Tips for Preventing Sewer Drain Disaster

No matter where you live, if you have indoor plumbing, you should know these tips for preventing sewer disaster. Even a system which is correctly designed, and installed, and is in good condition can still be subject to problems. Follow these tips, and you greatly reduce the probability of a sewer disaster.

Be careful what goes down the drain! Even a toothpick, match stick, or crayon can lodge in the sink or toilet and create a restriction. When that happens, it usually gets worse. If you have children, teach them to put nothing but liquids down the drain. No children in the house? That doesn’t mean that you are immune! Flushing paper towels, “wet ones”, or other inappropriate substances will clog the drain.

A common temptation in the kitchen is to pour hot grease “down the sink”. Aside from the fact that this is not “socially acceptable behavior”, hot grease doesn’t remain hot when it contacts water in the drain – and cold grease solidifies. Pouring even one cup of (for example) hot bacon grease, lard, or Crisco down the drain can plug it “tight”. Don’t do it – ever!

Watch the lawn for problems. If a hole appears, find out why. Old sewer pipes sometimes break down and collapse. A collapsed pipe is guaranteed to cause problems, so don’t ignore it. A related problem can be roots, especially tree roots. Roots can penetrate incredibly small gaps, and once they are “in”, they grow, expanding the crack. More important than the crack, though, the resulting root mass may clog the drain. No matter how much you love your tree, you must defend your sewer.

Be attentive to these tips for preventing sewer disaster, and your live will be much easier!