Important Safety Tips for Using Chemical Drain Cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners are useful for clearing all sorts of tough clogs. However there are a variety of risks and dangers with using these chemicals to clear your drains. Many of these chemicals emit harsh fumes that can be harmful if they are inhaled. Many can burn and scar if they come in contact with your skin. And they can damage clothing, floors, counters...even your pipes themselves if not used properly. The following tips will help you use these drain cleaners safely.


Avoid the Most Harmful Cleaners

Some chemical drain de-clogging agents use lye or acid. These harsh chemicals are not only harmful to your health, but they can also contaminate waste water and cause damage to PVC piping. If you must use a cleaner with acid or lye, be sure to wear gloves and a protective mask. Ventilate the room as much as possible, and store them properly when you’re finished—opt for cleaners with a child-proof safety cap or put them in a locked cabinet or on a high shelf.


Always Read the Label

Not all drain cleaners are created equal, and using the wrong cleaner can cause major headaches. Some cleaners can eat through your plumbing, some can damage your septic system, and some can cause serious burns if they come in contact with your skin. Before you use a cleaner, read the label thoroughly to ensure that the cleaner is safe for your intended usage. You’ll also want to look for any label recommendations about safety and cleanup in case of an accidental spill.


Prevent Clog Build-Up

Do your best to keep grease and debris out of your drains and you won’t have to rely on a chemical drain cleaner to remove clogs quite so often. You’ll also cut down on unpleasant odors and help your pipes work more efficiently. A simple salt water solution, poured down the drain every couple of weeks, will flush out grease and eliminate odors from showers, sinks, and garbage disposals.


Consider These Drain Cleaning Alternatives

Harsh chemical cleaners are not the only option you have to cure a clogged drain. There are several alternatives that are just as effective without the potentially harmful side effects.

A sewer jetter sprays an adjustable, high-pressure stream of water down your drains, powering away clogs quickly and without harsh chemicals. Because you’re only using water, there’s no chance of damaging pipes or fixtures or of contaminating your home with noxious fumes. You can purchase a sewer jetter at most plumbing supply stores or large home improvement warehouses. Be sure to read the instructions thoroughly before use.

There are also plenty of natural drain cleaning methods. One of the most effective uses plain baking soda and white vinegar. First, remove any standing water in the basin or around the drain. Pour about ½ cup of ordinary baking soda into the drain, followed by ½ cup of vinegar. The two substances will react inside the pipes, dissolving clogs and allowing water to flow freely again. You can repeat these steps as many times as necessary to remove the clog. While the smell of vinegar might not be the most pleasant, it’s certainly non-toxic and much better for your plumbing, your home, and your health than any harsh chemical drain cleaner.


Your Best Bet: Call a Drain Cleaning Professional

Are you a chemist? Do you really know what happens when this chemical comes in contact with that substance? The thing about chemicals is that they produce chemical reactions. You've seen enough mad scientist movies to know that chemical reactions are almost never mild!

Plumbers and drain cleaning professionals aren't chemists either. That's why they generally only go the chemical route as a last resort.

If you have a clogged drain that's so bad that you need to resort to chemicals, the problem is probably beyond your scope. At this point, call a plumbing and drain contractor such as Horizon Services. We have an arsenal of non-chemical tools and means at our disposal that can safely remove virtually any clog. And in that rare instance when chemicals are required, our highly trained drain cleaning pros know how to safely and cleanly mix and pour the chemical without harming your pipes, kitchens or bathrooms.


Related Drain Cleaning Information from Horizon Services...

• Horizon Drain Cleaning Services
• Horizon Plumbing Services
• Horizon Sewer & Water Line Replacement Services
• How To Properly Use a Plunger to Unclog a Toilet, Sink or Tub
• Keep Your Home Free from Mold and Mildew

Thattai - Savory crisp for Diwali

Thattai is a favorite at home. But its not often made since its time consuming. And when it comes to festivals, we are ready to go that extra mile and I decided thattai has to be made for this Diwali. Since my MIL is with me, she helped in patting the discs, which made it easier for me.  And when it comes to Diwali menu, the constant item is Ribbon Pakoda. And I usually go for 2 savouries and 3 sweets.  While at home town, the flour mill was nearby. All I had to do was to prepare the rice for pounding and my maid will get it done from the flour mill. Here I am to locate a flour mill. And I doubt if I will get rice flour with out traces of wheat flour in it since its the wheat that is pounded more here. So I did not want to take any risk and decided to make rice flour at home. And in order not to tax my mixer grinder more, I made thattai and pakoda on alternate days. Thattai should work fine with store bought flour too.

You need

• Rice flour - 4 cups
• Urad flour (Roasted and powdered) - 4 tblspn
• Butter/Ghee- 2 tblspn
• Chana dal, soaked - 2 tblspn
• White sesame seeds - 1 tspn
• Curry leaves few (I did not add)
• Hing
• Salt - 2 tpsn
• Red chilli powder - 2 1/2 tspn
• Water to make the dough
• Oil to deep fry

Method

Soak the chana dal for an hour or so. It will make it soft and crunchy on deep frying.

Mix all the ingredients in a wide bowl. See to that the butter/ghee added is mixed thoroughly with the flour. This will ensure crisp thattais. Add water little by little to make a soft, non sticky dough.

Take marble sized dough. Pat it into thin discs on a greased plastic sheet or cotton cloth. Don't make it too thin and it will break while you peel it off.  While patting, see to that the edges are not thicker than the inside.

Heat oil in a kadai. When it is moderately hot, slide the discs and deep fry till golden color. Drain, cool and store in air tight container.

While you make the discs, keep the dough covered with a damp cloth so as not to leave it dry.



With the above measurements, you will get between 45-50 thattais.
 
 
 

 

Designing with Fluorescent Lights

Just read an interesting article from the London Telegraph.

Apparently all of Europe will begin tomorrow with its plan to ban incandescent lightbulbs:

"From tomorrow a Europe-wide ban on traditional incandescent bulbs will begin to be rolled out, with a ban on 100W bulbs and old-style frosted or pearled bulbs."

The article details problems with the light level of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) labeled as equivalent to the incandescents they are about to replace in European homes. Testing reveals that even the better CFLs achieve only about 2/3 the light intensity of 60W incandescents. That means Europeans are going to need to buy 100W equivalent CFLs to get similar light output they got from their 60W incandescent lightbulbs. Obviously, if they want 100W of light intensity to replace a 100W bulb, they will have to buy 150W equivalent CFLs.

I have been specifying 100% fluorescent lighting in kitchens for many years now (as long as my clients would go along, and most have). I experimented early-on with the amount of light I needed to achieve to get adequate illumination of the space, with the cooperation of some treasured contractors who put up with my futzing.

Because I try very hard to design fluorescent lighting schemes that bounce the light from hidden coves and the tops of cabinets, I early-on realized that the intensity needed to be higher to achieve the desired results. Direct lighting is automatically more intense than indirect lighting. Also, hiding the fixtures, as I prefer to do, means there are only so many places in most kitchens that offer the opportunity to hide a light. And sometimes not enough.

I found if I planned a double row of T12 (the big ones) tubes on top of cabinets in a typical kitchen layout, that would be enough. Later we were able to swap for T8s and then T5s. I put each row on a separate switch, so there is a "high" and "low" for those lights. This scheme provides a pleasant "fill light" in the room. It's called "general lighting" by lighting designers. The great thing about this kind of bounced light is that it picks up the color of the ceiling as it bounces. Consequently we don't have to deal with yucky fluorescent light color. Of course I do also specify that the fluorescent tubes be the best color my clients can afford, or at least minimum warm white.

Then I turn my attention to "task lighting". This is the light that must fall on countertops, where the work of creating a meal happens. Where there are upper cabinets, I use undercabinet lights. In the early days they were Alcko "little inch lights". Fluorescent undercabinet lights that fit neatly in the recess at the bottom of wall cabinets, or behind a light baffle trim. Nowadays I also consider LED undercabinet lights if the budget can tolerate the strain.

In areas where there are no upper cabinets, such as over the sink or an island, I use recessed can lights to light the work surfaces. Early-on they were incandescent downlights, then CFLs. Now I like to use LED downlights like the CREE LR6, which has great color rendering (so tomatoes look red and my skin looks pink).

Beyond general and task lighting, for those kitchens where we are trying to make a statement, I introduce some "accent lighting". Perhaps highlighting a painting or hood with some special sparkle. Others would use halogen here, but I have avoided halogen because of the danger of fire associated with the heat generated by halogen. I prefer LED lighting here as well, and (thank goodness) the inventors have recently obliged with sparkly LED that is very focused. I have also used backlighting behind glass block, edge lighting on a glass or lucite panel, all kinds of playful ways to introduce light as a design element.

So, lighting doesn't have to be just utilitarian...A bare bulb or fluorescent box on the ceiling. Lighting can be a way to make a mundane space really special, a special space spectacular. All it takes is a little extra attention. It's called "design".

Peggy