Tag: drain cleaning

Got A Clogged Drain?

Posted on | by Drainiacs

Got a clogged drain?  Well, you’re not alone!  Every day hundreds of American households are faced with a clogged drain.  Whether it’s their kitchen sink, their bathroom sink, their shower, bath, or even their toilet, a clog is a clog!  The real problem I would like to address here isn’t quite the clog itself, but rather HOW these households (and that includes you!) choose to unclog a clogged drain; Liquid drain cleaners? Bleach? Hot water with dish soap? A wire hanger?  We’ve seen it all, and we know what works, what is most cost-effective, and what will take care of the problem for good (Or at least as long as you keep up with routine maintenance)!  Let us explain…

A clog is most often caused by some type of blockage in your drain pipes.  That’s a no-brainer.  When you notice your sink start to back up, the toilet begins to overflow, or shower water stand still, you know you have a problem.  Most people are quick to turn to chemical alternatives such as bleach and liquid drain cleaners to help cut through the gunk and clear the pipes.  Others turn to more traditional methods such as hot water with dish soap mix or wire hangers to loosen and/or pull out the gunk.  This is what we are often trained to do.  We hear it on TV, we’ve all seen our Dads or Grandfathers do it, and so we do it too!  There are just a few problems with these methods, and some HUGE PRECAUTIONS, so please read on and let me break it down for you.

If the water is somewhat flowing, bleach and liquid drain cleaners will often do the trick, but DO NOT mix the two, and remember that these are harsh chemicals and can easily burn or irritate your skin and your senses if they don’t work, and you, or a plumber, need to get into the drainpipe after.  Not to mention what these types of cleaners do to your pipes after sitting inside them for a while.

The hot water and liquid dish soap mix is a much better remedy, and if repeated 2-3 times will often work out as well, and is much friendlier to the environment and your health.  However, with these remedies, just keep in mind that the water must be somewhat flowing.  If it’s not flowing, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THESE METHODS!

The other well-known home remedy for clearing clogs in pipes is a wire hanger.  For the wire hanger, well, there are two outcomes: you get the immediate clog out OR your hanger gets stuck!  And yes, we’ve seen it hundreds of times, but as long as your hanger doesn’t get stuck, this remedy will often work to remove any immediate clogs.  We still recommend against using it though for the obvious reasons!

So the water is flowing, we’re good right?  Well, not so fast.  Bleach, liquid drain cleaners, hot water, and wire hangers all have their own way of often taking care of the immediate problem, a simple clog, but is that really the problem?  In some cases, yes, and you’re very lucky if it is, but often there lies a deeper problem within your pipes, a type of clog that is simply out of the practical reach of any of these methods, usually caused by years of little to no maintenance.

So then what? If you have standing water, or somewhat-flowing water and the hot water with dish soap mix doesn’t work, or if it does work but the problem continues to occur, YOU NEED TO CALL A LOCAL PLUMBER!  It is as simple as that!  A plumber will be able to clear any immediate clogs the correct way and without the use of any harsh chemicals, and will also be able to inspect deeper into your drains for any further problems such as underground tree roots and piled-up debris.  At this point, a plumber can cut through any roots and completely clear your pipes using simple, non-harmful, yet powerful tools that are designed specifically for this, to efficiently take care of the problem.  The pricing for this is minimal, so do not hesitate to at least call for a free estimate.

Now, once your pipes have been cleaned and completely cleared of all debris, I strongly recommend setting yourself up on a routine maintenance plan or scheduling a yearly drain cleaning, because just like a car, the plumbing in your home is a massive machine that needs care and maintenance to continue to run properly for you and your family to enjoy!  So the next time you have a clog, think twice before you pick up that bottle of liquid drain cleaner!  Call a plumber instead and get it done right and save yourself some money in the long run!

 

Root Intrusion & Drain Clogs

Posted on | by Drainiacs

Trees are beautiful for landscaping around your home and provide lots of shade during hot summer months, but beware! The roots from these beauties are the number one cause of sewer line damage in homes and are definitely the most expensive sewer maintenance problem as well.  These roots can cause major backups in your system, or worse case scenario, can even cause a complete collapse of your system. Learn how to prevent and maintain your pipes from this damage, or, if you’re already experiencing a problem, learn what you need to do to stop these roots from causing any further damage.

Root Intrusion & Drain Clogs
Root Intrusion & Drain Clogs

How do roots get into my pipes in the first place?

A tree’s roots are actually made up of a couple different parts; the larger more permanent roots, located closer to the base of the tree, are for support and stabilization, and the smaller, more hair-like roots which travel away from the tree, are for water and nutrient absorption.  When water travels through your pipes, its warmth radiates vapors in the piping, but if a small crack or leak is apparent, or if any of the joints are loose, these vapors radiate out into the soil surrounding the pipe.  The small hair-like roots of the tree attract toward these vapors and enter the pipes at these small cracks and leaks or loose joints looking for water and nutrients.  This is mostly apparent during hot summer or drought periods, or extremely cold winter months when there is no rain.

How do the roots affect my pipes though?

The hair-like roots will begin to grow within the pipe and form masses surrounding each point of entry.  As you continue to use your sinks & showers, debris from your drains flows through these pipes trying to make its way to the main sewer line, but like a net, the roots become a catchall for this debris and slowly begin to clog your pipes causing backups and reduced flow in your drains. If not taken care of, these roots can cause a complete blockage in your drains, or worse, the roots will expand putting lots of pressure on the crack where they entered, causing the pipe to break and a complete collapse of your pipes to occur.

 What do I do if I’ve already noticed my drains begin to slow?

Since the problem is underground and out of sight, it is usually kept out of mind until it’s too late.  Slowing of your drains and gurgling from your toilets though, are the two biggest indicators of root intrusion in your pipes.  Your best bet is to call a local plumber as soon as possible, like Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer, to come check out the problem.  Often a sewer camera inspection can help determine the extent of the damage; If the damage is minor, a plumber can remove the roots by using a root saw or a high pressure flushing system, but if the damage is severe, where the pipes are structurally damaged, they might require complete replacement.

How can I prevent roots from entering my pipes?

The best way to prevent root intrusion is first, to make sure that when you plant or re-plant trees and other shrubs around your home, that you find out where your sewer lateral pipe is located, the pipe that connects your home plumbing system to the main sewer line, beforehand, and make sure to plant at least ten (10) feet away from it.  Second, is to schedule a regular cleaning of your sewer lateral pipe.  Once roots have already entered your pipes though, and once you have had them cut or cleaned out, it is important to keep up with this maintenance because when cut from the inside of the pipe, the root is still located at the same entry point and will continue to grow eventually causing a major break of the pipe.

Since the sewer line is located in city property though, wouldn’t they have to take care of it?

Keep in mind that although the sewer line is generally located in the street, which IS city property, homeowners are still responsible for maintaining their sewer lateral pipe that connects their home plumbing to the sewer line.

Summing everything up, what is the overall story about root intrusion in my pipes?

Overall, roots can cause a lot of damage to your home plumbing system, and if not taken care of correctly, will eventually end up causing a complete collapse of your system.  So make sure to get your drains inspected and cleaned regularly (we recommend scheduling an appointment at least once a year) and make sure to take care of any problems as soon as they occur.  Waiting to fix these problems will only cause you bigger and way more extensive and expensive problems in the future.