Things All Homeowners Should Know About Plumbing Blockages
With so much attention on indoor plumbing like toilets and bathtubs, outdoor plumbing seems to get overlooked quite often. However, the home’s outdoor plumbing system is just as important as what’s inside the home.
A plumbing blockage that happens outdoors can still back up and impact the entire home, so it’s important that homeowners be as educated as possible. Not only can this avoid those unexpected plumbing emergencies, but also it can help you get your entire family involved in protecting your plumbing system!
What Outdoor Plumbing Includes
The most common fixtures of outdoor plumbing that are common for almost every home, though, are outdoor spigots and sprinkler systems. There is also at least one outdoor yard drain that helps clear excess water from the yard.
Some larger homes may also have outdoor sinks and showers installed, which increases the number of pipes and drains that are located outside the home.
Because there are so many different scenarios for outdoor plumbing, it is important to perform regular maintenance before emergency situations like plumbing blockages happen. Homeowners should be aware of where exactly their outdoor plumbing fixtures are located so that they can check on them regularly.
How Outdoor Pipes Can Get Clogged
Like any plumbing system, outdoor pipes can experience plumbing blockages. The reasons they happen are just slightly different than those that occur indoors. The majority of plumbing blockages that happen with outdoor plumbing comes from organic materials like mud or leaves. However, plumbing blockages outdoors can also happen as a result of trees and other plant roots that go around, or even into, the pipes.
Preventing clogs includes regular inspection and maintenance of the drains for buildups of those organic materials or any potential root infiltration. Any excess buildup of leaves, rocks, etc. should be cleared away from outdoor drains regularly, especially during the fall when leaves start to fall from the trees at a regular pace.
It is not generally recommended by plumbers to use any sort of chemical drain cleaners. Not only do they not work well, but they can also cause damage to the pipes as well as being potentially hazardous to any wildlife or water sources.
The Benefits of Hydrojetting
The water can push through most plumbing blockages as well as loosening sludge, debris, and other buildups from the inside of the pipes. In addition to helping with the immediate situation, hydrojetting also makes it less likely for those buildups to occur in the future as well.
It is imperative that only trained, licensed plumbers perform hydrojetting services on plumbing blockages, though. Prior to hydrojetting, a video inspection is usually performed to verify that the pipes are safe for the service to be performed. If used inappropriately, it has the potential to cause a pipe rupture and create an additional problem for the homeowner.
About City Plumbing
Staffed by both master plumbers and HVAC technicians, City Plumbing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been open for two decades. They are clean and professional and use only the latest technology to provide services like drain cleaning and emergency plumbing. Their staff is focused on providing top quality service with every call.