After struggling for quite some time with our septic system, I realized there might be a problem with the way we were approaching various aspects of plumbing. For starters, we didn't think too much of putting things down the garbage disposal, which created some serious issues later on down the road. We were left struggling with drains that just didn't work properly, and so we started carefully considering ways to change things. We talked with a plumber about septic system maintenance, and they had some tips that improved our experience. Check out this website for awesome tips on managing septic tanks.
A clogged drain is no fun, but most homeowners are equipped to handle minor clogs in sinks, toilets, and tubs. The real problem is when one of the main drains leading from your home is clogged. Catching the clog early can mean the difference between a minor issue or a flooded home. Even worse, often you have to contend with raw sewage when it's a main drain backing up into your home. The following guide can help you catch the clog early so you can avert catastrophe.
Babbling Pipes
Your pipes shouldn't be making any noise, whether you have water running down the drain or not. Often, when there is a clog forming in a main drain, water and sludge gets stuck somewhere out of site. A bubbling, gurgling noise is the result in the early days of the blockage. This is caused by the water trickling through the air pockets and around the few openings in the blockage. As the blockage worsens, it will eventually block the drain completely. You won't hear any more gurgling, but the water will start coming back up the drain. If your pipes are bubbling, call in a plumber so the blockage doesn't get to that point.
Slow Drains
Another byproduct of a newly formed, but as yet incomplete, clog is that your drains will empty more slowly. If the problem is in only one drain, then you likely don't have a main drain clog. The same is true if the problem is a group of drains that share the same initial drain pipe, such as if only the bathroom sink and tub are draining slowly, but all other drains in the house are normal. Although you will want to clear the single blocked drains, the greater concern is when all the drains in the house are emptying slowly. This means you have a clog forming on your main drain line. Get it removed quickly so slow drains don't become backed up drains.
Buddy System Blockages
Many of your fixtures are on a sort of buddy system where their individual drains connect at some point before joining into the main house drain. Your dishwasher and sink probably share an auxiliary drain line, as do tubs and bathroom sinks or washers and utility sinks. When clogs begin to happen on a main line, draining a lot of water down one drain may result in backup due to the slow drain effect from a developing blockage. But, instead of coming up the drain you're using, it goes up the buddy drain. In practice, this can result in the bathtub drain overflowing when you flush the toilet, or the sink overflowing when the dishwasher drains at the end of the cycle.
If you notice any of the above issues, you need to call in a plumber immediately. For more information, contact companies like Jarrach Cesspools.
Share8 August 2018
