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Category: Sewer

A Plumber Explains The Importance Of A Sewer Cleanout | Callahan, FL

Posted on by Bert Norman

Most homeowners don’t often think about their home’s sewer system, but it’s an important part of the house that should not be overlooked. When this system isn’t taken care of properly and drains become clogged or backed up, it can cause a headache for you as a homeowner, but it can also result in costly damage to your home if left untreated. A key component of sewer maintenance is regularly inspecting the system’s cleanouts, which are strategically-placed access points that provide plumbers access to restricted sewage systems within the drains below. This blog post will examine in detail what makes a sewer cleanout important.

What is a Sewer Cleanout?

A sewer cleanout is a pipe fitting typically made of plastic or cast iron with a removable plug or cap at one end. These fittings are usually installed on the main sewer line leading away from your home or at the junction between the building and the public sewer mains. The purpose of cleanouts is to make it easier for plumbers to have access to the drain pipes when needed. Through sewer cleanouts, plumbing technicians can inspect the pipes for blockages or other issues without tearing up flooring or digging a large trench to gain access to the line.

Types of Sewer Cleanouts

Interior Sewer Cleanouts

Interior sewer cleanouts are located near the foundation walls within a home. Depending on how your home’s plumbing system is structured, they can be either floor or wall mounted. Usually, interior cleanouts are built with a PVC cap with a threaded end that can be unscrewed using a pipe wrench or other tool.

Exterior Cleanouts

Exterior cleanouts are those located outside of the premises. These can be found near sidewalks, roadsides, or front yards, providing access to the main sewer line without entering a house or building. These cleanouts often have a long stem that extends out of the ground, allowing it to remain accessible even when buried under dirt or debris. While exterior cleanouts can be useful for clearing away blockages from outside the property, they require additional excavation work during installation since it is necessary for them to be placed underground.

Why Are Properly Functioning Sewer Cleanouts Important?

Easier Handling Of Emergency Repairs

A properly functioning sewer cleanout in your home can make a huge difference when an emergency repair is needed. When emergencies in your sewer line arise, prompt attention is key to prevent further damage and costly repairs. For example, if you have a blockage in your main sewer line, the plumber must quickly access the drain pipe. Failure to take quick action can cause the blockage to worsen and lead to backups, flooding, and potentially hazardous waste spilling into your home.

If there is no cleanout, the plumber would have to dig up a large section of your yard to reach the blocked pipes. This would take far longer and be much more costly than simply accessing the line from an existing cleanout. Besides, with strategically-placed cleanouts, the plumber doesn’t have to guess where the pipes are located as they will be visible, further simplifying the repair process. Therefore, if you don’t have a sewer cleanout in place, have one installed today.

Prevents Damage To Your Yard During Repairs

A properly functioning sewer cleanout can also help prevent damage to your yard during plumbing repairs. With an existing cleanout, plumbers can quickly access the pipes and clear out any blockages or other issues without digging up large sections of your property. This saves you time and money on repairs and ensures your yard stays in good condition. You won’t have to worry about having a giant trench in your yard after the plumber is done with repair or maintenance services.

FAQs About Sewer Cleanouts

How Often Should I Check My Sewer Cleanouts?

It is recommended to check your sewer cleanouts regularly to ensure they function properly. If you notice any cracks, corrosion, or other signs of damage to the cleanout plug or cap, it’s best to call a professional plumber for help immediately.

How Much Does It Cost To Have A Sewer Cleanout Installed?

The cost of installing a sewer cleanout depends on various factors, such as the type of material used and its location. When you hire a plumbing professional for this job, they will give you the exact installation cost.

Do Sewer Cleanouts Require Regular Maintenance?

Yes, sewer cleanouts require regular maintenance to ensure they’re functioning properly. This includes checking for signs of damage or corrosion and ensuring the cap is sealed securely to prevent potential problems. You should also clear any debris or dirt accumulated around the cleanout. It’s also recommended to have a professional plumber inspect the sewer cleanout annually to ensure everything is in working order.

When Should I Replace My Sewer Cleanout?

If you notice any signs of damage or corrosion to the cleanout, it’s best to have a plumbing professional inspect it as soon as possible. Depending on their assessment, they may recommend replacing the cleanout.

Sewer cleanouts play an important role in keeping your drainage system functioning properly. Whether you need interior or exterior sewer cleanouts installed for your property, hiring a qualified plumbing contractor who can inspect your system regularly and perform necessary repairs or maintenance as needed is essential. Properly maintained sewer systems will help prevent costly repairs while ensuring your drainage system works smoothly year-round.

We Are The Plumbing Experts You Should Call

If you are looking for an experienced plumbing professional to install a sewer cleanout on your property, don’t hesitate to contact us at Bert Norman’s Plumbing. We have the expertise and experience to help you install, maintain, and repair sewer cleanouts providing excellent services throughout the process. We also offer other plumbing services, including water heater repairs, pipe repairs, and more. Call us today to schedule a service.

See our most recent blog on this topic here.

Photo By Robin Gentry at iStock

General Plumber Issues: Signs Of A Broken Sewer Line | Callahan, FL

Posted on by Bert Norman
Photo By Aleutie at istock

A sewer line is an important plumbing component in every home in Callahan, FL, yet it usually gets less attention until a serious plumbing issue occurs. A sewer line may be damaged by tree roots, corrosion due to old age, or shifting soil. Failure to seek assistance from a professional plumber can lead to severe problems, which may require costly repairs and replacements.

For instance, wastewater that doesn’t drain properly can result in mold growth, damaging your home and causing health problems. Identifying a broken sewer line sooner can prevent such issues from happening. The following are some signs you should always watch out for to spot a broken sewer line.

Slow Draining Sinks and Tubs

If you notice that every time you’re in the shower, it feels like you’re standing in a pool, this could mean your home could be having a serious plumbing problem. Also, when your kitchen sink fills up to your elbows as you are washing dishes, it could be a sign that you need help from a plumber near Callahan, FL.

There are various reasons for such an occurrence, but the main one often is a blockage within the plumbing system. A backup could result from small rodents living within the piping system, tree roots intrusion, or food debris accumulated over time.

A broken pipe creates an entry point of rodents and even soil components that clog the drainage system. Some homeowners may try to resolve the issue by using drain cleaning agents, but this may not offer a perfect solution as it only damages the pipes. What you should do is to contact a certified plumbing company to identify the exact problematic points and provide a permanent remedy.

Mold and Mildew Growth

With adequate levels of moisture and oxygen, molds can grow on wood, carpets, or walls. They can grow well at humidity levels of 55 percent or above. If you notice water spots on your home’s walls and floors, it could mean that there’s a problem with the sewer line.

A broken pipe can result in water leaks, and the resulting moisture promotes mold and mildew formation. If the mold problem goes unaddressed, it can spread throughout the house to cause severe damages to floors and walls. It can also cause health problems such as asthma, eye irritation, and allergies. You can protect mold-allergic individuals and save money on costly repairs by calling a plumbing company to inspect your sewer system. Such a professional can identify where the leak is and fix it.

Sewer Gas Odor

A sewer odor is a common plumbing issue in most homes in Callahan, FL, and it’s usually among the first signs of a broken sewer line. While you can smell foul odors in your home for reasons, such as clogged drains or backflow issues, a strong sewage smell can be a sign of cracked sewer pipes.

Aside from being irritating, such a smell can cause health problems to you and your loved ones. In any case, sewer pipes have to be airtight, so you should not experience such issues unless there’s a crack along with the plumbing system. That’s why it’s vital to be keen on smells that come out of your kitchen sinks or bathtubs, as they can know if you have a sewer problem. If you’re the one experiencing foul odors, you should call a plumber immediately to examine the sewer line.

Insects and Rodent Infestation

This is yet another indication of a broken sewer line. Pests and insects can find their way into the drain pipes through cracks, and they’ll get to your home eventually. A room infested with flies, rodents and cockroaches becomes uncomfortable and gives visitors a lousy picture of your home.

In addition to that, a family member may experience respiratory diseases, allergic reactions, or Hemorrhagic fever. If your home has pest problems, you should contact a pest exterminator to get rid of them. After doing so, consider calling a plumber in Callahan, FL, to address the issue with cracked pipes to prevent future infestations.

Green Patches in the Yard

It’s a great idea to have a green landscape since it improves your home’s curb appeal. However, suppose you notice unusual stretches or patches of very green lushes in your yard. In that case, it may imply there’s something fishy underground, most likely, a leaking sewer pipe, that will need to be checked by a professional plumber.

Usually, one of the leading causes of leakages in sewer pipes is blockages, resulting in cracking or bursting of the pipe walls due to increased pressure. As a result, the grass in your yard will overgrow and become greener since the spilled underground sewer matter acts as a fertilizer. If you notice different growing patterns on your landscape, you have to look for a plumbing company to troubleshoot your underground sewer pipes. They can help you pinpoint where a crack is in the plumbing system and repair or replace it if needed.

Puddles of Septic Waste in the Yard

Pools of wastewater are a clear sign you need to call a plumber immediately. Since the sewer system is located outside, a problem with your line can easily be spotted on the lawn. If you experience some odd odors coming from the yard, you can find where the smell is coming from. Septic waste could find its way back into your beautiful yard via broken pipes, as well.

Also, pools of septic matter might be from broken septic tanks or clogged drains, and the issue needs to be solved immediately. If left unaddressed, it may result in insect infestation and severe damages that call for costly repairs. Therefore, if the unpleasant odor and the puddles of waste are persistent, you should contact a plumber to inspect the whole sewer line and locate cracks.

Bert Norman’s Plumbing, A Reliable Plumber Near You

If you’re experiencing any of the above plumbing issues, you can contact a professional plumber at Bert Norman’s Plumbing. We’re a family-owned business with over 30 years of experience providing plumbing solutions to homeowners in Callahan, FL, and the surrounding areas. We can replace your sewer line, repipe, or inspect the whole plumbing system with our customized plumbing techniques. All you need to do is to give us a call.

Common Plumbing Problems and How You Can Solve Them with Plumbing Service | Jacksonville, FL

Posted on by bertnorman

Did you know that in 2018, more than a quarter-million gallons of human waste were spilled in Jacksonville, FL? Common-Plumbing-Problems-and-How-You-Can-Solve-Them-with-Plumbing-Service-_-Jacksonville,-FL-The incidence was attributed to equipment failure and massive summer rains witnessed in the city. It is always important for you to take good care of your home’s drainage system, and luckily, here are a few tips to help you out.

Clogged Drainage Systems

Before getting to know what you could do to reverse or rehabilitate a clogged drainage system, you should know what causes it in the first place and how it may affect your homestead. You may have clogged drainage because of harmful garbage disposal practices such as flushing down synthetic fibers, including wet wipes, diapers, and cotton wool. Also, your drainage may naturally clog due to the presence of hair, oil, dirt, and soap residues, as well as accumulated grease, large food particles, and hot wax.

A clogged drainage system may have detrimental cost implications, and it generally devalues your home. For starters, you may begin noticing foul smells coming from your bathroom or experience occasional and sometimes frequent running toilets.

Possible Solutions

Solving drainage problems will take more than removing hair that’s stuck in your bathroom sink or bathtubs. However, the fact is that you’d need a plumbing service provider to help extract any synthetic fiber wastes that may have been flushed down the toilet. One way to ensure your drainage system remains unclogged is by hiring the services of a professional plumber to do frequent maintenance checks on all your pipes. They may also be able to help out with complicated plumbing issues that may occur as a result of HVAC system failure and even external drainage.

Broken Water Lines

Low-pressure water flow, especially from your showerhead, is something that should get you worried. It’s usually a telltale sign that you may have broken water lines. Other indications may be wet soil patches or even puddles in your backyard when the damage is substantial. Also, you may be getting frequent visits from plumbing service providers. If left unchecked, this could lead to a spike in your water utility bills. It may happen due to soil particles gradually settling on top of the underlying water piping system over time, thus creating pressure and eventual stress that could break the pipes.

Other factors that could increase the chances of your water lines breaking include faulty or sub-standard initial installations, damage from rodents and pests, dysfunctional tuning of pressure systems, and wear and tear.

Possible Solutions

You may call a plumbing service company the moment you spot the telltale signs mentioned above for a quick diagnosis of the problematic areas. Also, you could always ensure that when having the water systems installed, you choose a trusted professional and equally quality piping systems with favorable warranty policies, which are not susceptible to invasion by pests and rodents. The cost may be high but not higher than what you will spend on repairing a broken water line.

Backed-up Sewer Systems

Sewer backups are costly to repair, especially when they happen on a large scale. The mainly caused by clogged drainage pipes that block the outlet of waste products. The sewer system is also subject to wear and tear, hence old drainage pipes may soon malfunction and inconvenience you, your neighbors, and at other times the whole neighborhood or township.

A sewer backup is quite easy to spot. First, the repulsive smell coming from the diseased sewer line is anything but exigent. You may also notice a gurgling sound emanating from your drains and water backing up in the bathtub or shower when you flush the toilet. This does not require a plumbing service provider.

Possible Solutions

A clogged sewer is avoidable through regular cleaning of the drainage systems in-bound the sewer line, a job that any qualified plumbing service provider in Jacksonville, FL, would be willing to provide. Also, plumbers advise that people should be careful of what they flush down the toilet as it ends up in the sewer system, which may be serving more than one neighborhood. Plumbing service providers remind homeowners that replacing the system could not only be destructive but also financially draining.

How do you know that you may have a mold or mildew crisis on your hands? You may notice fuzzy white patches on your basement floors or orange films forming around your kitchen and bathroom drains. These are known as molds and can be quite problematic if left unchecked. Molds and mildew grow from accumulated spores growing on moist grounds that range from household furniture to the walls. Mold spores are quite harmless before they have found fertile ground to grow on after which they can be quite dangerous to your health. Mold and mildew infestations may result in allergies and asthma among people with compromised immunities due to other liver infections, HIV, or old age. As such, it is important to determine how they come about and consequently figure out effective plumbing maintenance measures that could prevent their occurrence, as well as, ways through which you can root out the plants after they have grown.

Molds and mildew growth depend on a few factors, including past flooding in your home. If you live in flood-prone areas, you are at a greater risk of having molds and mildew growing in your household. It may also grow due to the presence of stagnant water around your bathroom, kitchen sink, or drainage gutters. Additionally, if you have any clogged drainage or sewer systems around your homestead, you might want to get that fixed as molds and mildew thrive in such environments.

Possible Solutions

Plumbing services providers claim that molds and mildews require vigilance to prevent a full-blown infestation. The basic steps towards mitigating the growth of molds and mildew include installing dehumidifiers, ensuring that you leave your bathroom door open after a shower, and having proper ventilation in the basement if your house gets rather humid. Nevertheless, you should have a trusted plumbing service provider on speed dial for regular checks.

Get In Touch

Homeowners can take advantage of Bert Norman’s Plumbing that provides workable solutions for plumbing problems experienced in Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, and Yulee, FL. The company’s plumbers are always there for you, during after-hours in case of plumbing emergencies. Additionally, they offer plumbing services, including faucet repairs, installation of sump pumps, and water softening systems as well as plumbing inspections.

Photo By NATTHAPONG SUNTORNDECH at Shutterstock

5 Signs You Should Call for Drain Cleaning Service | Jacksonville, FL

Posted on by bertnorman

None of us normally think about the drains of our house until we run into a problem. We don’t mean to scare you but let’s be honest; there are many, many things that can go wrong with your drains. 5-Signs-You-Should-Call-for-Drain-Cleaning-Service-_-Jacksonville,-FLWhether it’s due to a rusty pipe, hard water resulting in mineral deposits in the plug of the drain or food waste, or hair or soap blocking the drain pipes, there are a number of common plumbing problems that can occur any time.

 

We’ve listed down five instances when you should call a professional drain cleaning service in the Jacksonville, FL area.

When You’re Facing Slow Drainage Problems

All of us are aware of slow drainage issues and have at least once in our lives dealt with little sink clogs. Slow drainage often indicates that the drain will clear our eventually but is unable to keep pace with the flow of water. When the water tends to build up like it does when it’s clogged and then gradually goes downs the drain, this is called slow drainage. This indicates that there might be a partial blockage in the pipeline and that you need to call a plumber for drain cleaning. If the drain is left unattended, it would eventually get blocked completely. A partially blocked pipe won’t get treated on its own. It’s a good idea to call a plumbing service and take quick action as it would be easier to cure and cost you much less now that it will later.

When You Hear Gurgling Sounds From the Drain

It’s common to hear sounds of water running down the drain. However, you’re not supposed to hear gurgling sounds when the water drains or after the water has run down the sink. In case you notice distant gurgling noises, especially when it comes along with slow drainage issues when the water pressure is high, you should contact a plumbing service immediately.

This might be the result of air in the drains, which means that a drain cleaningis due. Like in the case of a partially blocked pipe, it’s always good to act early on, than wait for it to develop into a bigger problem.

When Your Drain Keeps Clogging Constantly

Usually homes go through around one to five drain clogs each year. Most of the times, they occur due to normal usage and doesn’t indicate a serious issue. But if you’ve to face a clogged drain multiple times in a week, then raising concerns regarding it is justified. You might be facing a deeper systemic issue, and maybe dealing with structural pipe defects.

It’s possible that there’s one big clog deep in the drains that you’re unable to reach, that’s resulting in multiple smaller clogs. Usually old homes tend to have old rusting pipes that are prone to clogging. Multiple or recurrent clogs at your place is something you should pay close attention to, as they might suggest a main sewage clog, or a serious problem with broken pipes in the sewage system. A drain cleaning service can help you out of this situation, as they’re trained and better equipped to handle these issues.

When You Notice Sewage Smells from the Drain

Sewer smells coming up out from the drains is a red flag for you. The sewage smells filling your place is usually due to three main reasons

Dormant Sewage Water Accumulation in the Pipes

It can happen that the dirty water that was meant to get washed away might be backing up instead. Stagnant sewer water lying in the pipeline would result in sewage smells. In general, the drainage system makes sure that the smells are taken away when the waste water and its contents flow down the drain. When the drains start backing up and holds stagnant waste water, the sewer smell indicates that you should call for a drain cleaning plumberand let them handle the situation for you.

Loose or Missing Caps or Plugs of the Drain Pipe

In case the caps or plugs of the drain line are not tightened up properly, it could cause the sewer to smell. Loosely fitted caps or plugs on a trap or clean-out would let out sewage gasses in the air. These sewage trap caps and plugs won’t cost you a hefty amount, so let a drain cleaning plumberhelp you get rid of that filthy smell.

Dried Out Sewage Trap or Drain Trap

The most unlikely reason for a sewage smell is when there’s a lightly used plumbing fixture anywhere in the building. The dried out trap might lose its water barrier, which allows sewage gasses to get through. Luckily, this problem can be solved easily on your own. Just pour a little water in the dried out drain or trap so that the water barrier falls back in its place. If that doesn’t work, call a plumber to sort it out.

When the Drains Start Backing Up

The worst thing that you’d have to face when it comes to plumbing is backed up drains. Unfortunately, it isn’t always clean slightly-used water that backs up the drains. When the drains start to back up, you might see a pool of water forming around the drain. As a result of a bad clog it would gradually try to push water back up in the drain.

Running your taps won’t be of any help as that water wouldn’t drain either. Keep in mind that water seeks its own level. That means that low lying drains might not be actually clogged but would have water back out of them first. The only way to deal with this situation is to let a professional plumber for drain cleaning in the Jacksonville, FL area handle it.

Conclusion

When you’re faced with any of these situations, you contact Bert Norman’s Plumbing in the Jacksonville, FL area tohelp fix the problem. Bert Norman’s Plumbing is one of the best drain cleaning services in the Jacksonville, FL area. We’ve trained professionals who are available for services 24/7. Contact us at (904) 225-5888.

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