The plumbing system in your home is one of the places where many of the nastiest maintenance surprises lurk, warns East Bay Management. Plumbing systems are often a minefield of problems because a large part of the system is designed to be hidden from view.
As a result, the problems in the plumbing can go on for months or years without the homeowner ever knowing them. Unless these problems begin to affect the function of the home’s plumbing fixtures or damage the building’s physical structures, they can go on almost indefinitely.
This is why when plumbing problems eventually reveal themselves, they often do so by creating a huge mess in the house: what is known as a plumbing emergency. Plumbing emergencies can be your worst plumbing nightmare come true.
That is because a plumbing emergency can cut your access to the plumbing fixtures in the home, inflict serious damage on the physical structures of your building, expose your family to the risk of waterborne diseases, and take large chunks of cash out of your pocket.
Older homes are particularly vulnerable to these problems because their plumbing is often outdated. The effect of plumbing problems is worse in older buildings due to the fragility of their structures and the inability to withstand the impact of water damage.
As the owner of an older home, how do you prevent plumbing issues from progressing into plumbing emergencies?
How to Prevent Plumbing nightmares in older homes
Residential Plumbing Assessment
A thorough examination of the entire plumbing is necessary to help you understand the current state of the system. This process will check the infrastructure for leaks, corrosion, clogs, blockages, and other problems that interfere with the performance of the plumbing.
What are some of the system’s key features that will be checked during a residential plumbing assessment? Pipes, valves, and plumbing fixtures, as well as drains, sewer lines, and vents. All water-utilizing appliances will also be checked.
Sewer Camera Inspection
As part of evaluating the performance and structural integrity of the plumbing, you will want to do a sewer camera inspection. Inspecting pipes of any kind, including underground sewer systems, is a problem. However, sewer camera inspection solves the problem.
A sewer camera inspection is non-invasive (it does not involve digging up the line) but highly effective for detecting problems in a sewer line. To do a sewer camera inspection, a high-resolution waterproof camera is attached to a flexible cable, which is then inserted into the sewer line.
This flexible rod can wind around the bends and elbows inside the sewer line. As it travels through the line, the camera broadcasts a live feed of the inside of the pipe channel. This is transmitted to an above-ground computer screen that is actively monitored by a plumber.
What kind of problems can you detect with a sewer camera inspection?
Because it allows plumbers to virtually enter an underground sewer line to scrutinize the pipe surfaces, this inspection will find all existing problems in the sewer line. A sewer camera inspection can help you detect the following issues if they are present in your sewer line:
- Clogs and blockages: A sewer camera can detect obstructions in the line as well as the causes of the blockage, regardless of whether it is hair, grease, or other debris.
- Pipe damage: Leaks, breaks, collapsed, bellied, or corroded sections will also be visible. In addition to identifying the issue, it is also possible to measure the extent of damage.
- Tree root intrusion: Tree roots in the sewer pipes are a common problem in the sewer system of older homes. A sewer camera inspection will show if the sewer line has this problem.
Unlike other sewer line inspection methods, a camera inspection is minimally disruptive. It will diagnose problems accurately and provide actual geographical coordinates of the issues. By making it easy to detect problems early, sewer camera inspection prevents emergency repairs.
Professional drain-cleaning
To get rid of the buildup inside the sewer line and restore the system to optimal levels of operation, it is necessary to clean the line. The two best methods for removing debris from your sewer line are hydro-jetting and sewer rodding. Professional drain-cleaning does two things for a sewer line:
- By removing the debris inside the line, professional drain cleaning ensures optimal flow.
- When done yearly or biannually, drain cleaning can prevent future clogs and blockages.
Additional steps for preventing plumbing emergencies in older homes include monitoring water pressure to avoid pipe rupture or leakage, installing strainers on drain openings to catch hair and other debris, and upgrading the plumbing system with modern materials.
Lastly, it is important not to underestimate the value of an experienced plumber in helping you tie these steps into a cohesive plumbing maintenance plan. A competent plumber is a trusted guide to help you navigate the problems in your home’s plumbing system.