Did you know that the health of your sewer line determines how comfortable and livable your home can be? Yet, you might not have a healthy sewer line at all times. You’ll need a professional plumber to help you clean this sewer line. Understanding how to keep this sewer line clean will ensure that your home is much more livable. Here is how you can do it.
How to Keep Your Sewer Line Clean
Undoubtedly, the health of your sewer line will depend on how you handle it. You might not need a professional to manage everything, as most maintenance aspects are basic. The following are the most common ways you could rely on to achieve this.
Be Careful With What you Dispose of
The type of waste you dispose of in the drains will often determine how long it will take for them to clog. Experts recommend that you avoid disposing of food items in the gutters, minimizing the risk of draining. Remember, these sewer lines are not designed to handle waste paper and food.
Various foods and food objects cause significant buildup inside the plumbing system. Slowly, you’ll end up with a clogged system. For this reason, it would help if you disposed of scraped food in garbage containers. However, you can allow small particles and crumbs to go down the drain. Yet, you must flush enough water to ensure an efficient disposal.
It will make more sense to understand which foods to dispose of in the drain. Usually, it would help if you did not dispose of stringy and fibrous foods, including celery and corn husks, in the gutter. You will also need to avoid fats, oils, and grease, as they cause significant buildup in the sewer line. Eggshells, coffee grounds, and starchy foods will also need to be avoided.
Sometimes, disposing of food items becomes a tricky affair. That is because you could struggle to separate the foods to dispose of at a particular time. In this case, you need to install a drain strainer. It is a mesh sieve that filters out solid debris, minimizing clogging in the long run.
Flush the Plumbing System Correctly
Suppose your plumbing system has low areas. In that case, it would help if you embraced better flushing techniques. This process requires you to fill all the bathtubs, sinks, and toilets in the house once a month and flush them. Ensure that the water used is cold. Such water provides you with enhanced efficiency levels in the long run.
Flushing helps remove and clean the aerators. That means there will be no contaminants stuck in the faucets. In addition, ensure that you inspect the faucets frequently, removing any buildup when necessary.
Various appliances in your home will also need monthly flushing. From the icemaker and dishwasher to the washing machine and humidifiers, ensure that you empty the device and fill them with cold water to flush. You could also rely on plumbing tools to change the water filters on these devices.
The water heater is another vital appliance you need to flush, preferably with hot water. This process removes sediments in the water heater tank, enhancing its efficiency. In addition, you are confident of an extended lifespan altogether.
Regular flushing will ensure that your plumbing system is in check. That means you will require no professional drain cleaning services.
Be Careful With Your Disposal
Unless you use your garbage disposal well, expect the plumbing system and sewer line to clog. Remember, these devices are designed to help get rid of unwanted leftovers, discarded peels, and expired food. There are various ways you can make your garbage disposal more efficient. This way, it becomes easier to attain the satisfaction level you desire.
It would be best to run your garbage disposal more regularly. This move protects the device from rusting, freezing, or corroding. It will also ensure that no leftover food hardens in the machine. Remember, regular running helps keep the device functional.
You will also need to use cold water in this machine. While you could be tempted to use hot water, this water can cause significant harm to your garbage disposal. It melts hard substances, meaning that the substances cling to the sides. Problems arise when these substances finally solidify.
In addition, ensure that you run the disposal for a longer time. Allow the machine to run for approximately one more minute after grinding the waste. This move allows all the food to get flushed. In turn, you are sure that the machine will last for a much more extended period.
If you want to get rid of large chunks of meat and other materials, it will help if you cut them into smaller bits. This move helps ease the burden on garbage disposal in the long run. At the same time, grind a few citrus fruits to help keep the garbage disposal much cleaner and free from unpleasant odors.
Enzyme Cleaners Help
Before you request that 24 hour emergency plumbing service, it would help if you invested in an enzyme cleaner. You can rely on these enzyme cleaners to help remove odors, pet stains, and break down large food molecules. Adding this enzyme cleaner is often aimed at breaking down food molecules for more straightforward disposal.
These enzyme cleaners use natural enzymes to break down food molecules. They also eat away the organic material within the sewer line, ensuring that it is much healthier in the long run. What’s more, since it is natural, you do not need to worry about corrosion.
Ensure that you use this enzyme cleaner at least once a month. This way, you can get rid of the accumulated food molecules, stains, and odor. It ensures that you have a healthier garbage disposal and sewer line at the end of the day.
However, it would be best to consider an enzyme cleaner from a reputable brand. You could also purchase it from your local store.
How About You Getting the Sewer Line Cleaned?
Nothing could be as helpful as getting your sewer line cleaned regularly. Most experts recommend cleaning this sewer line at least once a year. During this time, plumbers will carry out a comprehensive inspection, ensuring that they capture the damage before making repairs. In most cases, they will use a sewer camera part during the process.
A camera inspection serves various purposes. First, it will help pinpoint the exact problem, including its nature and location. Insights into this problem will allow the plumber to undertake comprehensive drain cleaning, assuring you of a healthier sewer line in the long run. Besides, there will be no more guessing or speculations.
A camera inspection identifies every problem in the sewer line, including the most minor. This way, you can address the issue before it balloons. Whether it is a minor drain leak or a major pipe burst, the camera captures the exact location of the problem. Besides, you will catch the problem considerably early.
A camera inspection shows you everything in the sewer line. As such, expect to see some of the least expected items there. For instance, you could see earrings or coins lodged down there. Some might be so deeply lodged that they require septic cleaning services or septic tank pump outs.
At the same time, relying on a professional for drain cleaning services assures you of better returns in the long run. This professional must have specialized equipment, ensuring that the entire process is seamless and significantly efficient. Besides, such specialized technologies will ensure that identifying the buildup becomes much easier for you in the long run.
Use Natural Methods
Undoubtedly, you do not want to use harsh methods on your sewer line. Such methods might be so crude that they cause significant damage to the line. Embracing much friendlier and organic approaches will ensure that your sewer line is unclogged and much healthier.
Baking soda and vinegar have proven among the best options in the market. Baking soda is an excellent degreasing option, allowing you to eliminate any food fats, oils, and greases. With this baking soda or powder, your drains will hardly clog.
On the other hand, you can rely on vinegar to help remove stains and odors on the drain lines. This material will ensure minimal buildup, reducing the chances of the sewer line clogging in the long run. Half a cup of vinegar will be enough to ensure that the drain is clean. You could mix half a cup of baking soda with half a cup of vinegar for much better results in the long run.
Caustic soda is yet another option you cannot overlook. It is an excellent choice for unclogging domestic drains. Often, you’ll need about 750ml of caustic soda to dilute in three liters of water. Once you mix this caustic soda in water, all you’ll need to do is pour it down the drain. Let it dry for about half an hour before you rinse it with cold water.
Have you ever thought about the salt course? It is affordable, making it a perfect choice for anyone on a tight budget. Besides, you will not need much course salt. Five tablespoons of this salt mixed with boiling water will be enough to give you unmatched results.
Notably, baking soda and vinegar are ideal for preventative cleaning. You will need to use them once or twice a month to get the level of efficiency you envision. Fortunately, none of these natural cleaners will degrade your plumbing system. Instead, you are confident of significantly low buildup and clogs.
Study Where Your Sewer Line Runs
Unless you understand where and how your sewer line runs, it will be challenging to identify sewer line problems. Usually, all your plumbing fixtures in the house drain to the same sewer line. That means that it will barely be an issue.
Once you understand where your sewer line runs, watch out for signs of trouble. A significant increase in the water around the house should be a warning sign. Unexplained soggy grass will also show that your sewer line is leaking, meaning it requires immediate attention. Notably, waterproofing such regions might not help. Perhaps a foundation repair could come in handy. You might also check out trees along the path.
You might also need to keep bushes and trees away from this sewer line. The roots of these trees could significantly damage the sewer line or pipes. Remember, the wastewater carried in these lines could attract the roots, which might burst the pipes. Any small crack in the tube gets widened by these roots. As such, clearing bushes and trees along the sewer line is a preventative measure you cannot overlook.
Be Careful When Flushing Non-Food Items
Various non-food items need not go down the drain. As long as the material cannot be dissolved, keeping it out of the drain would be best. This move will help cushion you against unwanted toilet clogging.
For instance, it would help if you did not flush wipes and hygiene objects down the drain. Sanitary napkins and these hygiene items are not dissolvable, meaning that they can only clog your toilet and sewer line. The only hygiene product you can flush down the toilet is tissue paper.
While hair might seem harmless, it could readily clog your system. Ensure that you do not let it go down the drain. Instead, it would be best to dispose of it in a garbage area. You can say the same for bandages, feminine products, cigarette butts, and dental floss.
Use a Snake
A snake is a drill you’ll feed into a drain to help cut through a clog. It is an excellent clog removal option for anyone on a tight budget. However, you can only rely on it when handling minor clogs or sewer issues. If the problem persists, indulge a professional.
In conclusion, having a clean sewer line is essential for ensuring your home is comfortable and livable. It is one of the least talked-about home care service today. However, with the insights above, this will be worth considering.
