If you’re plagued by recurring drain clogs, a professional plumber may be your best bet. While some DIY solutions like drain snakes and chemical cleaners can work in a pinch, they can also harm your pipes or fail to resolve the underlying issue.
A professional plumbing service can use hydro jetting to blast away grease and other developing buildups in your drain and sewer lines. They can also spot corrosion and minor cracks and address them before they lead to a sewage backup disaster. Visit Website to learn more.
Whether you have cast iron, galvanized steel, PVC or other pipes in your home’s plumbing system, they are vulnerable to corrosion. This can lead to cracks and leaks, making them unfit for use. It’s important to understand how corrosion of drain and sewer pipes occurs so that you can prevent it.
The first step to preventing pipe corrosion is avoiding chemical drain cleaners. These products may promise a quick fix, but they do much more harm than good. They can damage your pipes, wreak havoc on your health and aren’t very effective at solving underlying problems.
Corrosion of drain and sewer pipes usually happens when harsh chemicals corrode the inner lining of the pipes. This is why it’s so important to only use drain cleaning solutions recommended by your plumber. Chemical drain cleaners typically contain acids or bases that can attack and degrade metals, plastics and other materials in your pipes. The acids and bases can also attack the rubber seals inside of your pipes, which will cause them to break down and deteriorate.
Chemicals in drain cleaners can also react with water to create toxic fumes that irritate your nose, eyes and lungs. These fumes can also irritate your kidneys and liver, and may be especially harmful to children, elderly people or those with chronic respiratory conditions. If you encounter these fumes, seek immediate medical attention.
While chemical cleaners can dissolve some organic blockages like hair and grease, they do nothing to address hard clogs or underlying issues like tree roots or damaged pipes. In fact, they often make the problem worse by causing more clogs and leaks.
The corrosive chemicals in chemical drain cleaners can also enter the environment and cause harm to plants, animals and groundwater supplies. They can also affect the proper functioning of sewage treatment systems, disrupting the natural balance of the sewage ecosystem.
Avoid chemical drain cleaners at all costs. Preventive measures like using drain strainers and keeping food waste, coffee grounds, fats, oils and other non-food items away from your pipes can help you avoid serious clogs and drain cleaning problems in the future. For clogs that do occur, professional drain cleaning methods like hydro jetting and drain snaking offer more thorough solutions without damaging your pipes.
Tree Root Infiltration
Trees add beauty to a yard, and their roots help hold the soil together. But when roots start infiltrating your sewer lines, they can cause serious problems for your home.
As they search for water and nutrients, roots often find their way into broken or cracked sewer pipes. Small feeder roots can easily infiltrate through holes, cracks, and loose joints, growing slowly until they create a clog or blockage. Larger roots can damage or even destroy underground sewer lines, leading to sewage backups and expensive repairs.
When a root invades a drain line, the first sign is often slow drainage in sinks, tubs, and toilets. This occurs when the roots partially obstruct the flow of wastewater, which contains bacteria and other contaminants. In time, this can lead to a complete blockage of your sewer pipe, which causes raw sewage to back up into your home.
If left unchecked, this can also lead to extensive damage to your property and even severe health risks for you and your family. Early detection of root intrusion and professional drain cleaning can prevent this from happening, saving you thousands in repair costs.
The best way to avoid this problem is by planting trees well away from your sewer lines. But if you already have a tree on your property, regular drain cleaning and inspections can ensure that its roots don’t interfere with your sewer line.
Some signs of root infiltration include slow drainage, a gurgling toilet, and unusual or pungent smells. If you notice these symptoms, call a plumber right away to schedule drain cleaning services and prevent a costly sewer line repair.
Sewage Backups
The sewer system carries waste and sewage from homes, schools, businesses, and other institutions. When these lines clog, sewage can back up into living spaces, which exposes residents to dangerous contaminants and results in extensive (and expensive) damage over time. Preventative maintenance and regular drain cleaning help prevent these problems.
Homeowners can take a number of steps to keep their sewer lines free and clear, including regularly cleaning their grease traps, keeping trees and shrubs away from the lines, and calling in professional plumbers for regular inspections. The most common cause of a sewer backup is materials and objects that don’t properly pass through the plumbing system. Toilet paper, cotton swabs, coffee grounds, hair, oil, and other solids can easily clog the lines. Children’s toys like dolls and miniature cars are another leading culprit. If you have young children, make sure they know not to flush toys down the drain.
Changing weather and ground conditions can also damage pipes, creating cracks or causing them to collapse completely. Shifting soil, earthquakes, and general wear and tear can lead to a broken pipe that prevents wastewater from exiting the sewage system.
When you experience a sewage backup, contact your plumber immediately. Trying to handle the situation on your own could result in injury and further damage the pipes, leading to a more severe clog or even a broken line. A plumbing pro can use a camera inspection to find the source of the problem and determine how best to remediate it.
Sewage backups can be a nightmare for homeowners, contaminating walls and floors with toxic sewage that must be thoroughly cleaned and replaced. Taking the time for regular drain cleaning can prevent these issues, saving you money in repairs and replacement costs.
Often, the first sign of a troubled sewer line is an unignorable smell. Other warning signs include slow-moving drains, gurgling sounds from tubs and sinks, and dampness around floor drains. If you notice these issues, call a plumber immediately to schedule a professional inspection. The cost of repairing structural damage and replacing flooring caused by a sewage backup is far more costly than the routine maintenance that could have prevented it.
DIY Solutions
While it’s tempting to save money and pride in tackling DIY projects, clogged drains are best left to professional cleaners. They can diagnose and repair complex drainage issues that can result in water damage, costly repairs, and health risks. However, before attempting a DIY solution, homeowners should assess the severity of the drain clog and their own cleaning expertise and physical ability.
Homeowners can avoid major clogs by being mindful of what they put down their drains, using a drain screen to trap hair and food debris, and performing regular drain cleaning with homemade or store-bought cleaners. Choosing non-toxic, eco-friendly options to avoid toxic chemicals that harm the environment and may harm your pipes is also a smart decision.
A simple baking soda and vinegar mixture is a great DIY drain cleaner that works to dissolve minor clogs and deodorize drains. When the two ingredients are mixed together, they create a volcanic reaction that breaks down buildup and leaves behind sodium acetate, a weak base that can’t damage your pipes like the strong acids found in commercial drain cleaners. To use this method, pour half a cup of baking soda and then half a cup of vinegar down the drain, plug it, and let it sit for an hour before flushing with hot water.
Another DIY option is to use a wire coat hanger as a snake, a rudimentary yet effective tool that can clear a blocked drain. To use this method, untwist a wire coat hanger to create a hook at the end and feed it down the drain, wriggling it to entangle with whatever is stuck in the pipe before pulling it back up.
For more stubborn clogs, mix equal parts baking soda and salt to make a homemade scouring powder. The coarseness of the salt scrubs away residue and the baking soda helps break down organic matter. This natural cleaner is safe for the environment and your pipes, and it can even be used to clean a garbage disposal.
A final DIY option is to simply pour boiling water down the drain. This is a quick and easy way to clear out a drain, and it can be repeated as necessary for more severe clogs.