There are countless reasons for a sewer pipe blockage; some are completely common while others are rather unique and new to most households. Sewer pipes are the fixtures responsible for transporting and carrying wastes from the building, specifically from bathrooms and kitchen sinks into the community’s main sewer lines for them to be transported to industrial treatment plants before they reach or reach the natural environment. Just like everyone else, homeowners hate the idea of sewer pipe blockage yet to resurface in the most inopportune time. To help you be prepared for any type of plumbing and sewer blockage, here are some of the major causes:
1. Grease and Fat
Sewer lines are akin to veins and arteries in a human body. When there is too much fatty and greasy substance inside the pipe, it will only be a matter of time before the materials choke the sewer system until it can no longer be able to transport from the building into the sewer mains. In this case, the fat and grease can cause a blockage in the sewer pipe that can render the sewer pipeline useless when the signs are ignored for too long.
2. Foreign Objects Stuck Inside the Sewer Pipe
Grease and fatty substances are not the only materials that are responsible in creating blockages inside the pipeline. In fact, the causes of the pipe blockage can vary from the most common reasons such as grease and fat to the most bizarre and peculiar ones such as random solid objects getting flushed down through the toilet or the sink drain. These objects are often solid and therefore can thoroughly block the sewer pipelines. Examples of these materials are toiletries, leaves, hair fall, baby diapers or even different kinds of hygiene products.
3. Root Intrusion
Root intrusion is another problem in the sewer pipe that a homeowner needs to be worried about. However, as unorthodox as it sounds, this condition is not present I every home and may vary depending on the types of vegetation growing in or near the property. It is important to remember in selecting the trees and plants you incorporate in your landscaping that there are popular staple tree choices that are actually harmful to the plumbing system. To make things worse, a root intrusion problem is almost always not entertained until it causes a major damage in the plumbing system and by then, the pipes are usually beyond repairable. Not to worry because not all vegetative bodies are hostile to the sewage pipelines. Also remember that with proper maintenance, all deterioration issues can be fought.
4. Sewer Line Sagging
Sagging does not only occur when there is pipe deterioration, it can also manifest in well-maintained pipes as long as its age states it to be too old. Minor sags can create a hollowed area along the structure of the pipe and that can be the accumulation point for future blockages. This usually goes undetected since the symptoms are very much alike with blocked sewer pipeline resulting to homeowners mistakenly administering blocked pipe remedies instead of exploring options to restore the original shape of the pipe.
5. Illegal Pipe Connections
Improper connections of branch pipes to main lines especially when done by someone with no formal plumbing education, training and skill can lead to huge blockages and other pipeline disasters in the future. To avoid this, never attempt to fix a pipe line on your own. Always ask assistance from your local plumbing service provider. Although you might not see the difference this method makes I such short time, you will realize that, in a long run, it actually saved a lot of trouble and inconvenience.