Etobicoke’s Mimico Plumbing & Mechanical: Frequently Asked Questions

There are a lot of questions you can have when it comes to plumbing or backflow prevention. So we’ve compiled this list of often-asked questions and their answers for our customers. If you have a question not listed here, feel free to contact us by phone or write us a message on our Contact page.

Q & A

What is the cause of my bath tub drain being clogged?

Usually the cause is hair that will not continue down the drain. Unfortunately, the easiest solution is to catch the hair before it goes down the drain. If the drain seems slow, put your fingers into the drain entry and if there is hair, simply remove it.

Why are the drains under my sink curved?

This is called a “p-trap” and is to prevent sewer gasses from entering your house. When water goes down the drain, a small amount of water remains in the bottom of the trap. This blocks bad smells from coming back through the drains and into the home.

One of our bathrooms stinks…why?

Possibly for the same reason as mentioned regarding p-traps. Perhaps your shower stall, bathtub, sink or toilet has not been used in a while and the water in the p-trap has evaporated. Simply pour some water down the drains and flush the toilet. This should block the smells from coming into the home.

How do I know if my main drain is clogged?

Typically the most obvious clue is a gurgling sound coming from your basement floor drains.

For commercial and industrial properties – why do I need a backflow prevention device?

A backflow preventer stops water or other fluids from being sucked back up into the water system. For example, if you have a hose on a faucet in a sink and using the water, when the water is shut off, fluids in the sink can be sucked back into the water system. Should there be chemicals in the sink, they will be pulled back into the system which eventually ends up in our drinking water!