Plumbing tips from A1 Choice Plumbers in Kelowna & West Kelowna

Plumbing problems often arrive with the holiday season’s parade of parties, lavish family meals and out-of-town visitors. Busy kitchens mean more grease and food waste to drag down the kitchen drain and disposer, and house guests equal extra showers, baths and toilet flushes that can strain systems that are already partially clogged.

This makes for a busy season for plumbing pros in Kelowna, and on the day after Christmas alone, their business can jump up to anywhere between 20% and 40% over a normal day. People get so caught up in the holiday madness that it’s no wonder they don’t think about the stress put on their pipes and the plumbing problems that can occur. The winter holidays are certainly a festive time for many homeowners, but they can also be a particularly tough time for your plumbing and sewer lines.

Sewer and drain line cleaning are essential plumbing services. Just as your water lines play important roles in your home, your drain lines are vital just the same. While your water supply lines provide you with clean, drinkable water that you can use for drinking, cooking and cleaning, your drain pipes or sewer lines transport soiled water from your plumbing fixtures to your septic tank or the public sewer system. Now as time progress, waste materials accumulate inside the drain lines which may eventually lead to clogs.

The incorrect disposal of cooking grease, overuse of garbage disposals and improper or excessive disposal of paper waste can result in clogged drains and are frequent culprits of pipe-clogging sewer problems during this time of year. If you don’t catch a blockage in time, your household plumbing systems can become inoperable and, what’s worse, raw sewage can back up through toilets, tubs and sinks into your home.

Here’s how to avoid trouble with your sewer lines this season:

• Drain oil properly.
• Take care with table scraps.
• Don’t flush anything but toilet paper.

Even with these preventative measures, sewer lines can become clogged over time, from debris and grease buildup and external factors like tree roots. They can even crack, collapse or shift due to moving soil or other natural elements. Aside from cleaning, camera inspection is also important when we’re talking about sewer and drain maintenance. Inspection is done only by plumbing professionals as the equipment used in such a task may only be operated by trained experts.

A high-grade camera that’s attached to a long cable will be inserted into the sewer clean-out. To give plumbers a view of the pipe’s interior, there’s a monitor attached to the camera.

A plumber finding the root cause of the problem in a pipe or sewer system in a timely manner will greatly increase productivity. Being able to use a sewer camera to visualize problems will aid you in permanently fixing plumbing problems the first time they occur. Knowing the specific nature of a plumbing problem will also help you better determine the most efficient way to deal with drain problems, saving you time, effort, and money.

If the pipes are found to be blocked by debris, then the plumbing system may need to be cleaned in order to carry out a full pipe camera inspection. This can be done with standard water jetting techniques or an auger with a cutting head (which is safe to use on your pipes) on it can also be used to remove any blockages or obstructive roots from pipes. A professional can perform a sewer camera inspection and determine the condition of your line, and clear it of any debris; they can even replace the line if there are signs of a major problem.

Signs That the Drain Lines Should Be Cleaned

You’ll know that your sewer and drain lines should be cleaned when you experience any of these symptoms:

• Recurring clogs
• Weird sounds coming from the toilet during or after flushing
• Sewage escaping out of your drains
• Foul smell coming from your drains
• Chronic slow drains
• Water contamination

For more information, contact the expert plumbers at A1 Choice Plumbing & Drain in Kelowna & West Kelowna. If you have a question, we have the answer. We are full service plumbing company offering complete residential and commercial plumbing work throughout the Okanagan Valley.