Most common outdoor drain problems & how to fix them
Not only storm drains can be considered outdoor drainage pipes. In fact, any underground piping that goes outside your house’s foundation perimeter is a part of the underground drains family. And this family has its own familiar diseases. Underground piping problems are often hard to locate, easy to overlook and very expensive to cure if it’s protracted. So how to maintain your underground drains in trouble-free conditions, and who can help if you fail to do so?
How to repair a storm drain?
The rainy season is a fantastic and irreplaceable opportunity to plunge into and fully experience the home atmosphere with a cup of tea and your favourite book in hand. All the coziness of your dwelling is feeling more than ever when the torrential rain is hitting your neighbourhood.
But this pleasance has its end and undesirable consequences. If your area is not well-prepared for rainfalls and not protected from flooding, it is high time to inspect your storm drain for various malfunctions.
The right question from the outset is not how to eliminate different malfunctions but how to avoid all the obstacles.
Therefore, it is essential to take care of your outdoor drain pipe and whole sewer and storm lines from the very beginning. Do not neglect all the tips which you will find in this article. Only in this way is it easy to circumvent blockages and prolong the lifespan of your equipment.
The First Tip
In any business, prevention is our best friend, and our case is no exception. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is not always summer in our country. We have autumn and spring. They bring us a lot of joy, but a lot of dirt gets into the drain system along with it.
Therefore, every owner of a rain drain should remember that the best time to clean the drain is autumn and spring, even if there is no reason for this. Plumbers advise cleaning the drain twice a year. This is not that difficult. It is enough to remove the accumulated foliage and other debris and rinse the pipes with plain water from a hose.
The Second One
Well, you should avoid contaminating the drains with your own hands. Many gardeners like to use rain drains for the temporary storage of all kinds of garden debris. These actions lead to all sorts of trouble. Therefore, we advise you to use special compost pits or use the garbage collection service for storing garbage.
Also, gardeners and their neighbours should pay attention to the fact that various chemicals and fertilizers tend to destroy the material from which the pipes are made in your storm drain. Fertilizers can enter the lines with rainwater. Refrain from using various kinds of chemicals if you can. Natural fruits and vegetables are always better for both health and storm drains!
If you face any obstacle and need a high-quality outside drain repair, it is imperative to solve it as quickly as possible. Our qualified specialists will easily help you determine the cause of the blockage or breakdown and will advise you free of charge to avoid further potential problems.
Sewer line leak repairs
Sewerage problems are probably the most unpleasant of all domestic issues. It often blocks our free access to the proper use of plumbing equipment. How to notice hints of a malfunction in time and what to do about all of it?
The first clear hint of blockages and other types of malfunctions is, of course, an unpleasant smell from your sewer. It is rather difficult to confuse it with something else.
The second screaming sign is water’s gurgling. If you hear rushing water, it may be vital to gain professional help or have a consultation with your local plumber at least.
If you suddenly notice that you are tired of overpaying for the use of water, then it’s high time to figure out what’s the matter! This may indicate that pipes are leaking somewhere in the depths of your house.
Also, problems with water leakage from sewer pipes can lead to cracking of floors in your home. Therefore, when such severe symptoms of difficulty are found, it is imperative to act quickly and decisively, since further, due to increased dampness, your house can become a favourite place for all sorts of unpleasant insects and even rats and mice!
What can be the culprit of leaking pipes under the house?
There are many reasons for such a complicated issue. Leaking pipes can be the next evolutionary stage of the sewage problems after backing up. Yeah, unfortunately, even a common blockage can lead to cracking and breakage of the sewer pipe.
Therefore, it is worth paying close attention to the issues of preventing the state of your sewage system. You can use different kinds of lye to flush the drain. The best example is baking soda. Its duet with salt or vinegar demonstrates beautiful results.
Another common reason is the incorrect design and installation of the entire sewer system. It would be best not to resort to the self-installation of the sewer or storm line since even one wrong pipe inclination can lead to blockages and pipe rupture.
Nature can also play a negative role. After all, as you know, the roots of trees never stand still, and if you live in a cottage, you understand what is at stake. Tree roots can easily damage sewer and outside drain pipes and lead to unpleasant consequences. Therefore, again, the design of the sewage line should be entrusted to a professional who will take into account the peculiarity of your site and will not allow this kind of malfunction.
Nothing in our world lasts forever. Is it great or not? The question is philosophical. But sewer pipes are also subject to wear and tear. Corrosion can be one of the causes of pipe rupture and, therefore, leakage.
Therefore, we advise you to immediately contact the professionals for advice and further repair procedures if your outside drain pipe leaking. Our guys are always ready to support you in difficult plumbing times.
The best way to clean sewer line
There are many ways to clean up sewer blockages. Some of them are amateur, and some are professional. Let’s start with the amateur!
So how can you quickly and cheaply get rid of a small blockage in a sewer? Probably, any housewife can easily share this simple secret with you. Baking soda. That is an excellent alkali that efficiently clears blockages without harming pipes when mixed with salt or vinegar. And what substances can damage your drain?
Some people are skeptical about sewer cleaning chemicals. Although these substances are a relatively cheap and easy-to-use method of removing debris from pipes, some plumbers argue that these substances can easily damage pipes and lead to their breakage in the future. Indeed, it would be best not to use them since frequent use can lead to such consequences often.
Also, cleaning the sewer line chemicals is pretty toxic, and their entry into the soil is entirely undesirable. When using them, try not to inhale them. Keep vials away from children and animals.
If the above methods did not help you, then you should resort to more professional ones.
Many experienced plumbers highlight the snaking method as one the most efficient. Indeed, it often helps to get rid of the blockage rather quickly. What is this device? From the name, you can guess that it looks like a snake. In a simple and primitive way, the long metal wire pushes the blockage from your pipe further into the central or city sewer.
Although this method is available to everyone, you should not try to clean the pipe yourself. Most likely, you can damage the line, which will lead to even more blockages in the future.
Hydrodynamic sewer cleaning is also a favourite method for plumbers. Its work is based on the cleaning of sewer pipes with a high-pressure water jet. This approach not only removes debris from the lines but also breaks down all the plaque.
If we are talking about the outdoor drain pipe unclogging firstly, it is essential to remove all the large debris such as roots, leaves etc. To further resist blockages in your rainwater drain, you can use all of the above methods for regular sewage, except, of course, baking soda and other chemicals.
We are always happy to help you in case of sewage blockages and other problems. Our call center operators are always ready to advise you and, if necessary, book an appointment with our plumbers around the clock.
Trenchless underground pipe repair
This is a miracle, not a technology. It is impossible to find other words! Imagine that you had to dig all the ground to get rid of the sewer breakdown or any other underground pipe on your site. Now, you only need a relatively small hole to deal with a crack or hole in a pipe easily. There are many ways to make this repair.
The best method is to liner the pipes in place. This method is ideal for repairs that involve cracks and other damage. This method is known for its versatility because it can repair any lines, and storm sewers are no exception. It would seem that this method should cost much more than conventional “excavation,” but since much less effort will be spent on repair than with the traditional way, the price will be correspondingly lower.
So how does it work?
First, a specialist looks for and assesses the extent of the breakdown. For this, special cameras are used, which are also called Plumbing CCTV.
In general, it resembles a video game in which you need to find a villain. Once you find him, it is time to eliminate the culprit.
First, plumbers flush the entire pipe using the hydrodynamic method, which we have discussed earlier. And only after that, the damaged place is sealed with a special durable material from the inside. Air pressure is then used to flip the liner over and hold it over the pipe section. And that’s it! Everything is flawlessly operated again.
This method is also known for its incredible reliability and durability. Some manufacturers claim that the liner will ideally last over 50 years!
Another technological approach is called Pipe Bursting. It is not as widespread as the previous one but deserves our attention. The first plus is obvious – you don’t need to dig a big hole. This method is also used to expand a pipe and is often used to repair a storm line. As with the first method, Pipe Bursting easily saves plumbers energy and time to complete the work.
For the client, the main dilemma in this situation is which method is better. In principle, both technologies have proven themselves quite well in the Canadian market. Compared to the traditional underground pipe repair method, both are more efficient and easier to implement. Therefore, we have two worthy candidates!
Therefore, it won’t be so difficult to provide high-quality outdoor drain pipe repair and underground sewer repair services with these technologies. We are always ready to serve all your plumbing needs around the clock. Contact us for more information!
Signs that you need sewer line replacement
In some cases, the best solution to a malfunction of any sewage system will be its complete replacement. This drastic step is only resorted to if other methods are not effective. Or the equipment is too old. For example, in the former Soviet Union, cast iron pipes were widely used in the twentieth century. But over time, they showed their unreliability and were soon replaced with new materials in the 21st century.
The sewer system usually needs replacement procedures if it was incorrectly installed from the beginning and led to blockages and breakdowns. Therefore it is crucially essential to avoid problems while installing from the outset.
Also, an indication for replacing the sewage system may be the destruction of pipes by tree roots. It is worth re-planning the entire system from scratch and taking the rest of the measures to solve this problem.
In any case, our team, which consists of experienced plumbers with impressive work experience, is always ready to help you. Regardless of the degree and complexity of the problem, we are always prepared to advise you and then take measures to eliminate the malfunction.
