What Causes Sewer Line Damage?

Problems with drains in the home or sudden stains appearing on and around the foundation can all be signs of potential sewer line repairs in the offing. These can quickly turn into an expensive undertaking and unless something is done as soon as possible,it has the potential for seriously undermining the ability of the home to function. Whether there is an existing septic system or whether the home is hooked up to the municipal sewer system,reporting signs of trouble to professional plumbers can avert a major home repair disaster in the future.

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What Causes Sewer Line Damage?

Most sewer line repairs will have their root cause in blockage of the lines themselves. The first instinct of homeowners when they come across a slow moving drain is to pour a lot of harsh chemicals into the lines to open up or remove the clog. While that might be a temporary fix,at the same time they could be causing more damage with the chemicals themselves. In older homes especially,older pipes made of clay or porous materials can be eaten away by the chemicals within drain cleaners and cause the pipes to break down.

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Tree roots are attracted to sources of water and when trees are planted too close to a home’s foundation,they can find their way into the sewer pipes. The roots grow into the pipes and ball up,completely blocking the pipe. In these cases,the pipes will have to be removed and replaced. At other times,the cause of sewer line problems may be that the ground itself has shifted around the pipes and have bent them at an angle that does not promote drainage and the water begins to collect within the pipes and potentially leak out into the foundation.

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Looking For Plumbing Contractors To Furnish Your House? READ ON!

The term ‘contractor’ is used for a person indulged in the construction services. And construction includes building new structures,roads or dams as well as modifying or repairing the existing ones. Further the role is divided into different types of contractor depending on nature of construction work handled by them. For instance,if you are planning to build a new home,you would need services of building contractors,electrical contractors,remodeling contractors,painting contractors,plumbing contracts,landscapers etc. Plumbing contractor is a person who is involved with plumbing works like laying pipelines and fixing plumbing fittings like bath tubs,sinks,faucets,toilets etc.-

You would need the services of a plumbing contractor at the time of building your new house as well as for maintenance of your old plumbing fittings. When you are constructing a new home,the amount of plumb work required is too comprehensive. You should discuss the plumbing requirements with your main contractor. He must have appointed a plumber for all the immediate plumbing needs like laying main pipes and fitting bathroom fixtures etc. however,if you wish to appoint a different plumbing contractor,then you can ask your building contractor to cooperate with your decisions. A plumbing contractor should work in close coordination with the building contractor. A plumber should have a clear idea about the building’s layout and foundation in order to create a proper foundation for underground plumbing fittings.

If your plumbing works are too extensive it would be wise to appoint a reputed plumbing contractor to oversea the entire plumbing division of your construction. However,finding a reliable contractor who can deliver you with quality plumbing fixtures and equipments is a challenging job. There are many factors to be considered before finalizing the contract with a plumbing service or company. You should not sign up the deal with the first plumbing service you come across. You should only hire the services of a reputed plumbing company or contractor who has years of experience to boast about.

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You can search for feasible plumbing contractor in your locality by initiating a casual online search. There are online directories where you will find hundreds of plumbing services listed along with their contact numbers and address. You can enquire the nature of service and rates quoted by each of these contractors by placing a direct call.

If you have any specific demands you should discuss the same with a potential plumbing contractor before finalizing the agreement or paying the advance sum. Ideally,a plumber should accommodate his services as per your demands rather than thrusting his opinions on you. Further,he should be able to procure all the hardware requirements at cheaper rates. These contractors have connection with many hardware dealers,so it wouldn’t be tough for them to procure bulk orders at economic rates.

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Finally,you should enquire about the past working history of your contractor. You can visit a few house owners with whom your contractor has worked with. This would give you a fair idea about the nature and quality of his service.

Professional Drain Cleaning Service – The Best Way To Keep Your Plumbing System Clean

Your piping system can be very much neglected in many households. Like an appliance,pipes must be kept clean so they can function at optimum conditions. Intake pipes pose no problem because they carry only clean water. On the other hand,drain pipes and sewers can be as dirty as you can imagine. Just think of all that goes into the drain pipes and sewer. Cleaning these pipes might require a drain cleaning service from professionals.

Dirty pipes may be concealed from the eyes but their effects can manifest throughout the house. One of the top considerations is the foul smell of dirty pipes. Fumes from these pipes can sometime come up and leave the house smelling like a sewer. Through interconnecting household piping systems,this foul smell can move from room to room until it fills the whole house. Another concern is the germs,molds,and bacteria that dirty pipes may harbor. These microorganisms are grave health hazards and can cause a number of illnesses to your family. Think of your kitchen sink drain and all the germs in it. When you are preparing food,these germs can go into the food,contaminating it. Thus,it is necessary to keep your pipes clean.

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You can keep your drain pipes clean through simple ways. You may be thinking of using all those chemicals advertised on TV,or those promising cleaners at the supermarket aisle. After all,they are specially manufactured to clean your drainage pipes. However,remember that these chemicals are extremely caustic. They can cause rashes on skin contact and is very harmful to the environment. You wouldn’t want to kill all those germs,only to replace it with equally harmful chemicals. Another way to keep drains clean is to use safer alternatives you can normally find inside the house like baking soda and vinegar,or bleach. These work to a certain degree,and may be satisfactory enough if used regularly. Plus,they are very affordable and very safe to use.

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The best way,however,to keep your drains clean is to call your reputable plumbers and ask for a drain cleaning service. More than just the drain,professionals can also handle other plumbing and piping systems as well. They can keep your drain clean without using environmentally harmful chemicals. The use of specialized equipments such as high pressure jet systems and special lances will leave your drain squeaky clean. Among the plumbing items that you must keep clean,the water tank must top your list. Have it cleaned regularly together with your drain pipes.

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Aside from cleaning drain pipes,a drain cleaning service can also alert you of other possible problems in your piping system like a leaking pipe where debris can enter and contaminated your water. They can also fix these leaky pipes with simple tools. These professionals can also help you decide if you need to install new sewer connections and new sewage tanks.

While you can always clean the drain yourself,remember that a professional drain cleaning service is still the best way to keep your plumbing system clean. Call one now and get rid of the years of mold,bacteria,and grime buildup.

Things You Can Do Before Calling An Emergency Plumber

As a homeowner,I know almost nothing about home repair or maintenance,including plumbing,and one of the first things I found out about plumbing is that you will eventually have a problem. It’s a hard pill to swallow,and what made it worse was that some of my plumbing issues required a frantic search for an emergency plumber near me to save the day.

It’s the worst feeling in the world to be waiting by your door for someone to come help you when you know you should be able to do something. But what can you do?

Actually,as terrible as the feeling is that your plumbing will be the end of you,there are a few things you can do before you make that phone call:

Turn Off the Water– It seems so simple,but by simply turning the water supply off,you do yourself a world of good. By turning off the water,you reduce your chances of having serious water damage from adding insult to injury. Take the time you now have to at least clean the area up for two reasons: 1) your own peace of mind; & 2) it gives your plumber as clean an area to work in as possible. You would be surprised to know how many home repair professionals have their work made harder by clutter.

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Keep Your Strategy Simple & Logical– My plumbing knowledge is rudimentary at best,but in the case of a clogged toilet,I recalled using a plunger with my dad years before. The physics behind its use is straightforward,but it was effective. When I’ve had a clogged drain in the shower or sink,I remembered that it might just be hair. Using a piece of rigid wire shaped into a small hook,I was able to alleviate the problem. These are basic tactics,but it made for one less emergency phone call to my local plumber.

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Find Out Who’s Available– I’m not much of a planner,but my wife takes up the slack on my shortcomings. Her proactive work on homeownership has been a real blessing in more ways than one. When we moved into our new home,she went around the whole house getting familiar with water shut-off valves just in case a problem came up down the line. She got around to talking to neighbors for plumber recommendations & even shopped around online for the best plumbers in the area. Knowing my penchant for being kind of useless at times with home repair,she also made sure her research gave her insight at finding an emergency plumber who was available twenty-four hours a day. This is good advice for anyone because you do not want to find out you are on your own when things go wrong.

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Ideas For Green Plumbing

In an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint,most people are looking for ways to improve sustainability in their homes,mainly with the sewer and water systems. Green plumbing,which is an increasingly popular concept of practicing sustainability at home,can be a solution to achieving this goal. By using sustainable materials and products,water usage can be reduced and recycled effectively.

Is green plumbing expensive?

Even though going green with plumbing sounds likes quite an expensive venture,is it is not so in the long-run when compared to the conventional styles of plumbing. The first remodeling of the plumbing in your house will surely cost a little more than expected,but going green with plumbing will eventually pay-off in the form of lower water bills and energy costs. However,it is always advisable to ask for professional advice before choosing green plumbing products. The initial costs of installing the green plumbing materials are usually higher than that of regular plumbing products.

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Ideas for Green Plumbing

Green plumbing can be employed first in the kitchen and bathrooms as these are the areas that consume huge amounts of water on a daily basis. Replacing plumbing products with green products such as pipes on the exterior,water circulation pumps and water heaters can help in lowering the energy costs of your home largely. You can also turn the plumbing green by adding chlorine filters to the showers.

In addition to all this,the reverse osmosis and water filtration systems can be replaced,so that the house is made more energy efficient. Low flow showers and faucets,along with low flush toilets are other ways of saving on the water bill.

With the concept becoming increasing popular these days,people are also going in for leakage-check devices,which can indicate leakages in the entire plumbing system. When leaks are not repaired in time,it tends to add to the water bill costs. Buying energy efficient appliances such as dishwashers is another way of going green.

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Is it worth the hassle?

Going green with the plumbing makes a huge difference in terms of the energy and water costs of the house. After replacing the regular products with environment-friendly products,the difference in the costs is highly evident. If the aspect of health is considered,green plumbing can help the residents in a larger way. For instance,getting a green water purifier installed will ensure that you get cleaner water than what the usual products have to offer. Going green with plumbing also lets you stay in peace that you are doing your bit to help maintain a cleaner,safer and more sustainable environment.

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