Waste water is drained away from the building using gravity with a down sloping drain-waste-vent system. The waste water is channeled to a sanitary sewer by the DWV pipes and from there is carried to the main city sewer facility or a septic tank. By their very design, DWV pipes are exposed to all manner of wastes and this usually isn’t a problem. However, some wastes fail to go through the pipe cleanly, resulting in the beginnings of a clog which could have been prevented with sewer maintenance. The clog will then begin trapping other wastes and the problem will build.

In addition, another huge problem for DWV systems are roots since roots are naturally attracted to and grow towards sources of water. The sewer pipes attract the roots and roots can do some surprising damage to DWV system pipes by puncturing them. Roots have even been known to go through concrete at times. If the root intrusion doesn’t immediately succeed at causing a sewage issue through puncturing pipes the roots will eventually stop the flow of sewage to the main sewage treatment facility by trapping larger waste debris in the long, hairlike shoots of the root. This will then cause the flow of sewage to reverse, flooding the building with sewage residue. This ticking time bomb can only be prevented by sewer maintenance.

The other common cause of sewage blockages is the flushing of diapers, hygienic products, towels and other miscellaneous non-biodegradable items. Even if you yourself would never dream of flushing things like that down the drain you can’t be sure others haven’t. If the home was once owned previously or if one frequently has guests over these sort of blockages could be an issue. With proper sewer maintenance one can be certain that their pipes are free of such problems.

These unseen factors can cause a sudden sewage problem in the form of stoppages, back ups and overflows. Not only are these nasty and unpleasant, they are unhealthy and dangerous to human health as well in addition to being damaging to the environment. All of this could be prevented with proper sewer maintenance.

These are the warning signs of an impending sewer issue:

Sewer maintenance involves various jobs such as leak detection, removal of blockages in the sewer pipes, trenchless sewer replacement and septic tank cleaning. Practicing proper sewer maintenance will completely worth it for the long haul.

Drain maintenance is needed for the typical kitchen drain. Soap, cooking oils and greases, food wastes and animal fats can all lead to slow moving or clogged drains that not only fail to flow properly but also emit an unpleasant odor which is not something one would want in their cooking space. Drain maintenance prevents this from becoming a problem.

Shower and tub drains need drain maintenance probably more than any other drain in the house due to the fact that they are constantly exposed to film-building soap and hair which bond together to create gooey, greasy clogs. If the water doesn’t drain immediately while showering or takes more than a minute or two after a bath to drain away, a clog has surely formed in the trap or drainpipe which drain maintenance could have avoided.

Bathroom sinks also need their fair share of drain maintenance since soaps, toothpaste and general grime form clogs in the drain. For those who style their hair, their bathroom drains often have a build up of styling gels and other products as well. Typically if a piece of jewelry is lost down the drain this occurs in the bathroom too. In this event, stop running water down that drain and call your Rescue Rooter® professional, who will rescue the jewelry from the pipe.

Toilet drains often become clogged due to the flushing of improper items such as baby wipes and diapers, cotton swabs and facial tissue, paper towels or anything else that doesn’t dissolve like toilet paper. Children also tend to flush various items down the drain such as toys or even articles of clothing. Rescue Rooter® uses a unique tool that hugs the inside wall of the entire pipe, eliminating any source of toilet clogging, no matter how unusual.

Drains are a very important part of life indoors. Practicing proper drain maintenance leads to a better functioning home.