As a homeowner, you are responsible for maintaining the pipes on your property up to the water main at the street. Any sewer problems are your responsibility. This includes backups from grime and tree roots in sewer line pipes that are hard to identify beforehand. There are ways to anticipate trouble in your Alpharetta property’s sewer lines before pipes burst or blockage makes it impossible to use drains inside your home. Here is help to make sure blocked sewer lines don’t catch you by surprise.
Signs Your Drains Are Blocked
When you notice slow-moving drains or gurgling plumbing in your home, these signs point to blockage on some level. Regular shower and sink use leads to hair, grime, and food particles accumulating inside pipes. Over time, this buildup can cause blockages that increase pressure on your pipes, potentially causing them to leak or burst.
Regular drain cleaning and routine inspections will help you keep pipes clear of blockage. Professional plumbers can quickly determine the cause of the problem by using sophisticated drain cameras. They can fix the problem using an auger or heavy-duty rooter equipment. You should never use a chemical drain cleaner because these materials usually damage a home’s pipes. Plumbers use much safer techniques to clear drains.
How Roots in Sewer Line Pipes Cause Damage
In some cases, the trees outside your home may be causing the blockage in your pipes. Tree roots gravitate toward the freshwater flowing through pipes underground. They eventually wedge inside the plumbing and collect grime that would normally flow through the pipes. It is normal to find parts of tree roots stopping the flow inside pipes and, in some cases, causing the piping to burst underground. Ruptured sewer pipes will cause expensive repairs and disrupt your life for several days.
No homeowner has to be surprised by damage from tree roots in sewer line pipes outside your home. Regular inspections by plumbers provide you with a look inside the drains in and around your home. Reliable’s expert plumbers can show you where problems exist and advise you on what plumbing needs to be replaced. Even pipes that have been compromised by tree roots don’t have to lead to disasters as long as you act quickly.
Tree Planting and Storm Preparation
Large trees planted within 10 feet of your outdoor sewer pipes present a threat to the plumbing. Before you plant trees outside your home, ask a plumber to point out the best location on your property. Small trees that do not grow huge roots underground are the best type to plant if you want to protect sewer pipes.
The best way to keep drains flowing smoothly is to be smart about daily use. Have screens covering each drain so hair and other large particles can collect before they flow inside plumbing. Be careful about what you flush down the toilet. Even when objects flush, they may end up sticking inside plumbing and causing damage later. Chemical drain cleaners make these problems worse.
Regular drain maintenance is the inexpensive way to make sure your plumbing is ready for storms hitting the Atlanta area in the summer. Ask Reliable’s expert plumbers to check your drain and sewer lines to avoid problems down the road.
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