Sewer Line

Treating Your Septic Tank In Kansas City HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR SEPTIC TANK Do you know how to maintain your septic system? With septic tank replacement running between $3,000 and $7,000, it’s important to keep your system in the best possible condition. Fortunately, it’s not hard to take care of it, if you follow a few simple tips. First, though, let’s quickly review the basics of a septic system. Two parts comprise a septic system: the tank and the drain field. The septic tank is an underground container responsible for holding solids and scum that comes from your household wastewater. With the proper maintenance, it should last thirty years or so. Once in the septic tank, heavy solids sink to the bottom, and bacteria reduces them to sludge and gasses. Grease and other lighter solids rise to the top to form a scum layer; solids that don’t decompose must be

Learn How The Kansas City Weather Affects Septic Tanks If you’re like many of us, you may find the septic system a bit of a mystery. You probably have a vague understanding of how it works, know that it involves a drain field and a tank, and understand that it should be cleaned out every few years. Other than that, you probably don’t think about the septic system very much- until there’s a problem. You can prevent many mishaps through regular maintenance, but what about when your problems are caused by the weather? Winter weather can be hard on your septic tank. Here’s why: the low temperatures make it difficult for your septic tank’s bacteria to survive. The septic tank doesn’t just fill up with waste and wait for someone to pump it out; it uses microscopic bacteria to physically digest the waste so that only water and carbon dioxide

If you need to unclog the main sewer line, then you need to locate the sewer cleanouts that are around or in your house. If you need to replace a sewer line, then you need to find the main line first. For whatever reason you need to locate your sewer line, you need to have the right resources. Your local government offices are some of your most important resources for finding the original line for a sewer. Maps and Other Documents You Will Need You can request a map of the sewer lines. Granted, these will not always be up to date or correct, but they do provide you with a handy framework to work off of. You will also need a map of your county’s property lines. You can get this at a county subdivision and deed office. Your sewer line will usually not be found on a neighbor’s

Just like a roof, the paint outside of a house, carpeting, and many other aspects of a home, plumbing must be maintained and it will eventually need to be replaced; it doesn’t last forever. As a homeowner, you’ll not only need to take care of your indoor plumbing, you’ll need to watch out for any major issues that may arise, such as a burst pipe, or a clogged main line. We suggest that all homeowners learn where the sewer lines are located outside their home as this knowledge is critical in the case of a plumbing emergency. The indoor drains are all inter-connected and they lead to one central drain pipe, which leads away from your home and towards a septic tank (for homes in rural areas) or into the municipal sewer system. If you don’t know where your drain lines exit your home, where do you begin? For starters,

Modern-day plumbing is arguably one of the greatest inventions of mankind, next to the Internet and the smartphone. It’s also something that we don’t think much about until we see dirty water backing up in our kitchen or bathroom sink, or our bathtub. If you have water backing up in one of your drains, you want to get down to the bottom of the problem and you want it fixed right away. What could be causing the problem? It probably comes down to one of these three common problems. 1. A Blocked Drain Perhaps the most common cause of a sewer problem is a blockage located in the drain. If your toilet is backed up, or if your bathtub or sink isn’t draining properly, you probably have a clogged drain. If all of the other drains in the house are working fine and the problem is isolated to one individual

Big, mature trees are often welcomed with open arms by homeowners. They provide shade, they improve the aesthetics of a yard, and they make a neighborhood look splendid. Unfortunately, while they beautify our front and back yards, they can also wreak havoc on our indoor plumbing system. In order for trees to grow, they must have water. So, tree roots naturally seek water and they gravitate towards sewer lines. Roots have never found a plumbing leak they didn’t like! Whenever a tree root does find a leak, it won’t take long before the roots grow into the pipe, inhibiting the flow of waste. When tree roots grow into pipes in their continuous search of water, the roots cause broken pipes, blockages, and other plumbing problems for homeowners, especially problems involving sewage. As you can imagine, a sewage leak is not only messy, it’s unsanitary, and people are not supposed to

When you are the homeowner and you live in your own home, you should have a good understanding of how your plumbing system has been maintained over the years. After all, you and your family are the ones living in the house. As the homeowner, hopefully, you have taught your family, guests or roommates how to properly take care of the plumbing. For example, you don’t flush cat litter or paper towels down the toilet, and you don’t pour grease down the kitchen drain. But what if you rent your property out? Or, what if you’re renting your home? Whether you rent your home out to tenants, or if you’re a new tenant, you don’t exactly know how well the plumbing has been maintained while it’s been rented out. Plumbing Concerns for Tenants If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to understand how to properly maintain a home’s plumbing system.

Are you concerned that you may have a leaking pipe under your foundation? If there is a leak, it’s either coming from a water or sewer line. While repairing the damaged line isn’t too difficult, locating the leak and gaining access to it is another story. Once the leak is located, an experienced plumber will have to cut and chisel their way through the concrete to repair the broken pipes. What are the signs of a slab leak? Sometimes, simply walking around your home barefoot will give you clues as to where the water lines are leaking. There are several signs that indicate a possible slab leak, including: Water spots on the floor Damp spots on the floor A significantly higher water bill The sound of rushing water underneath the floor A leaking sewer line is a whole other problem. Usually, sewer line leaks go undetected for some time until

As a homeowner, you’re probably aware of how important it is to maintain your home. You have your air conditioning system checked, you clean your gutters, and you winterize your heating system. But, what about maintaining your main sewer line? Many homeowners forget about cleaning their main sewer lines, or they’re not even aware that it can and should be done. Little do they know that this single step can avert costly water damage and cleanup expenses. You don’t want to find out the hard way that your sewer needs a good cleaning. Causes of Sewer Line Backups Residential main sewer lines backup for a variety of reasons, specifically tree roots, grease and pipe scale buildup. The cause usually has g to do with the type of sewer that a home has. Clay sewer: Generally, homes built before the mid-1950s are made of clay. If tree roots grow in clay

You’re probably aware that the sewer lines in your home transport wastewater to the sewer mains that are located underground. Beyond that, most homeowners don’t think much about the sewer lines until they have a clogged pipe. Sewer line clogs can lead to raw sewage backing up and oozing out of the drains, which can lead to major damage to the home and costly sewer line repairs or replacement. As a homeowner, it’s important to understand how to respond to your home’s early warning system, this way you can avert expensive sewer and plumbing issues. Here are some warning signs to look out for. Common Red Flags to Watch For Two of the most common red flags are water that backs up out of a drain or the toilet or a gurgling sound that comes from drains. Your house is talking to you, and that ominous gurgling sound says “there’s