Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Archive for the ‘Drain and Sewer’ Category

What Are the Most Common Causes for Bathroom Plumbing Clogs?

Monday, August 29th, 2016

One of the most popular reasons we get service calls is due to drain clogging. It’s rare that you can go throughout homeownership without ever having to deal with a clogged sink or shower drain at least once. Hopefully, by keeping up on plumbing maintenance you can avoid any persistent clogs, however sometimes your basic DIY- drain clog relief just isn’t enough.

In fact, using store-bought drain cleaner, you can actually do more harm than good to your plumbing. The chemicals in these cleaners are acidic and can cause corrosion and could actually make clogs worse. You should definitely rely on professional plumbers, in addition to our specialized tools, for all of your bathroom plumbing needs. It’s also wise to know what typically causes bathroom plumbing clogs so that you may be able to prevent them.

Tags: Drain Cleaning Services, Tumwater
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Here’s What It Could Mean If Your Drains Are Gurgling

Monday, May 30th, 2016

It’s no secret that if you hear odd noises coming from a drain in your home, then there is probably something wrong with your home’s plumbing. The cause of the noise can range from a very minor issue to a major detrimental problem. Whatever the case, you will likely need the services of a professional plumber to figure it out.

Be sure to avoid DYI projects with problems of this kind. Trying to figure it out on your own can often end in more harm than good. Gurgling drains are something you should have investigated ASAP, so be sure to give our professionals a call.

Tags: Drain and Sewer Services, Lacey
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Signs of Long-Term Drain Clogs

Monday, April 4th, 2016

Clogs in your drain are hardly uncommon and residents of Lacey, WA will have to deal with them sooner or later. We usually recommend a professional plumber for such situations, though mild clogs can sometimes be undone by a store-bought solution. More troubling is the reoccurrence of clogs over the course of time, when it seems like every week or so you’re dealing with a back-up in your system. This is definitely a sign that something is amiss, and you definitely need a plumber to get ahold of the problem properly. Long-term clogs can be caused by damage to the pipes, from general corrosion, or from older clogs that weren’t cleared away properly (one of the reasons why we recommend professional service for every clog). Signs of long-term drain clogs can take on many forms, and can include the following:

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Lacey
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Trenchless Technology Makes Sewer Repairs Easy

Monday, March 14th, 2016

A sewer line repair used to be among the most complex and expensive plumbing projects your home could experience. The damage itself isn’t all that different from any other pipe in your plumbing system. But the sewer line is buried under your yard, which makes getting to it a supreme hassle. In the past, it meant renting expensive construction equipment to unearth the pipe – an operation taking days and necessitating the hiring of extra help – then fixing the problem and recovering it. Even when it was all done, it left your yard in shambles (requiring more money spent on landscaping to fix it), and if the rains start to fall here in DuPont, WA, it could delay the process even further.

Tags: DuPont, Sewer Replacement
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Do You Have a Drain Problem?

Monday, October 26th, 2015

The drain and sewer system in your home is perhaps the most vital component to a safe and happy household. It removes wastewater and similar contaminants from your house into the Olympia, WA civic sewer system. It likely sees daily use, which means that when problems arise, you need to address it as quickly as possible. The good news is that qualified professionals are standing by to help. But you still need to call them in and you can’t do that unless you can spot the signs that you have a drain problem. We’ve included a brief list of some of the more common symptoms below.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Olympia, Plumbing
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What are Drain Tiles and How Do They Work?

Monday, June 22nd, 2015

Here in Olympia, WA, rain is a way of life. And that means drains and sewer lines need to perform as intended on a moment’s notice. Individual homeowners in the area can use equipment such as sump pumps to keep their basements from getting flooded. But sump pumps can get a lot of help with a proper drain tile system installed in your basement. They require professional installation, but can make a huge difference when the waters start to rise and you’re looking to keep your house dry. What are drain tiles and how do they work? Read on for the answers.

Tags: Drain Tile, Olympia, Sump Pumps
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Beware of the FOG

Monday, April 13th, 2015

It slides slowly down the insides of your drain, clinging as it goes. When it finally deposits, it hardens into a thick, impenetrable layer that will slow and eventually clog your drain. This slimy, sticky mess is what’s known to professional plumbers as FOG: fats, oils and grease. And once FOG takes hold of your drains, it’s very hard to get it out. But fear not: there is one highly effective tool against all FOG, and that’s professional drain cleaning. The plumbing experts at Brooks Plumbing know FOG well, and they have the training, expertise and tools to completely remove FOG from your drains and garbage disposal – all you have to do is give us a call.

Won’t Hot Water Work?

A lot of people will tell you to pour hot or boiling water down your clogged drain to get rid of the grease, but when it comes to FOG, hot water can actually make the problem worse. Why? Hot water melts FOG and pushes it further down the drain; when it cools, it simply re-forms the build-up, but it’s now much deeper in your plumbing system. A home remedy that may work, if the build-up isn’t significant, is a combination of baking soda and white vinegar, but if this doesn’t help, it’s time to call for a professional plumber for drain cleaning.

Tools for Drain Cleaning

Professional plumbers use two main types of tools to clean your drains and remove FOG build-up. The first type is an auger. Also known as a drain snake, augers come in a wide variety of types and widths, but the design of the tool is basically the same no matter what the size. Augers consist of cables that can be snaked down drains. Different types of heads can be attached to the auger, and many augers are motorized to maximize on the power. A second type of commonly-used drain cleaning tool is the hydrojet. Hydrojets are akin to small power washers for your plumbing. Like a power washer, hydrojets use water to scour your plumbing, dislodging FOG and clearing it from the drains.

Has FOG made its way down your drain? Call our experts today, and let them ‘lift’ the FOG with a professional drain cleaning for your Olympia, WA, home!

Tags: Drain Cleaning, FOG, Olympia
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Don’t Trust Store-Bought Solutions for Drain Cleaning

Monday, June 9th, 2014

It’s unfortunate that the bottles of chemicals on store shelves advertised for use on drains are called “liquid drain cleaners.” That makes them sound like legitimate methods of cleansing your bathroom and kitchen drains of clogs and any other obstructions. But ask any plumber for his or her opinion on these store-bought chemicals and you will hear the same answer: liquid “drain cleaner” should never actually be used on drains. Instead, other professional tools like plungers, drain snakes, and hydro-jetters should be brought in to do the job.

We’ll go into detail about why you should leave the drain cleaning bottles on the shelf and instead call for professionals to handle drain cleaning in Olympia, WA. If you want fast and dependable service, make your first call to Brooks Plumbing, where we take pride in “Quality in Everything We Do.”

The problems with chemical drain cleaners

They can damage your plumbing: To break through various kinds of clogs, these chemicals must have very acidic action, and it is strong enough to corrode pipes. Older pipes are especially at risk; however, newer PVC pipes are in danger of softening and eventually breaking apart. A single application may not hurt, but this is a problem that accrues over time. Residual amounts of the chemicals will remain in your drains even after you wash water down them, and the heat they release can boil the water in the drains. Drain cleaners may cost very little to purchase, but the eventual costs to repair the damage they create can be steep.
They can expose you to toxic gases: When you dump a whole bottleful of chemicals down the drain, it releases toxic gases that you may not initially notice except as a powerful antiseptic smell. These gases can contain chlorine and chloramine, which are poisonous and can cause damage to your respiratory system.
They are poisonous: Keep in mind that these bottles are huge containers of very powerful poisons. If you aren’t careful when using them, they can cause damage to your skin and eyes. Only a small amount left on the floor can harm your pet if it licks it up. And the warnings on the sides of the bottles that they should be kept out of reach of children… if you don’t have to have these bottles in your house, why would you?

Let plumbers handle the job safely and effectively

When you call for a plumber to perform your drain cleaning in Olympia, WA from Brooks Plumbing, you’ll have the work done with safe and clean tools like motorized drain snakes and hydro-jetters. These methods are proven effective and will cause no harm to your plumbing—or to you. Trust to the plumbing name that has served Seattle and Olympia since 1994.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Olympia
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Keys to Drain and Sewer Maintenance

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

Running water is an essential part of daily life; losing the supply of fresh water to your home is an emergency that calls for immediate professional plumbing repair. However, of equal importance to bringing the water into your home is the drain and sewer system that takes wastewater out from it. It’s vital that you maintain your drains and sewage system to avoid problems that can cause clogging around your home and possibly damaging flooding.

Here are a few key ways to keep your drains and sewer line in good shape so you can avoid serious trouble. Should you need repair or plumbing installation in Olympia, WA, call Brooks Plumbing for the professionals who can take care of the job.

How to take care of your home’s drains and sewer line

One of the first things you need to be aware of is that the drains in your home are not garbage disposals: you need to keep waste products that normally go into the trash out of your drains. It’s a wise idea to have drain covers to help prevent unwanted debris from going down the drains. This is especially important for bathroom sinks and showers, which often collect excessive hair.

And even your garbage disposal shouldn’t receive anything in it tougher than chewable food: as a good rule of thumb, if your teeth can’t chew it, your garbage disposal can’t either… so put it in the trash instead.

Although liquid fat, oil, and grease may at first seem harmless for drains, this liquid transform into waxy solids when they dry and will afflict pipes throughout your home with buildup that will not only lead to frequent clogging, but will endanger all your plumbing with increased water pressure.

The sewer line itself needs prompt repair should you notice anything wrong with it, such as sewage smells from the lawn or bad smells from numerous drains. You can’t do repairs to the sewer line yourself—it’s buried in a trench that runs to the center of the street—but you can act on it fast for professional repairs.

It’s also possible that your sewer line or drain system needs replacement; if you have an older home, the plumbing may be made of outdated material prone to corrosion. A corroded sewer line is the most frequent cause of catastrophic breaks. If you begin to notice constant issues with the drains in your home, you may need to have a new system of pipes installed.

Finally, annual maintenance is the best way to make sure you identify these potential problems before they become problems. Plumbers can inspect your pipes for damages and use special video inspection systems to find difficult to diagnose issues.

Call Brooks Plumbing today to schedule drain and sewer maintenance. We can help you determine if you need new plumbing installation in Olympia, WA.

Tags: Olympia, Sewer Maintenance
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Sewer Repair FAQ: What Causes Sewer Lines to Break?

Monday, November 26th, 2012

Roots from trees and plants are the most frequent cause of sewer line damage in the Tumwater area. Plant roots may seem harmless, but as they slowly grow beneath the soil they can work their way into any crack or fissure in their path. The juncture of two sewer pipes, particularly older pipes that may have settled and separated a bit, are particularly susceptible to root invasion.

When tiny, sensitive root tips work their way into a microscopic fissure in a pipe, they begin to grow and expand, gradually opening the fissure. Over months and years, the pressure from a growing root can create a large crack in a sewer pipe. The root itself can thicken inside the pipe, slowly choking it off.

Other less frequent causes of sewer line breaks are settling of the ground, nearby construction, or incorrect installation. Any of those things can cause a sewer pipe to slowly crack open or fracture at a joint.

Trenchless Sewer Line Replacement

Fortunately, broken sewer lines no longer need to be a catastrophic event to area homeowners. Brooks Plumbing now provides leading edge video technology to quickly locate the source of the break, and trenchless technology to replace the line.

Trenchless sewer line replacement means that Brooks Plumbing’s expert staff does not have to dig a long, deep slit trench across your property to expose the damaged sewer line. Instead, we make a small hole and excavate horizontally beneath the surface of your property. There’s no disruption of your lawn or landscaping, and no drilling of walks and driveways.

Trenchless technology uses the same technique successfully developed for laying pipelines and cables beneath the surface in large tracts of land where excavating a trench would not be possible. It is a time-tested technique that is efficient and less expensive than traditional ditch digging and back filling. If you need to replace the sewer line on your property, call Brooks Plumbing. Our professional staff have years of experience repairing sewer lines in the Woolwich Township area. When a sewer line breaks, you need a safe, fast, honest solution. Call Brooks Plumbing today.

Tags: Sewer Repair, Sewer Replacement, Tumwater
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