sink – HAIR!

• Use baking soda and vinegar before plunging it out:  Baking soda and vinegar can be an extremely effective way of dispatching many clogs, and hair clogs are no exception.  For best results, start by squirting a little dish soap into your drain, followed by a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda.  Wait five minutes or so, for the chemical reaction of the vinegar and baking soda to take effect, then chase that with a cup or more of boiling water.  This should effectively clear out most of the hair clog, however, you should still use a cup plunger on your drain to get ride of any hair that is left behind.  Make sure you are using a cup or “flat” plunger specifically, and if the clog is still present, repeat this process as necessary.
• Pull it out with tweezers:  Unlike thicker clogs, the stringy nature of hair can sometimes make it difficult to plunge out.  If you have tried to remove a hairy obstruction by plunging it out of your drain but just can’t quite get rid of it, you may need to try pulling it out with a pair of tweezers instead.  First, you’ll need to take off your drain stopper if you have one.  In some cases, you may need to do this manually, though you may also need a screwdriver, depending on the nature of your drain (while you’re at it, you might as well clean any accumulated hair off the stopper too).  After that, take a flashlight and shine it into your drain so you can get a better look at the blockage in question.  From there, you should be able to use your needle-nose pliers to pull out that unpleasant accumulation of hair.  You may want to wear gloves as you go about this process, as pulling hair out can get pretty nasty, and you should also run some hot water down your drain after you finish to flush any nascent hairs out.
• Purchase a snaking device:  If melting your hair clog with baking soda and vinegar, plunging it out and using tweezers to remove it still hasn’t done the trick, you may be able to break that clog apart with a snaking device.  What kind of snake do you ask?  Any  number of options may be due depending on the severity of your clog.  For less severe clogs, straightening out a wire hanger and sticking it down your drain to break up a clog can do the trick.  But, other times, you may want to buy a zip-it tool.  These plastic drain cleaners are cheap, disposable, easy-to-use, and widely available online.  There are also a number of other drain snake devices you can purchase at your local hardware store or online, all designed to deal with varying sizes of clogs.  Snaking your drain should effectively break up any clogs and help scrape the walls of your line clean, but you may also want to follow up with the baking soda and vinegar technique outlined above or at least flush out your drain with hot water, just to be sure the clog is completely gone.
• Remove your whole drain:  The last home remedy for getting rid of a hair clog is also the most intensive.  If a clog still persists after you’ve tried all the methods mentioned above, you can remove your drain entirely and try to clean it out that way.  In the case of your sink drain, unscrew the p-trap (the p-shaped drain pipe underneath the sink designed to vent sewer gasses), placing a bucket below for any water that comes dripping out.  To take the drain out of your shower/tub, meanwhile, you will need a plug wrench, which is a tool specifically designed to fit into your drain’s crossbars so you can easily pry it out.  Again, use rubber gloves anytime you are taking out a drain, as it is a fairly unsanitary job.  If all of this is sounding too complicated for you, or you are not comfortable doing this much plumbing work on your own, then….

Call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 today!  With our state-of-the-art draining cleaning tools and technology, we can get rid of clogs made from hair soap scum, grease, food, toilet paper and a range of other hard-to-remove items!  We’ll get your plumbing unclogged and flowing properly in no time!

Your sewer pipes are arguably the most important aspect of your home or business.  They are constantly working to take waste away from your property in an effective manner, which means that they are susceptible to build-up of debris or clogs that will affect the function of your property.  When a home or business owner experiences a clogged sewer pipe, it may be their first thought to run out to a local store, buy a cleaner and take care of the job themselves.  While this may seem like a quick and easy solution, it is a temporary fix and will not be a durable solution.

Sewer pipes come in all different sizes, which means that clogs that form within your sewer system can vary in size as well.  Symptoms of clogged pipes include slow draining, inability to flush, flooding and more.  If you are experiencing any type of clogged drains, you should call an experienced professional immediately, but especially if the clog is located in a larger sewer pipe.

The sewer pipe unclogging process involves a few easy steps that always guarantees safety and no unnecessary damage to property.  For the unclogging of larger sewer pipes, hydro jetting is always recommended.  Hydro jetting is a trenchless and eco-friendly technology used by most experienced plumbing professionals.

Hydro jetting begins with a single access point being created above the entrance point to the troublesome pipe.  When the holes is created, a deflated hose with a special nozzle attached to it is inserted into your pipe.  After the hose is securely placed in the pipe a technician will send water through the hose and into your pipe at a high pressure to ensure that the clog is pushed through the sewer pipe and broken up along the way.

Hydro jetting does not allow for any damaging waste to leave the drain and solves the problem with agility and speed.  it is also a service that can be done several times a year to ensure that home and business owners do not run into clogged drains again and be proactive about their sewer pipe health.

Call Plumbing Doctor at (908) 873-6686 today!  With our state-of-the-art draining cleaning tools and technology, we can get clear your sewer pipes from stoppages immediately!