As it begins to get colder, it is important to keep your sewage system’s health in mind to avoid major repairs that can cost valuable time and money this winter. For homeowners, the sewer line is an often forgotten but important part of home maintenance. Follow these winter sewer tips to ensure a healthy sewer line throughout these colder months.

Regularly check for Tree Roots

Tree roots can be a sewer hazard during any time of year, but that doesn’t mean it is any less important during the winter. Tree roots tend to slow in growth during winter months due to cold or frozen soil and reduced sunlight, but sewer lines create a unique problem during this time. Sewer pipes can attract tree roots due to the regular flow of waste leaving warm homes, leaving behind water vapor and warm soil in the process. Regular sewer line inspections can give early insight into whether tree roots risk damaging the line.

Follow Healthy Draining Practices

With more gatherings and warm meals being made this time of year, it is important to be vigilant in how waste is disposed of in the home. Be sure to avoid the common sink mistakes of draining grease, oils, and food waste down the sink. 

Know the Signs of a Frozen/Backed Up Sewer Line

With any plumbing issue speed is of the utmost importance in reducing damage and repair costs. While a frozen sewer line is not a high risk in the Seattle area, it is not impossible, and backups can occur regardless. Be sure to know the signs of a blockage:

1. Sink, shower, or toilet draining slowly
2. Gurgling or bubbling noises coming from the drains
3. Foul, rotten egg, odor coming from the drains

Have an Emergency Plumber Ready

Should you come across any of these issues be sure to know the information of a plumber that provides emergency services, because time is money when it comes to sewer problems! Best Plumbing professionals are ready to help in an emergency and can quickly diagnose the issues. Contact us for further information and help with all of your plumbing needs.

Serving the communities of Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Burien, Everett, Woodinville, Redmond, Federal Way, Kent, Issaquah, Renton, SeaTac, Bothell, and Lynnwood

Let’s face it. Sometimes, we get a little lazy and we don’t do things by the book. Sometimes, our indifference and bad habits can come back to bite us, especially with a sensitive and delicately balanced system like the home sewer. Here are some typical bad home habits that can cause sewer issues, and some tips for avoiding them.

Flushing Foreign Objects

Your sewer is designed to handle organic waste and toilet tissue, not other discarded elements. People often flush things like cotton swabs, baby wipes, and feminine hygiene products, but those foreign objects tend to catch and build up in the sewer line, leading to clogs and backups. Stick to what your system was designed for, and you shouldn’t run into any issues.

Digging Deeply

Whether planting a tree, building a fence or outbuilding, digging a plot for a garden, or letting kids burn energy with an impromptu backyard treasure hunt, there’s a chance of hitting water lines. In most cases, water lines are at least two feet beneath the surface of the soil, but settling earth, landscaping changes, or inaccurate measurements can reduce that depth considerably. Besides, it’s not unheard of for children to hatch overzealous plots to dig to the center of the earth. Breaching these lines can cause major issues with erosion, flooding, and even overwhelm the public sewer system. Public sewers can back up into your home and cause big problems.

Avoiding issues with buried lines is as easy as calling 811, the utility location service. They’ll tell you where gas, electric, and water lines are so you don’t cause yourself the headache of flooded basements or no running water.

Blissful Ignorance

For most people, the sewer is out of sight and out of mind. Until trouble arises, that is. We understand that a sewer isn’t the most fun or exciting part of home chores. But it’s an important and central element of the wellbeing of your home and your family. Have your fixtures and lines checked every year and a half or so—especially in advance of expected heavy storms. That way, you’ll catch small problems before they become big problems and stay on top of your sewer’s health.

What can you do about sewer issues?

Maybe you haven’t been so on-top of your home habits, and one of these sewer issues has cropped up. We proudly serve homeowners in Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Redmond, and beyond. If you’ve got a project in mind or need inspection or servicing for existing plumbing, contact us for further information and help with your problems.

For more urgent appointments, Best Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency burst pipe repair services. Simply call our emergency hotline (206) 800-7822 and we’ll be there to get the issue solved.

Serving the communities of Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Burien, Everett, Woodinville, Redmond, Federal Way, Kent, Issaquah, Renton, SeaTac, Bothell, and Lynnwood.

The idea of “out of sight, out of mind” is a reality for many of us. But when it comes to the important systems that allow us to indoor water and toilets, it can be costly (and frankly, disgusting) when sewage lines misbehave. The low cost of sewer inspections makes it a no-brainer when you consider alternatives like full-scale pipe replacement or cleaning up water damage inside your home. Need more reasons why? 

1. Prevent Plumbing Catastrophes and Inconveniences

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they say. Nowhere is this more true than with your sewer line. Sewer line replacement can be costly– and most people would prefer to avoid the horror of discovering an offensive back-up bubbling up through the bathtub drain. A yearly or bi-annual sewer inspection can help you sniff out clogs that could become a problem, small cracks that could become big issues, or intrusive root growth typical to the greater Seattle area. 

2. Protect Your Investment

If you’ve just bought a house or are looking to buy a house, it’s a perfect time for a sewer inspection. Sewer inspections are not a part of the typical pre-purchase home inspection process in Seattle and elsewhere. You wouldn’t buy a home before knowing if you will need to replace the roof or fix the foundation – but many of us make huge investments without knowing what’s going on with the sewer system. With a sewer inspection, you can see if there are any cracks or roots that could cause trouble later, or if there is a catastrophic failure that hasn’t been noticed yet. 

3. Diagnose Existing Plumbing Problems

If you already have a plumbing issue going on at home – from slowed water drainage to multiple-drain backups – get a sewer inspection from Best Plumbing. Both you and your plumber can get a clear picture of what is going on downstream, so the real problem can be appropriately addressed. We’ll be happy to help with any plumbing issue you might have — and a sewer inspection is a great place to start. Why waste time and money rooting out an issue above ground that could be easily checked with a sewer inspection? 

Expert Plumbers in Seattle

Best Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency services. Simply call our emergency hotline (206) 800-7822 and we’ll be there to get the issue solved.

If you’re looking for an expert plumber in Seattle, Washington, contact or stop by Best Plumbing today. We’re the one-stop, all-service plumbing and sewer solution for residents in the Puget Sound area. We’re here to help, all day every day.

Serving the communities of Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Burien, Everett, Woodinville, Redmond, Everett, Federal Way, Kent, Issaquah, Renton, SeaTac, Bothell, and Lynnwood.