Most homeowners only think of their water supply lines at the mention of their home’s plumbing. But most often, it is an issue with a drain pipe that warrants a call to your local plumber. However, with a bit of extra care and preventive maintenance, you can avoid most of the clog-causing issues that create messes and flood your home with dirty water or even raw sewage.
Invasive Tree Roots
No one ever thinks of trees or their root systems as aggressive until they see what happens to a sewer line that tangled with a tree root. The roots slowly grow around the pipe and continue to exert force on it like a snake squeezing the life out of its prey. At some point, the pipe cracks, allowing the minute tree roots to invade in search of water and natural fertilizer. Soon the roots have blocked the inside of the sewer line or crushed it completely, and you are facing a flood of sewage in your home.
Sure, you have no control over where tree roots grow, but you can be careful about planting trees a reasonable distance from your home’s sewer line. In addition, you can include an annual drain and sewer line cleaning in your household maintenance. This process uses a jet of pure water to blast away any clogs in the sewer line. The second step in the service is a sewer line inspection using a tiny camera to check for damage and tree root invasions. When damage is discovered, a fast repair to that section of pipe can save you some very messy and costly floods in your home.
Garbage Disposal VS. Trash Can
While the name is garbage disposal, the job description is more of a tiny food particle handler. Your kitchen sink disposal is only meant to grind up the small bits of food that get rinsed from dishes and cookware. Any other wasted food needs to be placed in the trash can to avoid a severe clog. Trying to grind up large pieces of meat, vegetable trimmings, or fruit peels will only result in the premature death of the disposal and some awful clogs in your drain lines.
Fat, Oil, And Grease
In the plumbing world, fat, oil, and grease are lumped together in a category called FOG. And like when it is encountered on the roadways, FOG is not a good thing. When FOGs find their way into the drains of your home, they form a sticky and often stinky residue that traps other particles to begin creating clogs. Pouring used cooking oil and grease in a can or jar to place in the trash can is the only correct way to dispose of this slimy mess.
Old Pipes
Eventually, the water lines and drain lines in your home will wear out, even with the best care. However, you can avoid the surprise of multiple clogs and leaks by scheduling regular plumbing inspections as your piping ages. A licensed plumber will inspect the lines, fitting, and plumbing fixtures for signs of impending failure. They can also deploy a tiny waterproof camera inside the water lines and drain lines to determine if there are cracks in the pipe’s walls that will soon begin to leak.
At that point, you will need to begin planning for a repiping project to eliminate the potential for dozens of hidden water leaks and mold growth throughout your home. To learn more about preventing common plumbing issues and costly leaks, call (818) 740-6830. Turbo Plumbing & Rooter experts will provide the information and help you need with 24/7 emergency service.
