Sewer Line Maintenance Tips
Homeownership comes with a lot of responsibilities; one of them is maintaining the pipes below your home and making sure they are flowing fine. Dealing with a clogged line can be amongst the most disgusting things a homeowner will deal with. Luckily, there are simple precautions that every homeowner can and should take to prevent any unnecessary encounters with raw sewage.
The best thing you can do is to arm yourself with some quick tips on what not to put down your home’s sewer line.
Careful What You Flush
The toilet is one of the main entry points that lead to sewer clogs. A toilet is designed to flushes two things; human waste and toilet paper. Flushing anything else runs the risk of getting caught in the sewer line.
Avoid Flushing These Items
- Feminine products
- Tissues
- Wet Wipes
- Q-tips
- Paper towels
- Cotton balls
- Floss
- Cat litter
- Condoms
- Diapers
As a plumber, I’ve personally pulled all these items back from previous clogs. Some products are deceptive and claim they can be flushed, which has proven time and time again to be false. Toilet paper is designed to break apart and disintegrate, which is why it is safe to flush.
Maintaining Kitchen Sink Drains
Another spot that can lead to clogs and a backup sewer line is the kitchen sink. After cooking a meal, you should never pour the grease down the drain. Oils and grease happen to be one of the most common causes of kitchen clogs. Once it becomes cold, it adheres to the walls of the pipes and builds in the lining of your sewer lines. If you repeat this over the years, you are bound to get a stoppage of some sort.
Garbage Disposals Don't Fair Well Against:
- Eggshells
- Noodles
- Cereal
- Coffee Grounds
- Pasta
- Bones
- Oatmeal
- Nuts
- Onion skins
- Potato peels
- Paint
- Corn Husks
If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, you should know of the foods that you shouldn't grind down.
Disposals can’t handle everything you throw at them. A lot of the items listed above will get grounded down but will form clumps in your drain lines. In addition to avoiding certain foods, you should also always run cold water when using your disposal. Coldwater will ensure that the foods stay intact and will flow down the drains with ease.
Get a Professional
A professional plumber is always an option too. There is only so much maintenance a homeowner can do. Having a professional cable the drains is a good way to go if you experience a blockage. Getting your lines cabled will break up all the debris that's gotten caught in the line over the years.
Another route you could pursue without replacing your sewer lines would be to jet the lines. Jetting can be a great way to prevent future backups; however, it will depend on your current plumbing. If your plumbing has retained most of its current form, jetting will remove all the scale that's built on the sides pipe. Highly-pressured water is used to remove any rust or flacks on the sides of the piping, making it smooth again, allowing for waste and debris to flow easily.
Conclusion
Essentially, one of the main ways the average homeowner can avoid plumbing issues is by watching what they send down the drains. Maintenance is always an ongoing effort for any home. If you’ve followed the advice above, yet you are still having troubles with your plumbing. It might be time to console a professional who will usually offer a couple of options such as drain cleaning, jetting, sewer replacement or pipe relining.
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Safet Harbor, FL 34695
Phone: 727-729-9400
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