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Clogged pipes are one of the top signs your water heater is about to fail. Potential symptoms of excess sediment buildup include not enough hot water, leaks, unusual noises, low water pressure, and discoloration or odors in the water.

If your drain line is clogged, your AC might stop cooling, shut down, or refuse to turn on at all. Otherwise, you might see your AC leaking water, find standing water or water damage near the unit, or notice a musty smell coming out of your air conditioner or vents.

Pouring drain cleaner down a vent pipe isn’t recommended. First of all, unlike a clog in a sink or bath caused by such material as soap scum build-up, toothpaste, and hair, clogs in a vent pipe are likely the result of debris from trees or even an animal stuck in the pipe. Drain cleaners won’t be able to eat through this kind of material. The cleaner will only become clogged in the vent with the debris, causing even more problems.

You can try several easy methods to unclog a drain, one of the easiest and most effective of which is to use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. This will help dislodge and dissolve the clog to move it down the drain pipes. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Dump several cups of boiling water (or hot water if you have PVC pipes) into the drain and let sit for up to one hour. Run hot water to clear the drain.