Month: March 2021

In February 2021, Texas experienced what was likely its worst winter storm EVER! West Texans know the weather here is usually pretty comfortable, but during the storm, the official temperature at Midland International Air & Space Port stayed below freezing for an unbelievable 221 consecutive hours! During that time, millions across our state lost power, and many suffered greatly.

City Plumbing saw the need to add to our services in order to best serve our customers, and we are answering that call. City Plumbing is now proud to be a certified dealer of Cummins standby generators. Generators are designed to kick on when the power goes out. Not only will they keep you comfortable in the event of a freeze, but they’ll also save you from other significant consequences of power loss.

POWER OUTAGES

We’ve all experienced power outages from time to time, but an ice storm that causes an outage is a real double whammy. The ice and frozen precipitation build up on power lines, making them heavy and potentially causing them to collapse. That’s why ice storms cause far more widespread power outages than other types of extreme weather. But ice also means the temperature is below freezing. And as we discovered in February, no power and freezing temperatures can be a deadly combination.

INVEST NOW

As we enter the spring months, we won’t need to worry about ice storms. But springtime can bring strong winds, thunderstorms, and the occasional tornado to our area. These all have the potential to cause a power outage as well.

Power outages can also occur in other weather conditions. Like a blazing West Texas summer, with temperatures consistently hitting triple digits. The average highs last summer in Odessa were over 100 degrees in July and August! High stress on the power grid has the potential to shut down the power as well. Having a backup generator means you won’t have to worry about losing your cool in the summer!

WE’LL COME RUNNING

Of course, we’d like to think that nothing bad will ever happen, and we don’t have to worry about things like losing electricity. The reality is that things do happen. City Plumbing can prepare you and your home for the unexpected by installing a Cummins standby generator. Call us today at 432-366-2401 to make an appointment. Give us a call, and we’ll come running!

Unless you live alone and are completely bald, it’s likely your family accumulates hair on your shower drain. Even if you have a cover on the drain or a drain stopper, some hair will make it through, eventually causing your drain to stop up. In fact, if your shower or tub drains are draining slowly (or not at all), hair is the most likely culprit. In this post, we’ll take a look at some safe and effective ways to clear it out!

DIG IN!

For surface-level clogs or those at the top of the pipes, simply pulling it out by hand can be most effective. Just remove the drain stopper or drain cover and dig in! Caution: the smell could be bad! We recommended wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands from the gunk that’s collected below the surface. You can use tweezers or a screwdriver to reach the areas at the opening of the drain. This will often result in the ability to retrieve large clumps of hair that are stopping up your drain.

COMBO DEAL

You may remember the little science experiment of combining baking soda and vinegar, and the resulting fizz caused by the chemical reaction. The combination of baking soda and vinegar, when used along with boiling water and a good plunger, can solve some clogs that you can’t reach yourself.

Start by putting some baking soda in and around your drain, making sure some of it gets down inside the pipes. Then pour the vinegar on top. Once the fizzing has died down, pour in some boiling water, which will continue to break down the gunk in your pipes and loosen the hair. The final step is to utilize a standard plunger. Following these steps together should result in pulling out a hairball that will really clear out your pipes!

ZIP-IT UP

A Zip-it tool is a long stick with plastic barbs that is specifically designed to clear drains. You can find one at any hardware store. The tool is flexible and easy to put down into your drain and reach through the pipes. When you pull the Zip-it out of the drain, the barbs will catch on hair or other debris that’s causing the slow drain.

BONUS TIP: Twisting the Zip-it as you insert it down the pipe will help it catch even more gunk on the way up!

WE’LL COME RUNNING

If you’ve tried the tips above and still have a slow or clogged drain, a final solution may be to remove the entire drain yourself. Most DIY plumbers may be wary of this, and it is likely better left to the pros. The experts at City Plumbing can help with hair clogs or any of your plumbing problems. Make an appointment today by calling 432-366-2401. Give us a call and we’ll come running!