Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Archive for September, 2014

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.

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When you look at the pipes under your kitchen or bathroom sink, perhaps the most prominent feature you will notice is a curved pipe that looks like the letter U. Tilt your head to the side and you’ll notice that it also looks like the letter P. This is the origin of the word “p-trap,” the name plumbing professionals use to describe this portion of the plumbing, although some also call it a u-bend.

For some people, the design of this pipe may seem counterintuitive. Wouldn’t it be more logical for water to flow straight down into the drain pipes? Doesn’t a curved pipe only lead to clogging? The p-trap, located underneath every drain in your home, actually has an important function in plumbing. Let’s take a look at its purpose and some of the problems that may lead you to call for plumbing services.

The Reason for the P-Trap

Your kitchen and bathroom drains lead directly to the drain pipes that connect your home’s plumbing system to the public sewer or septic tank. The p-trap’s main function is to keep the smell of sewage out of your home. As water flows down any drain in your house, it collects in the p-trap, blocking sewer gas from ever reaching your drain. And while it may not have been designed for any other reason, the p-trap has another purpose; it can also catch valuable items like jewelry that may have fallen into the sink by mistake!

Common Problems

However, if a drain is not used for a period of time, the p-trap may dry out. If a sewer smell comes from one of your drains, try running the faucet. If the p-trap is dry, this should fix the problem right away. If not, you may need to schedule professional drain cleaning. Unfortunately, the shape of the p-trap makes it prone to clogging from hair, food, or other debris. If a plunger cannot loosen the clog, you’ll need to call for professional plumbing services. A plumber is equipped with a drain snake that is capable of pulling out tough clogs from the p-trap and from much further along in the pipes.

Do you need professional plumbing services in Olympia? Call the team of experts at Brooks Plumbing today!

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When water slowly leaks from your pipes, it may seem like a problem that can wait for repairs. However, there’s no such thing as a “minor” plumbing leak. Even the smallest of leaks can affect your bills, your home, the plumbing system, or even your health in the long-term. It’s important to call for professional plumbing services at the first sign of a leak. Not sure if there’s a leak in your pipes? You should consider scheduling leak detection services whenever you suspect there may be a problem. In this guide, we’ll discuss some of the ways a “minor” leak may affect you.

One major reason to take care of seemingly minor leaks as soon as possible is that even the smallest of leaks can drive up your water bills. In fact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, even the smallest leaks may cost homeowners 10% more on their water bills. And leaks are a bigger problem for homes than many homeowners realize. In fact, 10 percent of homes waste 90 gallons of water per day because of leaks!

Additionally, if a leak drips onto the walls, floors, or ceilings, mold and mildew may build up, which can be hazardous to your health. If you notice water spots anywhere in your home, it’s important to call a plumber right away to avoid any negative respiratory effects.

Another problem with leaks is that they affect the pressurization of your system. Your water supply is kept pressurized so that it can easily move out of the faucets. But a leak may change the pressure of the system, which means you will feel lowered water pressure. In fact, a change in the water pressure can also seriously damage your pipes. If a “minor” leak is located in the sewer line, wastewater may backup into your drains, or even into a basement.

You should never neglect a seemingly minor leak, as it may turn into a larger leak that means major problems for your home. When you need professional plumbing services in Olympia, call the dependable professionals at Brooks Plumbing for leak detection services and repairs.

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