The Two-Step Method to Fixing a Clogged Toilet

Posted on December 26, 2019 by weilhammerplumbing

No one expects a toilet to clog. They always backup when you least expect them to. For larger families, especially with young kids, you never know what’s being put into your commodes, making it like plumbing-roulette every time someone in your family flushes the toilet. However, you can place your clogged toilet anxieties aside with this easy and fool-proof method.

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How to Quickly Unclog a Toilet

Keep in mind that for larger toilet backups, you will need to implement some further strategies, including turning off the mail water shutoff and using a toilet auger to release major obstructions. For all other minor to moderate toilet clog ordeals, you can rely in the fool-proof, failsafe unclogging strategy outlined below.

What You Will Need

For this easy, two-step toilet unclogging method, all you need is a plunger and some patience. In addition to these items, you may want to add on some disinfectant cleaner, bleach, odor removal products, and other supplies that might alleviate the aftermath of a clogged or overflowing toilet.

⚠ WARNING: DO NOT FLUSH A SECOND TIME!

As a toilet begins to overflow after a flush, do nothing except perhaps grab some towels! The worst thing you can do is try to flush the toilet again before you implement your strategy. Flushing a second time will only send more water to the bowl and further increase the volume of the overflow. Basically, you will have contaminated toilet water all over the floor.

What To Do Instead

Instead of flushing again, wait for the toilet to stop flushing. Then continue to wait another 10 minutes, or until the water level in the bowl has dropped. If the water level does not drop, you might have a more serious toilet clog than you can deal with on your own. In this case, go ahead and try the two-step method, but if it does not work, or makes too much of a mess, contact an emergency plumber for professional repair.

✨ THE TWO-STEP TOILET UNCLOGGING METHOD:

ONE: Use your plunger to release the clog. Place it over the top of the opening inside your toilet bowl, and them push and pump the plunger 2 to 3 times. Once you are done

TWO: Flush the toilet to see if the clog has been released. If the toilet completes a flush successfully, you have fixed the issue! If it does not, repeat the two-step method. If it still does not work, contact a licensed Indianapolis plumber for help.

The Indianapolis Plumbing Service to Trust

Call Weilhammer Plumbing Co. Inc. at 317-784-1870 when you need a licensed bathroom plumbing services in Indianapolis at an affordable price. We offer a wide range of standard and master plumber services for both residential and commercial properties. We also offer free estimates, free plumbing advice, and even free haul-away for old plumbing appliances like water heaters, water softeners, sump pumps, and more. Request a free estimate, today.

Common Christmas Plumbing Mishaps to Avoid This Year

Posted on December 19, 2019 by weilhammerplumbing

Are you hosting a Christmas party, dinner, or family get-together soon? If so, be sure you take the necessary precautions to prevent certain plumbing disasters that are quite common during the holiday season. Continue reading to learn some of the most frequent plumbing mishaps that happen around this time of year, and what you can do to abate such messes.

Indianapolis Emergency Plumber 317-784-1870

Clogged Toilets

Clogged toilets are among the most common plumbing repair during the holidays. For starters, we are consuming more food during the yuletide celebration, and it’s not necessarily the healthiest, giving way to more bathroom breaks. We are also drinking a bit more, as the champagne and cozy cocktails tend to flow more easily this time of year. This also requires us to take more bathroom breaks.

Combining these factors with overnight guests, feeding a crowd, and playing children who like to flush things (like tree ornaments), clogged toilets are a frequent plumbing mishap around Christmas. It can be a bit tricky trying to prevent clogged toilets. The best approach is to simply mention to your guests to be mindful of what they flush. You can even slyly imply that your toilets are a bit fussy.

Garbage Disposals

Like children who like to flush tree ornaments down the toilet, you might also have a guest or two drop things down the drain without your knowledge. So later, when you try to use the garbage disposal, you get that wonderful crackling, screeching noise you loathe so much. This can do quite a bit of damage to the disposal itself, as well as the connecting plumbing lines beneath the sink.

Things like fruit wedges, eggshells, toothpicks, shot glasses, corks, and even napkins are common finds inside sink drains this time of year. Avoid this problem by designating a large garbage bin far away from the sink to encourage guests to toss their extra garnishes there. You can also add drain strainer covers to all your sink drains to stop large objects from falling inside.

Water Heaters

It is quite possible for your increased occupancy over the holidays to have an affect on your hot water supply. If you are having overnight guests stay with you this Christmas, your water heater may not be able to accommodate the added demand for hot water. In this case, you could be facing a week of luke-warm or cold showers.

To combat this issue, set up a shower schedule for everyone, with enough time in between for your water heater to regenerate. You can also turn down the temperature setting on your water heater to control the maximum amount of heat your guests can utilize per shower.

Where to Get Emergency Plumbing Repair in Indianapolis

Call Weilhammer Plumbing Co. Inc. at 317-784-1870 for professional plumbing services and water heater repair in Indianapolis, Indiana. Owner and Master plumber, Mark Weilhammer, is happy to give you free advice, anytime. Our highly trained and licensed plumbers provide a wide range of residential and commercial plumbing services. And as a family owned and operated company since 1901, you can trust us to deliver outstanding workmanship and customer support. Request a free estimate, today.

Can Your Plumbing Repair Wait or is it an Emergency?

Posted on December 11, 2019 by weilhammerplumbing

Is your plumbing repair an emergency situation? Or can it wait? Continue reading to find out what constitutes a plumbing emergency and what doesn’t, including certain plumbing repairs that can be done on your own.

Indianapolis Plumbing Service and Repair 317-784-1870

Dealing With Plumbing Problems

When something in your plumbing system breaks down, you often wonder whether or not it’s considered an emergency. Sometimes you don’t have enough money to put towards a repair until your next paycheck, or you simply don’t have the time to add in a plumbing appointment to your busy schedule. The best way to determine if a plumbing repair is an emergency is to contact a professional Indianapolis master plumber for free, over-the-phone advice you can trust.

Plumbing Repair Emergencies

A plumbing repair emergency is a break down in your plumbing system that will pose serious injury or health complications, such as gas leaks, or one that will pose serious destruction to your property, such as flooding or fires. Below is a list of standard plumbing emergencies. If your home or building experiences any of the emergencies listed below, or ones similar, you must contact a licensed plumber immediately, even if in the middle of the night.

Plumbing Emergencies:

⚠ Major Water Leaks that Can’t Be Stopped By Main Water Shutoff
⚠ Gas Leaks
⚠ Lingering Gas Smell
⚠ Flooding (i.e. carpets, floors, basement, lawn, etc.)
⚠ Condensation on Walls (“sweaty” or wet walls)
⚠ Large Amounts of Standing Water in Lawn
⚠ Burst Pipes
⚠ Frozen Pipes
⚠ Sump Pump Problems and Defects

Minor Plumbing Repairs

A minor plumbing repair is not an emergency situation. Instead, it is a break down in your plumbing system that needs to be fixed, but in the meantime, should not pose serious injury or health complications, nor destruction to your property. However, a minor plumbing repair can evolve into a plumbing emergency if it is neglected over a period of time. Below is a list of non-plumbing emergency examples. If your home or building experiences any of the breakdowns listed below, or ones similar, you must contact a licensed plumber if you cannot repair it yourself. See our blog, “3 Household Plumbing Repairs You Should Know How to Do” for some help.

NON-Plumbing Emergencies:

✅ Moderate Leaks that Can Be Stopped with Main Water Shutoff Valve (i.e. water heater, water softener, cabinet pipes, etc.)
✅ Clogged Toilet or Drain
✅ Running Toilet
✅ No Hot Water
✅ Small Water Leaks (i.e. faucet, shower head, sink, etc.)
✅ Broken Plumbing Fixture

Contact a Trusted Indianapolis Master Plumber

Contact Weilhammer Plumbing Company at 317-784-1870 for home plumbing repairs and plumbing emergencies in Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding counties. Our state-licensed Indianapolis master plumbers have been in the plumbing business for over 100 years because we have earned the trust of thousands of Hoosiers all across the city as a result of our professional service and outstanding results. Request a free estimate or advice, today.

How to Check if Your Plumbing is Ready for Winter

Posted on December 4, 2019 by weilhammerplumbing

There are several ways the winter ice, snow, and climate can negatively affect your home’s plumbing systems. If you do not take certain measures to protect your plumbing from winter mayhem, you might be faced with some hefty repair and renovations costs come spring. After all, it is difficult to assess plumbing damages while the ground is covered in snow and ice. In most cases, homeowners are not aware of any issues until the snow melts and the damages are revealed.

Don’t let this happen to you this year or next! Instead, learn how to properly check and prepare your property’s plumbing to ensure it is ready for winter.

Indianapolis Plumbing Services 317-784-1870

Interior Water Shut Off Valve

Every year, as soon as temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it is wise to turn your inside water shut off valve to vertical to stop the outside drains from letting water flow through your pipes all winter. If you do not do this, water will continue to flow throughout the season, and thus pose the risk of frozen or burst plumbing pipes. It is important to flush out any leftover water in your irrigation lines and plumbing pipes once you are done using them for the season; otherwise, they can freeze up and lead to massive plumbing repairs and problems, overtime.

Outdoor Faucets and Hoses

After you have secured your interior water valve in a safe position for the season, implement an inspection of your outdoor faucets and spigots. Outdoor spigots, like irrigation lines, are more prone to collecting excess water. As a result, this excess water can freeze, and cause a water pressure to build up and damage pipes. See our blog, “Top 3 Ways to Prevent Frozen Outdoor Faucets” to learn how to get started. Accordingly, it is wise to organize and hang up all of your outdoor garden hoses. Water can also freeze within hoses, which can lead to rupturing come spring.

Gutters and Downspouts

Another consideration that is commonly overlooked as an area-of-focus for winter home maintenance preparation are gutter systems. Gutters can fill up with garbage and debris, which in turn collect and retain more water, and eventually freeze and thaw. All of this is bad for your house as it can cause cracking, warping, and water leaks. It is important to clean out your gutters and your downspouts before the winter season takes full effect. Otherwise, you may face several costly and invasive plumbing repairs once springtime is here.

Indianapolis Plumbing Inspections and Repairs

Call Weilhammer Plumbing Co. Inc. at 317-784-1870 for professional plumbing service and repair in Indianapolis, Indiana. Owner and Master plumber, Mark Weilhammer, is happy to give you free plumbing advice. Our highly trained and licensed plumbers provide a wide range of residential and commercial plumbing services; and as a family owned and operated company since 1901, you can trust us to deliver outstanding workmanship and customer support. Request a free estimate, today.