14 Quick, Easy &
Inexpensive Ways to Improve You Home Inspection Report: Tip #8
Copyright
2007 by Tex-Pro Residential & Commercial Inspections
PH:
713.876.2298 www.texproinspections.com
A
slow drain will result in a "In Need Of Repair" comment on your report.
Any sink or tub which allows water to collect or "backup" will be
reported. Drains, when open, should empty the water nearly as fast as
it can be put in. Inspectors will fill the sink with the drain closed,
then open the drain to empty the water and check for leaks beneath the
sink. If the water doesn't drain quickly, it will be quite obvious.
There could be several reasons for the tub, sink or shower not draining well, some quite serious that may require a plumber to fix. The most common reason, however, is simply a clog in the pipe, usually around the trap.
There
are many solutions to a clogged or semi-clogged pipe. Visit any
hardware store and you will find a large assortment or chemicals, some
environmentally friendly, some not, that will clear the clog and clean
the pipes.
There will also be various tools designed to unplug your pipes, from
simple plungers to compressed-air clog 
removers
to hand or drill operated snakes. The choice here is yours to make,
however, before you invest a lot of money in chemicals and
motorized snakes, I suggest you try a simple piece of durable, flexible
plastic, called "Zip-it".
The most common clog is caused by hair going down the drain. You can buy hair screens to put over your drains but few people actually use them. Who wants to have to clean out the hair every day? But that same hair that would have gotten trapped in the hair screen is now getting trapped in your drain pipe, clogging things up. The "Zip-it" tool will easily slide into your drain, bending with any curves it finds. Once fully inserted, you simply pull the tool back out and the prongs along each side of the tool will catch the hair and pull it out with it.
As you can see from the photo on the left, the "Zip-it" tool is very effective at removing the hair that causes slow drains. I have had great luck with this tool in unclogging drains of all kinds, and I believe that you will find it useful in defeating any slow drains that you might have, before the inspector finds them.
Check out the "Zip-it" tool and find out where to buy one at: http://www.zipitclean.com/
Copyright 2007 by Tex-Pro Residential & Commercial Inspections PH: 713.876.2298 www.texproinspections.com