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Homeowners Can Avoid Costly Sewer Repairs

By home repairs, Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing repairs, Service Line Protection Program (SLiPP), sewer, SLIPP No Comments

avoid-sewer-repairs-SLIPPAvoid costly water and sewer line repairs with Tempe’s Service Line Protection Program.

Many homeowners are unaware that they are responsible for both the main water line that runs from their home to the city’s water meter and the main sewer line that runs from their home to the city’s sewer main.

If these lines become clogged, collapse or otherwise fail to operate, the homeowner is responsible for any necessary repairs, which can cost thousands of dollars. The City of Tempe created the Service Line Protection Program (SLiPP) to help ease this financial burden for homeowners, and you may be eligible to enroll.

Enrollment & Info

Flushable Wipes are Toilet Terrors!

By home repairs, non-flushable wipes, Phoenix Plumbing, sewer, toilets No Comments

I’m sure many of you have heard in the news recently that “flushable wipes” are wreaking havoc

in sewer systems and water treatment plants in New York and throughout the United States.

Baby wipes: Although these may be used to wipe your baby’s bottom, they are not toilet paper. Baby wipes are thicker, sturdier, and do not break down easily, resulting in clogged systems.

Band-Aids: Made of non-biodegradable materials, they easily tangle up with hair and fat to create blockages.

Cat litter: Scoopable and flushable cat litter sounds sensible, but in reality, it causes problems. Flushing litter and feces down the hatch not only causes plumbing problems, but it’s possible that a parasite found in cat feces is killing sea otters and seals — and it could be coming from flushed cat waste.

Chewing gum: Flushing what is basically an adhesive down the toilet is not a sound practice, for obvious reasons.

Cigarette butts: Although they seem flushable, cigarette filters don’t easily biodegrade and they are filled with chemicals, which leach into the wastewater.

Condoms: Easy to flush, but not so easy on the sewer system. Condoms can inflate like balloons and cause fairly destructive obstructions.

Cosmetics: Your old moisturizer and other beauty care products can be potentially toxic and disruptive to wastewater treatment plants and septic systems.

Cotton balls and swabs: Cotton doesn’t break down easily, and although it may take a while for cotton products to accumulate into a clog, they are difficult to dislodge once they do.

Dental floss: Seemingly innocent, dental floss is non-biodegradable and wraps around small clogs and tangles them into bigger masses.

Disposable diapers: It’s hard to believe that one could even get a diaper to flush down the toilet, yet that hasn’t stopped sewage workers from finding systems clogged with disposable diapers.

Dryer sheets: It’s bad enough to tumble synthetic chemicals with your clothes, but flushing a dryer sheet afterwards is even worse. They retain synthetic chemicals that can get into the water system, and they are made from non-biodegradable materials.

Facial Cleaning Pads – Thicker than toilet paper and thus can cause problems.

Feminine supplies: The padding and absorbent nature of these products make them too thick for the plumbing.

Food fat: Grease and fat congeal once they cool down, turning into solid masses that block pipes and cause serious sewage problems. Sewer workers call the giant grease lumps “fatbergs.”

Food: Although food is biodegradable, it can still lump together and cause clogs.

Hair: After cleaning your hairbrush, deposit the clump in the garbage not the toilet. It tangles, catches things, and clogs like crazy.

Paper towels and napkins: Too sturdy for the pipes.

Pets: Yes, pets. Goldfish are commonly flushed, but small rodents (hamsters and gerbils) are also found in sewer systems. They’re sturdy and they create clogs; consider a proper burial.

Prescription medicines: No, no, no. Marine life does not need to ingest your old drugs, not to mention that flushed meds can work their way back into our drinking water. See the Food and Drug Administration guidelines for disposing of unwanted medications.

Sewer Smell Plumbing Tip

By Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing repairs, plumbing tips, plumbing trouble, sewer, sewer smell No Comments
P-trap

P-trap

A sewer smell can be an unpleasant experience and can usually be solved by a process of elimination.  Here are some tips you can do to try and resolve the nasty odor.

Drains are designed to hold water in what is called a P-trap, the water acts as a barrier to keep sewer gas from permeating the home. Start by running water down the drains and flushing toilets especially the ones that do not get used often to restore the water in the p-trap.

Check your clean outs to make sure the plugs are installed and secured.

 

Another culprit could be a bad wax ring seal between the toilet flange and the base of the toilet.

This wax ring can occasionally leak, sometimes from a rocking toilet that has broken the seal causing sewer gas to find its way out from under the toilet. If that’s the case, you’ll have to remove the toilet and replace the wax ring. If the toilet rocks, use shims between the stool and the floor and caulk the joint. This will ensure that a rocking toilet doesn’t ruin the new wax ring.

A more serious problem would be a broken or cracked sewer line or even a loose connection joint in the vent in the ceiling or wall. If you’ve addressed the three easier possibilities, contact a plumber who specializes in hunting down leaks .

Call 480-966-8795

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