Plumbing systems are fairly complex and can sometimes experience various issues that negatively impact your home. Issues like a faucet that drips or a toilet that continually runs can waste lots of water, but they really aren’t an emergency that you need to get fixed immediately. Things like sewage backups, overflowing toilets, and major leaks are definitely an emergency, but the good news is that they are also usually something you can prevent fairly easily.
SEWER LINE CLOGS AND SEWAGE BACKUPS
A clogged sewer line is one of the worst plumbing problems you can experience. If the pipe is clogged and you continue to use your plumbing, the pipe will eventually fill to the point where the wastewater backs up inside your house and starts to overflow out of your shower drains, floor drains, and possibly even your toilets. Sewage backups can quickly cause severe water damage and also flood your home with harmful pathogens so this is definitely an issue you’ll want to avoid at all cost.
Most clogged sewer lines are a result of flushing things like feminine hygiene products, wet wipes, condoms, diapers, cat litter, paper towels, etc. Toilet paper always breaks up into small pieces when flushed so that it easily travels through your pipes without clogging. Most other solids will stay fully intact when flushed and can get stuck inside the pipe causing a clog, which is why they should always go in the trash and never down the toilet.
Dumping grease, oil, fat, and food scraps down your sink can also lead to the drain pipe or the main sewer line clogging up. Grease, oil, and fat are especially troublesome as they tend to solidify into a sticky blob as they move through your plumbing and will often stick to the inside of your pipes. When this happens, the sticky mass can start to trap other solid waste and eventually result in a major clog. This is why you should always scrape your plates off into the trash before rinsing and make sure you’re properly disposing of any kitchen grease and fat.
Tree roots also often find their way inside sewer lines as they grow out in search of water and nutrients. Once inside, the roots will quickly grow bigger and eventually completely take over the pipe so it no longer drains. This is why you should never plant any trees or shrubs near your sewer line. If you do want to plant a new tree in your yard, you should make sure it is a safe distance from your sewer line. Opting for more shallow-rooted trees can also be a huge help.
Having your sewer line inspected with a camera every year can also be a huge help in avoiding clogs caused by tree roots as well as fat and grease. Your sewer line can also crack or break and result in sewage flooding your yard, which is another reason why you should have it inspected to ensure it is still in good condition.
DEALING WITH OVERFLOWING TOILETS
Your toilet bowl can start overflowing for a few different reasons. The most common reason is because the toilet is clogged due to using too much toilet paper or from flushing things that you shouldn’t. Clogged toilets are easy to avoid by limiting your toilet paper use and never flushing anything besides urine, feces, and small amounts of toilet paper.
Whenever a toilet is clogged and won’t fully flush, you should never try to flush it again. If you do, the toilet will likely overflow and send waste and water flooding out into your bathroom. Instead, you’ll want to use your plunger to try and clear the clog. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to have a plumber clear the toilet using a pipe snake. If the bowl ever does look like it might overflow, you should immediately close the valve next to the toilet so that no more water flows and the toilet is less likely to overflow.
Toilets can also sometimes overflow when they’re not clogged, and this can happen because the fill valve is broken or the float is misaligned. The float works to ensure that the tank always refills to the right level after flushing. This ensures that there is enough water in the tank for the toilet to fully flush and also prevents the toilet from possibly overflowing. Once the float valve reaches a certain level, it will cause the fill valve to close so no more water enters the tank.
If the float isn’t aligned properly or the fill valve is broken and can’t close, water will continually flow into the tank. Once the water reaches a certain level, it will spill into the overflow tube and flow out into the bowl. This can result in water continuing to fill up the bowl and leading to the toilet overflowing. The overflow tube itself can also crack so that all of the water in the tank leaks into the bowl causing it to overflow. Again, you can easily prevent the bowl from overflowing by closing the valve next to the toilet. In this situation, you’ll then need to have a plumber inspect the components inside the tank and either realign the float or replace whatever is broken.
ADDRESSING PLUMBING LEAKS
The older your pipes get, the more prone they will be to developing a leak. Again, the best way to prevent this is to have your plumbing system inspected annually. Of course, there is always a chance that one of your pipes could still spring a leak. This is why it’s important that everyone in your household knows where the main water shut-off is so that you can minimize the amount of damage should you ever have a pipe that suddenly has a major leak.
HANDLING BURST PIPES
Burst pipes usually occur because the water inside the pipe freezes and expands. This obviously isn’t a common occurrence in Georgia since we rarely experience freezing weather. Nonetheless, any time the outdoor temperature is below freezing, you should always leave the thermostat set no lower than 60 degrees and your heating on to ensure your pipes can’t freeze and break.
TROUBLESHOOTING NO HOT WATER
Having no hot water in your home isn’t necessarily an emergency, but it’s still something you’ll want to get taken care of quickly so you can still shower, wash dishes, etc. Water heaters can eventually fail and stop working simply due to age, but the most common reason this happens is due to a lack of maintenance. Having your water heater inspected and maintained by a plumber every year is important for keeping the unit working energy efficiently and effectively and also for preventing issues that could cause it to stop working. An annual inspection will also reduce the risk of the unit springing a major leak and flooding your home.
PREVENTING COMMON PLUMBING EMERGENCIES
Garrett Mechanical is a top-rated plumbing company specializing in all types of plumbing repairs. Whenever you have a plumbing emergency, you can contact us 24/7 and we’ll get the problem taken care of quickly and professionally. We can also help if you need any plumbing installation or an inspection so contact us today for all of your water and sewage needs in Marietta.
