Hydro Jetting vs. Snaking: Which One Works Best?

When it comes to cleaning your drains, there are numerous options available to homeowners. Dirty and clogged drains are a relatively common problem, especially when you consider how much debris such as hair, food, and grease make it into the drain over the years. Even if you have hair and food screens installed, you may still experience clogs in your toilet or drain.

The two recommended services to deal with this problem are hydro jetting and snaking. Both have numerous benefits and advantages, but there are many reasons why a homeowner would choose one over the other. Here’s a look at which type of drain cleaning service is best:

How Does Snaking Work?

Snaking involves feeding a cable into the drain or toilet with an auger-like attachment fitted to the end. The blades on this attachment are sharp and designed to chew through debris. A crank at the technician’s end of the cable often controls the auger.

When the technician feels resistance coming from the wire, it means the clog has been located. The technician will then start to turn the drill and allow the blades to digest the clog. When it’s in smaller pieces, the clog will either get washed out through the system or get pulled out of the drain by the cable. Regardless, snaking is a safe and efficient way to take care of essential clogs in your home.

What is Hydro Jetting?

Hydro jetting is the preferred method for cleaning stubborn and hard to handle clogs from the drain. This service is best used in instances where snaking or plunging doesn’t work. Hydro jetting involves using a high-pressure jet of water to blast through clogs quickly. It’s safe, fast and completely effective at permanently removing clogs.

The high-pressure water jet also helps smooth out any rough spots on the inside of the pipe, which prevents future clogs from forming and is known to improve the overall health of your plumbing system.

Benefits of Snaking

Snaking is best used for general drain cleaning problems. This service is ideal for getting rid of simple clogs that have not yet hardened to the side of the pipe. Snaking is always preferred over using chemical drain cleaners from the hardware store since these types of cleaners have harsh active ingredients that will corrode and damage your pipes.

What About DIY Hydro Jetting?

We strongly recommend that homeowners do not try hydro jetting on their own. First of all, it requires specialized equipment that is often only available from professionals, and secondly, it doesn’t take long to realize that you’ve made a mistake when trying to hydro jet on your own.

Since hydro jetting involves using a high-pressure jet of water, it could potentially damage any pipes that are already damaged or weak. This is why it’s always important to trust a professional with this service. A trained eye will inspect the pipes before hydro jetting to make sure the pipes can handle it.

So there you have it, the difference between hydro jetting and snaking. When it comes to your plumbing, it’s not a matter of choosing one service over the other; it’s more about choosing the right service for your unique problem.

To speak with a professional about cleaning your drains, call Falcon Plumbing in Miami, FL today at 305-251-7333.

December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month

Before Shopping Make a Checklist of Shopping Features

Before shopping write down some features on toys that make them dangerous to children. Make sure to keep an eye out for these features during your shopping trip. Avoid toys with sharp edges and small parts that children can choke on. Strings longer than 12 inches are not dangerous for children under 3 years old. Buy well-made, durable toys that do not break easily. Electrical toys with heating elements and toys that shoot objects are for older children.

A shocking statistic is that children under the age of four account for most toy related choking deaths. When shopping for toys for young children, carefully examine the toys before you purchase them.

Below are more toy buying tips:

• Read all warnings and instructions on box carefully
• Inspect toys for broken or loose parts
• Avoid cap guns or cap rifles
• Avoid toys with too many small parts

Look for ASTM Label

Look for the ASTM label when you purchase toys in stores or from vendors. It means the toy has been tested for safety and meets national standards for young children. The complete label on the toy should read ASTM F963. It means the toy met all of the recent government safety standards.

Art supplies for kids should have the following label on them for toy safety. It should read ASTM F963. This means it has been tested for toxic material and listed on label.

Buy Age Appropriate Toys

Always look for labels on the toy or box that give the age range the toy is made for. Don't buy toys that are for a 12 year old child and give it to a 4 year old. Toys are tested and designed for children with age and ability to use the toy in mind. Many toys are made overseas and have been recalled so always examine them before buying.

Another tip is to check on toy recalls at this website before going out shopping at https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/

Supervise Children During Play Time

Explain how the toy is meant to be used to children. In fact, demonstrating how to use the toys when the instructions are complicated is a good idea. Always supervise them when they play with toys that are new. That way you can see for yourself that they are using them properly and playing safely. Always put toys away after playing for safety purposes. Be sure children wear protective gear when playing sports or eye gear when performing experiments.

If you are also in need of plumbing tips, call  Falcon Plumbing  in Miami, FL at (305)-251-7333.

DIY Tips for Fixing a Leaky Garden Hose

A leak in your garden hose may not seem like a big deal, but even the smallest leak can push up your monthly water bills and cause you to spend more than you have to.  Homeowners who put off hose repairs are costing themselves more than they realize every time they use their hose.

How can you avoid the extra cost associated with hose leaks? Take a look at our easy DIY hose repair steps:

Find Out Where Your Leak is Located

To locate where, exactly, your hose is leaking, just attach the spray nozzle to the end of your hose and don’t release it, but turn on the flow of water into your hose. The pressure of the water inside the hose will show you exactly where the leak is located. If you can, mark the area with a permanent marker so you can see where it is when the water is shut off.

Irrigation & House Pumps

Water Leak Detection Service

Water Filtration System

Water Leak Detection Repair

Solving a Leaky Faucet

The faucet that connects your hose to your plumbing system is also called the “hose bib,” and over time the connections in this area can begin to wear out, especially if you use your garden hose on a regular basis.

To solve any issues with your hose bib, the first thing you ought to do is to inspect the status of your packing nut, which is the bolt that connects your hose bib together. If it looks worn-out, or if it’s leaking, you can easily tighten it with a standard wrench to tighten the connection and eliminate the leak.

If you still have a leak after tightening the packing nut, remove it and wrap Teflon tape around the stem of the faucet, and push the packing nut back into place. The tape will prevent any further leakage.

Solving Hose Connector Issues

Have you checked your gasket? If you’re experiencing a problem with your hose connector, then this should be the first thing that you inspect. If the gasket is intact, you can simply snip off the end of the hose and use a hose barb kit to replace it with a new, fully functioning end.

Solving Hose Leaks

Replacing a leaky section of your hose is as easy as can be: just purchase a hose repair kit from a hardware store and cut the damaged section of the hose off with garden shears. Then, use the kit to clamp both ends and use the coupler provided in the kit to reattach them to restore your hose to perfect working order.

Keep your home’s plumbing in perfect working order and call (305)-251-7333 for fast, efficient solutions from Falcon Plumbing today in Miami, FL.

Military Family Appreciation Month

Veterans Day was originally referred to as Armistice Day. November 11,1918 marked the official end of World War I, and to commemorate the day, legislation was passed in 1938 to dedicate the day to world peace and honor World War I veterans.

Sixteen years and two wars later following the Korean War and World War II, veterans service organizations called on the 83rd U.S. Congress to amend the Act of 1938 to include all veterans. Congress agreed, and on June 1, 1954, Armistice Day officially became Veterans Day. The day is a legal holiday dedicated to honoring all veterans who served honorably during wartime or peacetime in the military.

Save the Date!

Veterans Day is often confused with Memorial Day. Both are legal holidays, and both are meant to honor our men and women in uniform. Memorial Day is specifically meant to honor those who lost their life while serving our country and Veterans Day is meant to honor all servicemen and servicewomen, living and deceased.

Some confusion has also come about over the years in regards to what date Veterans Day lands on. Originally the date was set for November 11th. However, in 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill was passed, providing federal employees three-day weekends for certain national holidays including Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day. Since November 11th does not always fall on a Friday or Monday and allow for this, Veterans Day was deemed to be the fourth Monday of October. The first Veterans Day under the new bill, in 1971, was observed on October 25th. Not all states agreed with this new policy and chose to observe it on its traditional date of November 11th, creating a lot of confusion nationwide. President Gerald R. Ford officially overturned the date change and returned Veterans Day to its original date in 1975 which we still observe today as being November 11th.

Show Your Appreciation

Perhaps President Dwight Eisenhower said it best in his letter to Harvey V. Higley when he designated him to be the Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee;  in the closing of his letter, he said: "I have every confidence that our Nation will respond wholeheartedly in the appropriate observance of Veterans Day, 1954." President Eisenhower wasn't just calling on Mr. Higley to honor our veterans on this day. He was calling on the Nation to show their appreciation of the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom.

Veterans Day isn't about a three-day weekend for Americans. It is important that we pause and think about the sacrifice so many have made and continue to make for us every day. Our country is laden with veterans who are homeless, unemployed, wounded, and fighting psychological trauma from their experiences on the battlefront. Not only are our veterans impacted, but their families are as well. The families of these brave souls sacrifice their time with their loved one and the sense of security that we take for granted that our loved ones will be home safely each day.

Ways You Can Get Involved with Veterans Day

This Veterans Day, we challenge you to get out and honor our veterans. Some ideas to try with your family this year:

1. Teach your children about veterans and make cards to deliver to a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.
2. Donate to organizations working to house veterans or help them find employment.
3. Send a letter or care package to our troops overseas.
4. Buy a meal for a veteran in your area.

So many veterans feel forgotten by our country, make a difference this Veterans Day in Miami, FL and show a military family that you recognize the sacrifices they’ve made. Falcon Plumbing is happy to provide you with the history of Veterans Day. For plumbing, call 305-251-7333 today to speak with one of our experts.