Friday, April 8, 2011

Maintaining Your Sanitary Sewer Line is Every Homeowners Responsibility

f you’re like most homeowners, you don’t give much thought to your sewer line…unless there’s a problem. Maintaining your sewer line and keeping it sanitary is your responsibility. Even if your home connects to a city sewer system, you’re most likely responsible for the line that runs on your property up to the point it connects with the main city system. If you have any thought that your sewer line might not be performing at top level be sure to have your sewer line checked. Here at Franke Mechanical we can do an inspection to evaluate the current performance of your lines. It is recommended that you have your sewer lines evaluated once each year. Yearly evaluation allows quick identification of potential problems which in most cases can be prevented without the investment of having to replace lines.
Taking the time to follow a few preventive practices can help save you thousands in sewer line replacements. Using common a bit of common sense can help keep your lines unharmed.
Preventable Practices in the Kitchen
Garbage disposals are meant to be used to clear small bits of garbage from draining water. Unfortunately, many people overuse their garbage disposal by using it to dispose of all the kitchen garbage. Vegetable peelings such as potatoes and other large pieces going through the garbage disposal can damage your sewer line and cause backups in the line and the plumbing pipes.
Another cause of sewer line problems that comes from the kitchen is pouring items down the drain that should be disposed of in the garbage can. Common causes of problems are grease, eggshells and coffee grounds. These items should all be disposed of without using the drain. Once these items coagulate in the sewer pipes, the only solution is line replacement or extreme cleaning measures.
Paper and Sewer Lines
Many of the paper products used within your home are not biodegradable. When placed down your drains and into your in sewer lines non biodegradable paper products swells and causes backups requiring professional help to be resolved. Never flush paper towels, disposable diapers, tampons, or pads down your toilets. These can all cause the above problems.
Chemicals Down the Drain
Avoid pouring hazardous materials down your sinks, toilets or tubs. This includes paint, drain cleaners, and other chemicals. These chemicals can cause backups and permanently damage your plumbing pipes and sewer lines. Corrosion by chemicals often demands sewer line replacement.
Outside Your Home
Beware before you plant trees, bushes, and plants. Make sure to locate your sewer line before you do any planting. Roots from these live plants can grow into your sewer line. These roots can cause backups and even crack your sewer line. Not sure where your sewer line is located, or if there’s roots growing in your line? Just contact Franke Mechanical and we’ll be promptly schedule an inspection to make sure your sewer lines are safe.

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