The city of La Grange is unarguably one of the best places to live in the state of Illinois. Its walkable streets, standout downtown area, diverse attractions, and great school districts make it the ideal location for young people, families, and senior folks alike. Those familiar with Keyrenter Provo rentals know how valuable reliable housing options are in such sought-after communities.
However, like most older communities in the American Midwest, homeowners in La Grange often struggle with serious sewer and drain issues, particularly during heavy rainfall or the typical Chicago-area winter, with its subzero temperatures and chilly winds.
These problems are compounded by the fact that much of La Grange operates a combined sewer system; the same pipes transport wastewater and stormwater. This means an increased risk of drainage problems in homes whenever heavy rains overwhelm the sewer system.
What are the common sewer and drain issues that can happen in La Grange homes, and how can you prevent them in your own home?
Common drain and sewer issues in La Grange homes
Clogged and blocked drains
Although the design and age of the city’s plumbing infrastructure play a role in the drainage problems in La Grange homes, how homeowners use their drains also matters. Your drains and sewer lines are more likely to clog/block if you use them in the following ways:
- You dump fats, oils, and grease (FOG) into your drains. This is a leading cause of clogs and blockages in both public and private sewer lines, as FOG hardens and traps debris once it enters the drainpipes and sewer lines.
- You dispose of non-flushable items in the toilet. This includes stuff like paper napkins, baby wipes, disposable diapers, feminine hygiene products, latex condoms, cat litter, and many other items.
- You use your toilet sink as a trash can by dumping starchy foods (mashed potatoes, rice, potato peel, pasta, etc.), fibrous veggies (cornsilk, cauliflower, celery, etc.), eggshells, coffee grounds, large bones, etc., into the sink drain.
You will reduce the risk of clogged/blocked drains in your home by disposing of food scraps and non-flushable items in the trash and installing strainers on sink and shower drain openings to help cut the amount of debris flowing into those drains.
Tree root intrusion
If they grow close to your sewer line, trees/shrubs with aggressive root systems can pose a major risk to the health and function of your sewer system. Especially if your drainpipes and sewer lines are old, weak, and cracked, tree roots can intrude into the pipes and block them.
To prevent this problem, you have three options. You may remove any trees and shrubs in the vicinity of your sewer line. If this extreme measure is unacceptable to you, installing tree root barriers near the sewer line can help you protect it. To remove tree roots that may have already entered the sewer line, have the sewer line cleaned professionally.
Basement sewer backups
Whatever increases the risk of drain/sewer line clogs in your home also increases your home’s exposure to sewer backups in your basement. This includes the factors discussed above: tree root intrusion and dumping the wrong items in your drains.
Other factors that increase the risk of sewer backups in your home are:
- Aging drainage and sewer lines: Older drainage systems are more prone to leakages, misalignment, weak joints, and collapse
- Ground movements: Changes in the soil structure (due to house settling, erosion, and seismic or construction activities) can cause pipe misalignments that increase the risk of major blockages in the sewer line.
How to stop sewer and drain issues in your La Grange home
To prevent drainage issues in your La Grange home, it is essential to understand the current state of your drainage system, including its physical condition and performance. Without this information, you will waste time and money solving the wrong problems.
A sewer camera inspection is the most accessible, affordable, and reliable method to inspect your drainpipes and sewer lines to detect problems in the system and determine the most cost-effective solutions for the detected issues.
To inspect the drainage system, a specialized high-resolution waterproof camera is attached to a flexible cable and inserted into the drainage pipe. As the La Grange, IL plumber guides it through the pipes, the camera returns a real-time, detailed video of the pipe channel.
The plumber can analyze this image to understand the issues in your sewer line or drainpipe, the extent and cause of those problems, and their location. With this information, they can recommend the best solutions to fix your home’s drainage issues.
Following a sewer camera inspection, your plumber will often recommend sewer rodding, a professional drain cleaning solution. Sewer rodding is one of the safest and least intrusive methods for clearing clogged or blocked drainage pipes.
With sewer rodding, you can handle most drainage issues in your home if those problems are caused by the presence of FOG, non-flushable items, food scraps, and tree roots in your pipes. Sewer rodding will remove these blockages to restore optimal flow.
Even better, sewer rodding can also be used as a preventive measure to stop the buildup of debris within your pipes and ensure that you never have drain and sewer line issues in your La Grange home.
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Need help with your drains or sewer lines in the La Grange, IL area? We can help! Contact us today at 708-801-6530.
