Understanding your plumbing system and how it works.
Sanitary Floods are one of the biggest causes of personal damage in the Florida. One of the best ways to prevent stopped up plumbing lines is preventative maintenance. The big question is how do you know when it is time to schedule your drain cleaning service? Below are some signs that you should be aware of.
1) Water Coming Up in House
The first one is an obvious one. Seeing water coming up in your house is sign that you are having drainage issues. There are many examples of this but one of the most common is when you flush your toilet the water comes up into your tub or shower. This is happening because there is an obstruction in the bathroom drainage branch and the waste has nowhere to go but an open drain like the shower. The Tub/Shower is the lowest fixture so that is why is comes up in there first instead of your sink. In most cases the toilet will need to be pulled and the line will need to be snaked from there. Sometimes you may have to get on the roof and snake the line from the roof vent stack. Scoping the line with a camera may also be an option to see what is causing the obstruction.
2) Water Coming Up From Pipe Outside of Home
Most single family homes, condos, apartments, and townhomes have cleanouts on the exterior of their homes. A cleanout is an access point to your main drain line. These are installed for two reasons. The First reason is if you ever do have a stoppage you can unscrew the cap on the cleanout and the sanitary waste will discharge outside instead of inside your home. The second reason is for cleaning the line. When you schedule preventative drain cleaning you are able to clean the main line from the outside of your home instead of picking a toilet up and snaking it that way.
If water is coming out of the cleanout then you have one of two problems or a combination of both. You either have a main line stoppage that needs to be cleared or if you have a septic system, it may be full. Most homeowners do not have septic systems, so that would not pertain to you.
Scheduling preventative drain cleaning will keep your drains clean and flowing properly
3) Gurgling Noises or Bubbling Up
Sometimes you will notice the toilet bubbling up or you will hear a gurgling noise when water is draining through your fixture drains. This usually is caused by a partial obstruction. The obstruction causes noises and bubbles while the water drains. This ultimately means you are on your way to a complete stopped up drain. Before it gets to that point the drain should be cleaned and cleared. Too many people ignore this sign. It’s always better to address a problem before it turns into something major. It will save you time and money if caught before main back up occurs
4) Slow Draining Line
A Slow Draining Line is Not Normal. A slow draining line is the easiest sign to pick up on and it is the easily the most ignored sign. Just because it has always drained that way or it seems to always eventually go down does not mean your waste line is draining properly. A slow draining line is BIG WARNING letting you know trouble is on the way. I can almost guarantee a clogged line is coming. Debris and Scale build up are the usually the main cause of a slow drain. Preventative maintenance will push the debris out and clean the scale build up from your drainage walls. You notice a significant difference once the lines are cleaned. No more standing in a foot of water when taking a shower.
5) Unpleasant Drain Odors
Do you notice a bad odor in your kitchen or bathroom shower? Think about everything that goes down your drain lines; I take that back. Most fixtures have traps. Traps are meant to hold water to prevent sewer gases from coming up through the pipes. If those traps are filled with unpleasant things, you will get odors. You may also have other issues like a broken pipe but the smell will automatically give it a way that you probably have a drain line issue. Keep your traps clean and watch what you flush down your lines.
It is always good to be proactive with your plumbing system. Preventative Maintenance can be geared for your home specifically. Snaking and cleaning your drains ensures that your lines stay clear and flowing properly. Being aware of the signs above will allow you to prevent a major plumbing back and it will ultimately save you time and money.