Is It Okay To Pour Boiling Water Down My Pipes In Order To Do My Own Drain Cleaning?

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Is boiling water okay for drain cleaning?Whether they’re trying to do their own drain cleaning or simply pouring off the water from pasta, we have gotten the same question over and over: is it okay to pour boiling hot water down the sink?

Good question, and the answer is: not really, and we wouldn’t advise it. Why?

It’s not good for most pipes

If you have PVC pipes under your sink (as most of us do), it has to hold up to at least 140-degrees Fahrenheit. But it’s certainly not rated to handle the the 212-degree temperature of boiling water (well, 203-degrees here in Denver because of how high we are above sea level). The glue at the joints are even more susceptible, And even if you’ve sent boiling water down before and noticed no ill effects, know that the damage could be cumulative.

You’re risking injury

Sure, you deal with boiling water when you cook, but most of the time (like with potsticker or corn on the cob) you’re taking the food out and letting the water cool in the stove. If you’re trying to move boiling water over to the sink, you’re taking one more risk of injury in the form of a scalding or a steam burn.

Never do it in a porcelain sink: If you have a porcelain sink, you run the risk of cracking it if you pour boiling water in it. Porcelain (be it a sink or toilet) can’t hold up to such temperatures.

It’s probably going to just move the clog deeper

Like we’ve mentioned before, any grease that’s gone down the drain slides down and sticks to the sides of the drain. Then a little more collects until hot water melts it and sends it a little lower. There’s a point, though, where all of the hot water is going to cool before it gets to the grease clog, and that’s exactly where it’s going to stay. So now instead of having a clog that’s just a little ways down your sink, you’ve got one that’s deep inside your home. That’s where it’s going to stay until until a mechanical drain cleaner goes down there to scrape it off and push it along.

It’s not going to do anything for sewer problems

Some of the time your problems are definitely drain related, but sometimes it’s your sewer that needs serviced because of tree roots that have gotten into your sewer line and the disgusting debris that they collect. Not only will the boiling water cool before it gets there, it wouldn’t do any good even if it were there! If all of your drains are running slower than they should, it’s time for rooter service from Garvin’s.

So there you have it…can you pour boiling water down your sink? Yes, but you can also pour boiling water down the back of your television…doesn’t mean it’s good for it! At best it’s just delaying your problem, so when you’ve got a bad clog that a plunger won’t fix, give Garvin’s Sewer Service a call.

Why To Call Us For Your Sewer Snake Drain Cleaning?

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Drain cleaning can be needed after the holidaysHey folks, the holidays are upon us and you’re probably cooking more and more. And as we cook more and more, we clean more dishes and more goes down the drain.

When that happens, your sewer system might tell you that it’s finally had enough, and when your pipes get so bad that you just can’t take it any more, it’s probably time to call Garvin’s Sewer Service so that you can take full advantage of our sewer snake drain cleaning service.

Now you might be thinking “oh, I’ll just take care of it myself. I can just grab one of those little handheld coils and get to work.” Well, here are a few reasons you might want to rethink that.

 

The Length:

The Consumer Sewer Snake: We’ll start with the obvious limitation of consumer tools. Most of them are actually plumber’s snakes, only able to tackle a short length of drain and getting nowhere near many clogs.

Our Sewer Snake: Whether you need drain cleaning or full-on sewer cleaning, we’ve got the length you need that will send down clogs from individual pipes or for your entire sewer line.

 

The Sharpness:

The Consumer Sewer Snake: Most made-for-consumer sewer snakes just aren’t that sharp, and are made more for poking at a clog than obliterating it.

Our Sewer Snake: We keep our sewer snakes sharp, and we have to because we’re tearing through a lot of gunk and tree roots every day.

 

The Danger!

The Consumer Sewer Snake: While most consumer sewer snakes aren’t very sharp, most of them do have a point at the end that can be dangerous, especially to your eyes.

Our Sewer Snake: Stand back…we’re professionals! Doing this every day has taught us the proper safety precautions so that we can handle the snake even when it hits something tough.

 

The Thoroughness:

The Consumer Sewer Snake: Most consumer sewer snakes just go down the drain and scrape a little here, move a little along there…

Our Sewer Snake: A professional sewer snake gets wall-to-wall inside your pipe, breaking up the problem and sending it on its way down the sewer.

 

Protect The Pipes!
The Consumer Sewer Snake: Even if you rent a professional level sewer snake, do you know when and when not to use it? Some sewer snakes are sharp enough to damage plastic pipes, which can cause leaks and additional locations where tree roots can get in.

Our Sewer Snake: We know what machine to use when, and which blades will work best with your pipes. It’s the advantage of bringing in experts for your sewer cleaning!
When it’s time to take care of your drain cleaning and sewer cleaning, bring in the professionals. Contact Garvin’s Sewer Service, who has been serving Denver and all of its suburbs for over 75 years. Give us a call today!

3 Things That Can Go Wrong With Drain Cleaning Chemicals

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When it comes to drain cleaning, there are two basic ways to do it: chemical and mechanical. We’ll be perfectly honest in this debate…any drain cleaner worth his salt will always go mechanical. That’s because just about anything you send down your drain isn’t really fixing the problems long term, but simply eating though the clog just enough to let the water head down. That’s why you’re so likely to have problems again and again when you “clean” a drain with chemicals, because that hole that the drain cleaner created will just get stopped up again in no time.

So we’re not fans of chemical cleaners because they don’t work. But it’s also because we appreciate our employees and want them to be healthy. And trust us, chemical drain cleaning is not the way to keep people healthy. What happens when you use them?

You Might Splash Now: Let’s just get this out of the way…if you go against our suggestions and try a chemical solution for your drain cleaning, wear eye, hand, and mouth protection. It might splash when it goes down your drain, it might release an air bubble that makes it splash back onto you. If any of these chemicals get in or on you, it’s a trip to the emergency room. And trust us, calling us for mechanical drain cleaning is a lot cheaper than a trip to the ER!

You Might Splash Later: Here’s something that most people don’t think about when they are using chemicals for drain cleaning. Let’s say you send some chemical cleaner down the non-garbage disposal side of the drain. Many people forget that the garbage disposal side is connected to the non-disposal side, and if the drain cleaner backs up too much it can back up into the garbage disposal. If someone uses the garbage disposal (and it’s unlikely they’ll be wearing safety glasses), the drain cleaner can spray up out of either drain and splash their eyes, nose, and mouth.

You’re Definitely Dealing With Poison!: Just having this stuff in your house should scare you, even if it goes directly from the grocery bag and down your drain. It’s bad stuff, designed to destroy. Not to get too graphic, but think about what it’s supposed to eat through when it gets down the drain: hair, fat, animal skin, and grease. Now think about what you’re made up of…many of the same things! And if it’s drunk by anyone in the house, the chances of survival are slim, and the chances of lifelong complications approach 100%. On top of that, it’s a huge pain for the sewage treatment plant and for the environment.

What’s the solution to all of these problems? Give Garvin’s a call when you need a drain cleaning service. We’ll make sure to not only get rid of the clog but clean your drain out so well that there’s nothing for the next refuse to grab onto.

 

Happy Halloween! Do These Spooky Things In Your Toilet Require Drain Cleaning?

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Drain cleaning at Halloween!Happy Halloween! Whether you celebrate the holiday with hundreds of decorations or you turn your lights off so no one stops by, you can’t deny that there’s something appealing about spooky tales. So we’ve scoured the web (when we usually scour drains) to find some of the weirder things that people have found in their toilets over the years. People have found some strange things in the toilets, no doubt. Read at your own risk!

Sharks and fishes and hogs heads, oh my!: Rest assured that these things didn’t get there on their own by swimming up the drain (or whatever it is that hogsheads do…do hogsheads swim?). All of these were left behind by people (most often in public bathrooms) as a practical joke to frighten the next user. Which brings up a good point: look before you sit down! Speaking of which…

Snakes: Most snakes are small and thin and can get into just about any space. So when it gets to be winter outside, they’ll do their best to get into a warm place in your home, whether it’s the garage or the bathroom. Most of the snakes you’ll find around here are garter snakes, so you don’t have much to worry about. If you live on the foothills or in the mountains, though, watch out for rattlesnakes! (Again, look before you sit!)

Spiders: Most of us have found at least one spider hanging out in our toilet bowl. While spiders do drink water, it’s much more likely that you noticed it there because it was a dark spider on a white background, and that you simply didn’t see it when it was on the side of the vanity. (If you want to be really freaked out, don’t think about the white spider on your toilet…Boo!) This is one of the few things here that you can flush, though if you have a soft spot for spiders, we’re sure you can find some way to get him out. Spiders also tend to end up in basement showers as well, but are considerably harder to wash down the drain.

A Small Opossum: Okay, this little guy was actually pretty cute. A woman in Winnepeg, Canada found a possum in her toilet and promptly called animal control. (Good choice! In this case, thank you for not calling us!) Since it couldn’t come from the fresh water and was gasping for air, it became obvious that it had swum up the sewer line.

Ghosts: Has anyone actually ever found a ghost in the toilet? Probably not. Why would a ghost hang out there, anyway? But when you Google “ghost in toilet” there are some freaky images that will make you avoid the bathroom until New Years!

We shouldn’t have to say this, but please…don’t try to flush these things! (except maybe the spider and the ghost). Although you might think “out of sight, out of mind” most of these things will get stuck, and most of these things will cause problems that require expert sewer service and drain cleaning. Call a professional whenever you’re having a bad day with your toilet!

 

 

3 Advantages Of Preventive Drain Cleaning

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Drain cleaning keeps things moving!Everyone makes mistakes and sends some stuff down them that they really shouldn’t. It might be the grease that a paper towel just won’t take off your pots and pans, or it might be that antibacterial wipe that you wiped the toilet with and then flushed.

So eventually everyone needs drain cleaning. And even though you can wait until your drains back up to take care of the problem, wouldn’t it just be easier to have it perpetually taken care of with a preventive drain cleaning service?

It Gives You Peace of Mind: Knowing that your drains are clean is simply a good feeling. You can clean your sink and you can clean your bathroom, but some people just don’t like thinking about the scum that collects just down the pipe, inches away from where they’re cleaning their dishes. Preventive drain cleaning sends the yuck further down the drain and makes sure it won’t get caught.

If You Don’t Want To See It Again: Drains can back up…no surprise there. So if they do, you’re going to see stuff that you thought was gone. And that’s not a good feeling. Preventive drain cleaning can make sure you have that much less a chance of ever seeing it again.

If You’re a Little Less Careful: Let’s say that you’re one of those types of people who just won’t listen. You’ve read every one one of our blogs (thank you!) about not pouring grease down the drain (seriously, don’t do it) and not flushing paper towels. But you just can’t seem to care. We can’t condone these actions, but we can make sure that your drains are cleaned so that everything moves through easily.

You don’t wait for your engine to overheat before you replace the oil in your car, so why wait for your drains to back up before seeking help? Preventive drain cleaning can help your drains and also prevent the need for frequent sewer cleaning. Give Garvin’s Sewer Service a call!

 

 

Avoid Drain Cleaning By Taking A Few Precautions

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drain_cta_revEventually we all need drain cleaning. After all, you’ve got stuff going down the drain every day, and over time some of it is going to stick to your drain and start a clog.

So while we look forward to your call when you do eventually need drain cleaning, we’ve got a few hints that can help you avoid needing it too soon. After all, if our van is in front of your house too often, it looks like we’re doing a bad job!

Avoid the Grease – Most homes don’t have grease traps, so the best thing for you to do is avoid sending it down the sink in the first place. Grease is easily the biggest offender of stuff that ends up clogging the drains. That’s because it looks harmless when it’s a liquid but quickly solidifies when it hits the cold water in your pipes. You can collect it in a tin can to pitch or reuse later, wait for it to solidify and then wipe it into the trash can, or recycle it if you have that option… cooking grease can actually be turned into fuel for some diesel vehicles.

Use the Strainer Basket – Many people who have a garbage disposal get kind of sloppy when it comes to sending stuff down the drain. It’s not the stuff they send down the garbage disposal that’s the problem, but the stuff that they allow to go down the other side of the sink (the non-garbage disposal side). Always be sure to use the strainer basket on that side of the sink so that you’re catching solids.

Here’s the biggest thing to remember…just because it seems like it went down the sink doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. It could get caught and remain in your drain or sewer for years. How do you avoid problems? Don’t send it down in the first place. And when you do start having problems, give Garvin’s Sewer service a call for all your drain and sewer cleaning needs. Call us today!

 

 

Why We Can Say We Offer The Best Sewer Drain Service In The Denver Area

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Sewer drain service takes the best expertsIt’s easy to say that we offer the best sewer and drain cleaning service in Denver. Watch: “We offer the best sewer and drain cleaning service in Denver.” There, that was easy.

The truth is, we’ve been serving Denver for a long time, and we have quite a few customers who would agree with us. But how do we ensure that you’ll be getting the best technicians at your door each and every time?

We hire the best: Garvin’s takes its time vetting and hiring employees to make sure that we get one whose pipe philosophy matches our own. The good thing is that we’ve been around long enough that we draw the best sewer technicians to us. Young or old, fresh out of trade school or with 25 years of experience, we find the best in the Denver area.

We train the best: There’s more to being an excellent drain and sewer cleaner than just knowing the technical aspects of it. After serving Denver for so long, we’ve learned exactly how people want to be treated, how they want us to treat their home, and what they expect from a sewer service.

Our reputation is on the line!: Garvin’s has been serving the Denver area with drain cleaning and rooter service for more than 75 years. Three-quarters of a century. Three generations. We’re the oldest surviving sewer cleaners in Denver, and we plan on being around for a long time. We have our reputation to uphold, and we know that it’s on the line every time we walk into someone’s home, apartment, or business.

The best way to verify that Garvin’s offers the best sewer drain cleaning in Denver is to give us a try…you’ll be glad you did! Contact us today, or just give us a call: (303) 571-5114

 

Those Three Drain Cleaning Points That You Need To Keep On Top Of

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Showers don't always need drain cleaningBefore anything gets to the sewer, it has to go down your drains. So the drains in your home are the points that you and your family have direct control over. So, sometime when you’re not eating, call everyone together and have the “drain talk” with them. This will ensure that you don’t have to have the “throw out half your stuff because the sewer backed up” talk with them later.

Sinks: Sinks are perhaps the biggest offender when it comes to clogged drains. Most of the time it’s not the food that starts the problem…it’s the grease. Even though grease might make it down the first part of your drain, it cools quickly. And because grease is hydrophobic, the water you send down after it isn’t washing it down…out of sight isn’t always out of mind. Grease slowly crawls down your line until it gets big enough and starts collecting everything behind it…and we mean everything mentioned below.

Toilets: The “people stuff” you send down the toilets isn’t a huge problem. It’s the stuff that toilet drains weren’t meant to handle that causes the problems. One of these is the super-thick toilet paper you use, and we have a great blog about it here.

 

Also, don’t flush feminine hygiene products, even if they’re labeled “flushable.” That’s a marketing ploy put there by someone who doesn’t have to worry about your drains or your sewer lines. They’re not going to be the ones you call when you need sewer cleaning, and they’re not going to take that responsibility. Garvin’s is the one who can show you the blockage on the sewer cam and tell you “yep, that’s them. Shouldn’t have flushed them.”

Showers and baths: Showers can be a tough one. After all, the only stuff that you send down there is water, soap, and…oh right, hair. That’s the big culprit right there. The good thing is that a good drain trap can collect most of the hair so that it can be discarded into the wastebasket. All it takes is a little bit of effort to prevent the bulk of hair from heading down the drain.

Following these simple rules can go a long way to needing drain cleaning any time soon. Preventive maintenance drain cleaning is another way to keep your drains running as smooth as possible. Contact Garvin’s Sewer Service when you need the best in town!

 

 

 

What’s The Difference Between Drain Cleaning And Sewer Cleaning?

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drain cleaning vs. sewer cleaningYou know, we provide drain and sewer cleaning services every day. So while simple differences in our industry might be obvious to us, we have to remind ourselves that they’re not always obvious to the customer. (It’s true of every industry; if you’re in insurance, a lawyer, or work in a factory you’d probably be surprised at the terms used in those jobs that we don’t know!)

So we don’t mind you asking “what the difference between drain cleaning and sewer cleaning?”

Drains

Drains are the part of your waste-water system that is mostly in your house. These include your sinks, down through the p-traps, and to the sewer line. It also includes the drains that go from your toilet to the sewer line. Drains will not have roots in them as a sewer line would, but instead are clogged with what you send down the sinks, whether perfectly normal or downright embarrassing. A single drain can be clogged, which is usually a fairly easy fix with physical drain cleaning. When most of the drains are clogged or running slow, then your problem is probably with the…

Sewer

The sewer line is the part of your water system that takes all the water from the drains and send it on its way out of your house and into the common sewer line that your city treats. Sewer lines are larger than your drains, but they have two reasons to require sewer cleaning. First, they can accumulate all of the stuff you’ve flushed or poured down the drain, and the problem usually starts with grease from a kitchen sink. They also have to contend with tree roots that are getting into the joints looking for water and nutrients.

No matter whether you need simple drain cleaning or sewer cleaning that requires rooter service, we can help. Give Garvin’s Sewer Service a call when your water is running slow.

 

 

Why Preventive Drain Cleaning Can Prevent Costly Sewer Repair

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dreamstime_xxl_48808347On our Preventive Sewer Cleaning page, we mention how we’re like dentists. Strange analogy, considering the business we’re in. Maybe, in fact, we’re more like doctors…wanting your system to stay healthy so that you can keep the stuff that makes you sick away from you.

Let’s take a look at that and see if it holds up…

We’d rather see you once a year than every week: What would happen if a general practitioner had all of his patients sick all the time. People would think that that doctor was doing something wrong.

Now imagine that people see our truck outside of your home every week. They’ll start to think that we’re unable to fix the problem, which reflects very poorly on us. We’ll make sure to get the job done right the first time!

Clean out your system: What does a doctor want you to do? Exercise. Exercise is like preventive maintenance for you body, because it keeps the blood pumping and cleans out your arteries…just as keeping the roots and debris from your sewer system helps keep it healthy.

Keep the bad stuff away: Doctors are always telling you to not touch your nose, eyes, or mouth with dirty hands, especially during cold and flu season. What they’re basically telling you is “keep the bad stuff away from you.” By keeping your sewer line clean, we’re also keeping your pathogens down the drain where they belong, instead of bubbling up in your sink.

We want to keep your home healthy, and one of the easiest ways to do that is with our preventive maintenance program. Give Garvin’s a call today to get started!

#CleanSewers #CleanDrains