If you relish the idea of unnecessarily replacing your sewer system, this blog post may not be for you.
If, however, you’re like the rest of the world and want to avoid costly repairs and replacements to your sewer system, then read on. We’re here to help.
Your sewer is, by definition, an underground conduit for carrying off drainage water and waste matter, and it’s essential to the day-to-day functioning of your home. You may not notice your sewer now, in fact, you may not ever think of it, but if it were not there, trust me: you would know.
With proper maintenance and a little TLC, you can drastically reduce your need for major sewer repairs and replacements. For newer Indianapolis areas and suburbs, such as Carmel, Noblesville, Avon, and Brownsburg, hiring a professional plumber to come out once every five years to properly snake and inspect the sewer using a camera will suffice for maintenance and will also help identify any potential problems.
If you have an older home, such as those in downtown Indianapolis or Broad Ripple, the sewer systems tend to be older and are often made with different materials. In the case of Broad Ripple, the piping was made from clay tile using segments that slipped into one another without the aid of a sealant or a clamp. These sewers need to be snaked and inspected once a year since they’re older and may not have been properly maintained throughout their life.
So why does your sewer need to be snaked? The answer is rooted. Root buildup in piping is the source of issues 95% of the time. Clay piping in older homes is easy for roots to penetrate. It doesn’t take too long for waste and materials to start building up because of root blockage which will eventually lead to a potentially expensive and disgusting mess.
Hope Plumbing offers competitively priced snaking and inspection. With this service, you receive a copy of the video from the inspection and a written estimate for any repairs that may need to be done, and an explanation of problems you may run into down the road.
In addition to hiring a plumber, we highly recommend a dose of copper sulfate which is the most effective root killer available and can be found at your local hardware store, such as Sullivan Hardware. If you have newer sewers, once every year should be fine. With older Indianapolis homes, we recommend using it once a month depending on your root situation. When in doubt, feel free to call us.
On our next Dirty Talk, we’ll discuss what to expect if you do need your sewer replaced.
