Drainage in Northridge, CA is designed to remove wastewater from the home and keep your plumbing system working efficiently. If you want it to work the way it should, you need to know how to use it properly. Never dispose of grease by pouring it down the sink, and keep in mind that not all bathroom products can be flushed down the toilet. If you live with children, remind them not to play with their toys near drains. Continue reading for a closer look at what you shouldn’t put down the drain to help avoid emergency plumbing services.

Grease and Food Scraps

If you tend to do a lot of cooking, you can end up with a great deal of grease. Many people decide to dispose of their cooking grease by dumping it down the sink or even the toilet, but this can wreak havoc on your drains. Grease will eventually build up on the interior of your drains, ultimately causing significant clogs and blockages. Instead of pouring your grease into the drain, you should dispose of it directly into a garbage can or another container. If you have a garbage disposal in your sink, it’s important to understand how to use that as well. While small food scraps can be okay to send down the disposal, larger food products can cause problems.

Diapers, Paper Towels, and Feminine Products

Just because you use something in the bathroom doesn’t mean it should end up in the toilet. While tissues and toilet paper are fine to flush down the drain, many other products should not be disposed of in this fashion. If you have just changed your baby’s diaper, make sure it ends up in a garbage. Paper towels and feminine products may be used in the bathroom, but they can cause clogs in your toilet if you try to flush them.

Children’s Toys

Although it seems obvious, toys should never end up in your drain. While you are well aware of this, your kids might not be. It’s a good idea to remind your kids not to play with their toys around toilets or sinks so you can avoid a plumbing service disaster.

If you’re like many people, chances are you don’t give much thought to your sewer line. However, if you start to experience plumbing problems such as a blocked toilet or clogged drain in Northridge, California , you’ll need to take action. A sewer camera inspection can help locate the exact cause of drain problems before they become more serious. If you are considering buying a house, be sure to have a sewer camera inspection performed, as it is not part of a normal home inspection. Household items such as paper towels can clog pipes, and tree roots can grow into the sewer line. Check out this infographic to learn more about sewer camera inspection, when you should have it done, and why it’s important. Please share with your friends and neighbors.

Any type of plumbing issue can cause serious problems for your home and family, but there are a few that tend to be especially common. On the upside, the right plumbing services near Northridge, CA can handle any problem you might experience. Knowing what to look for is crucial when it comes to controlling damage and preventing emergencies from arising, so knowledge is key. Continue on to learn about some of the most common emergencies plumbers face.

Plumbing emergencies often occur because of the way you use your plumbing systems. Attempting to flush the wrong materials—or even too much of the right materials—down the toilet can result in a bad clog and even overflow. If you don’t have your sewer inspected on a regular basis, you could also experience a sewer backup; this can be extremely unpleasant as well as unsanitary, so you will want to stay on top of your sewer maintenance. A dripping faucet may be annoying, and it can also add up to a substantial amount of wasted water. The drain pipe under your sink may also spring a leak, and this can be even more difficult to catch. Always call your plumber as soon as you notice a problem.

Most water heaters are designed to last for around 10 years, but you can extend the life of yours and avoid costly water heater repair in Northridge, CA , by maintaining it regularly. Watch this video to see some of the plumbing services you can have done to keep your water heater well maintained.

Unfortunately, many homeowners never get around to maintaining their water heaters, which results in them failing long before they should. By draining your water heater every so often and having a plumber perform plumbing services, you won’t have to worry about your water heater leaking until it’s truly time to replace it. When you take good care of your water heater, it will reward you by delivering hot water throughout your home for years to come.

If the sewer line in your home ever backs up on you, you could face a long cleanup process as well as a big bill at the end of it. Your sewer line is used to dispose of all of the wastewater that you flush from your home, and it needs to be kept clear at all times to keep it working properly. At the first sign of a backup, you should call a plumber for assistance. You should also have sewer cleaning near Northridge, CA , done every year. Here are some other surefire ways to avoid a sewer line backup.

Keep Solids, Oils, and Grease Out of Your Drains
The only thing that you should place down the drains in your home is water. Likewise, the only things that should go down your toilets are water, waste, and toilet paper. If anything else makes its way into your sewer system, you could put your sewer line at risk. People who experience sewer line backups usually find that paper towels, hair, oil, and other solids have clogged their lines and caused them to back up. You should make every effort to keep your sewer line clean.

Look and Listen for Signs of a Backup
Far too often, homeowners don’t realize they have a backed up sewer until it’s too late. By the time they notice the problem, there is raw sewage backing up into their homes or water pooling in their front yards. You can usually sense a sewer line backup if you know what to look and listen for. If your toilets clog up frequently or gurgle every time you use the water in your home, you should call a plumber to investigate the possibility of a sewer problem.

Maintain Your Sewer Line Properly
Much like you need to maintain your home’s HVAC and electrical systems, you should hire a company to inspect your sewer line and do sewer cleaning on a regular basis. It will stop your sewer system from backing up on you and give you the peace of mind that comes along with a clear sewer line.

In order to keep your plumbing system free of clogs and prevent your sewer line from backing up, you need to keep your drains clear at all times. This can be difficult when it comes to your kitchen, since it’s easy to send food particles, oil, grease, and other solids down the drain when you’re cooking. By doing regular drain cleaning and watching what you put down your drains, you can avoid plumbing problems. Here are some of the ways you can keep your kitchen plumbing near Northridge, CA, clear.

Place a Strainer Over Your Drain
If you spend enough time cooking in your kitchen, you’re going to find that it’s nearly impossible to prevent all food particles from falling into your sink and going down your drain. Therefore, you should install a strainer over the drain that catches them before they go down the sink. A good strainer will only cost you a few dollars, but it could save you hundreds of dollars in plumbing repairs down the line. Just make sure you clean your strainer out every day or two to stop food particles from slipping through the cracks and ending up in your drain.

Use Hot Water to Flush Your Drain
When most people think about doing drain cleaning, they think about using heavy-duty cleaners to do it. You can use something as simple as hot water to clear your drains, though. Hot water will break down oils and grease in your drain and push them through your plumbing system. Try to run your hot water for a few minutes at least once every week to clear your drains.

Call a Plumber at the First Sign of a Clogged Drain
Is your drain moving slowly or backing up frequently? If so, it’s time to have a plumber inspect your blocked drain and perform professional drain cleaning. Within a matter of just a few minutes, a plumber will be able to locate the source of your problem and get rid of it once and for all so that your drain is clear again.

If you attempt to take a shower and find that you don’t have any hot water, you probably need to contact a plumber right away to take a look at your water heater. However, a lack of hot water isn’t the only sign that a water heater needs to be looked at by a professional. Rooter Fighter can send a 24-hour plumber near Northridge, CA , to your home to inspect your water heater if you experience any other signs of water heater failure.

So what should you look for when it comes to your water heater? Outside of a lack of hot water, an accumulation of water around your water heater is another sign that you need the help of a plumber. The water in your home may also smell funny or have a brown tint to it when your water heater is having problems. Additionally, if your water heater is making strange noises every time it turns on, you will likely need to have plumbing services done immediately. When you contact Rooter Fighter for help with any of these issues, we will send a plumber to you right away and fix your water heater for you.

Whether you’re in need of new piping, replacing old piping, or cleaning your drainage pipes in Northridge, CA, there are a few things to learn about the material your pipes are made of. Consult with your plumber on the additional differences between copper and PEX plumbing.

According to the video, the cost between the two piping materials is significant. Copper can cost almost $3 a foot; PEX costs about $1 a foot. PEX tends to be more energy-efficient, but it’s unproven when it comes to life expectancy. Copper has been proven to last up to 50 years, and PEX manufacturers give that same guarantee or better, but it’s not 100% certain yet. Your plumber should have an opinion, and sufficient experience, to back up which piping he or she would recommend.

Replacing or repairing your sewer can be a costly and damaging ordeal for your yard and house. Talk to your plumbers near Northridge, CA, about the possibilities of trenchless sewer repair to avoid costly damages to your property.

Pros of Trenchless Sewer Replacement
The biggest advantages for a plumber and a customer to use trenchless technology, is the cost to a customer’s landscape, driveways, floorings, etc. By using the technology, a plumber only has to dig one or two holes to access the pipe deep in the ground. Another advantage is the life expectancy of the new pipe. The two methods of trenchless sewer repair either use an epoxy lining that is inserted and cured in the pipe, or fully replacing it with a new poly pipe and crushing the old one. With either of these options, your pipes have a 50-year life expectancy and are resistant to root intrusion and corrosion, which can cause water leaks. Using trenchless sewer repair, your plumber can save you money and stress for years to come.

Cons of Trenchless Sewer Replacement
Unfortunately, not everything is a perfect solution. Research your local plumbers thoroughly to be sure they can perform the trenchless repair effectively and efficiently. If done incorrectly, your cost could become exceedingly high. Also, trenchless technology may not work if your pipes are too far gone. This might happen if the pipeline is too broken up. Your plumber should offer a free consultation to let you know the best options for your sewer repair.

Do You Qualify?
Trenchless technology is an efficient and effective way of sewer repair or replacement, but it may not work for everyone. First, you or your plumber need to be sure your city codes approve of trenchless technology. Once this has been established, trenchless technology works best if the pipelines are very deep or very long. It’s also the preferred method if the sewer has to be repaired out to the street. This saves on costs, traffic control, and time.

If you have a water leak near Northridge, CA, and that leak is coming from one of your underground pipes, you might qualify to receive trenchless sewer repair. This revolutionary pipe lining technology is cutting the cost—and the time—of lengthy and pricey pipe repairs.

If your piping is cracked or degrading, your plumber might recommend one of two types of trenchless repair methods. The first method, pipe lining, uses an epoxy to line and essentially transform your old pipes into new pipes. After digging one hole, the plumber will insert a balloon of sorts into the pipe and feed epoxy resin along the damaged pipe. This coats the pipe, and the plumber waits for it to cure—typically 2-6 hours—and you have an almost brand new pipe.

The second method, pipe bursting, requires two holes. A new pipe is fed through the old one, causing the old one to fracture. Pipe bursting may not be a feasible option for every pipe. Talk to your plumbing and heating company about the best option for your pipes.