The sewer line is one of the most crucial parts of your home plumbing. The sewer line collects and removes all the waste water from the drains in a house out to the municipal sewer line in the street. If the sewer line develops leaks, blocks, or sustains damage, it will not only stop the drains in your home, but it could lead to a sewage back-up into the basement or the foundations, causing extensive damage. Making the situation worse is that repairs for sewer lines are often costly and time-consuming: you want to avoid these repairs if at all possible.
There are some ways to take care of the sewer line in your home to make repairs less likely. If you need plumbing services in Olympia, WA, call Brooks Plumbing. We handle multiple drain and sewer services that will help keep your sewer line in the best shape possible.
Ways to Avoid Sewer Line Repairs
- Replace older galvanized steel pipes: This is major job, but as a preventive measure it is one of the best things you can do for your home’s plumbing. If your house is older than 1970, it may have galvanized steel pipes, which are prone to corrosion and will eventually fall apart. If the sewer line is an older steel pipe, you should arrange to have it replaced with a corrosion-resistant copper line and prevent numerous future problems.
- Avoid planting trees and plants near the line: Tree root infestations are one of the principle reasons that sewer lines sustain damage and become clogged. The roots of trees grow naturally toward the moisture around the pipes and then seek the nutrients inside, forcing their way through gaps. The root growth is often enough to cause the pipe to break. To help avoid these problems, landscape your yard so that trees with deep roots are planted far from the sewer line area (you can ask a plumber to show you where this is) and the plants that are near it have shallow roots.
- Do not dispose of oil, fat, or grease down kitchen drains: These food products look innocuous in liquid form, but when they cool down inside drains they turn into waxy solids that will quickly form tough clogs. If enough fat, grease, and oil coats the inside of a sewer line, it could end up cause a serious clog that will require extensive sewer cleaning services to eliminate. To help prevent this, place all fat, grease, and oil in a separate receptacle and remove them to the trash.
At Brooks Plumbing, our motto is “Quality in Everything We Do.” We have stood by this promise since we started in business in 1994. When you need professional plumbing services in Olympia, WA, make us your first call.
