Plumbing is a concept that dates back to the Roman days, when lead-coated pipes were used to carry water and sewage alike. In fact, the modern term “plumbing” comes from the Latin term for lead, reflected in lead’s atomic symbol “Pb” on the periodic table. Modern plumbing and sewer repair is more advanced than anything than the Romans had, however, and cutting-edge methods may be used to repair, replace, or simply clean out pipes, such as zero dig lining. Camera inspections, epoxy solutions, and more make zero dig lining or “trenchless” sewer repair possible, and septic systems may also get their own repair or cleaning services done. What is there to know about sewage clogs and problems, and how might zero dig lining fix it all?
Sewer and Septic Messes
This topic begins with what goes wrong with a septic system or a sewer pipe. A sewer pipe must be clear so that sewage may flow freely, of course, but obstructions may appear. Flushing non-soluble items such as tobacco, baby diapers, moisturized hand towels, and more may cause clogs in the system, because unlike toilet paper, they don’t easily break down to maintain water flow. What is more, tree roots may intrude into the pipe and clog it, and they must be cleared out. On top of that, some homeowners pour fats and oils down the kitchen sink, but such organic matter may coat the pipe’s inner surface and harden into a plaster-like material. This may build up over time as more materials are flushed down, and that can cause some clogs.
A septic system may suffer, too. Here again, flushing in the wrong materials may clog the hardware, since those materials won’t break down like the system expects them to. What is more, the filter between the septic tank and the pipes may get clogged and not allow water flow. Meanwhile, the pipes further in the septic system may get coated with detritus and choke the water flow. In other cases, vehicles might be driven over the drainage field, which compresses the loose soil and gravel so much that water can’t flow through like it’s supposed to. Fortunately, sewage problems such as these can be fixed when plumbers are called onto the scene. Septic tanks can be replaced, and non invasive zero dig lining may be used to fix a sewer main.
What Plumbers Can Do
A homeowner won’t have the skills or tools needed for sewer repair such as zero dig lining, but plumbers will, and a homeowner may look up local plumbers online. A good plumber company will have its own website that a homeowner may visit, and the guest may find articles, videos, and photos showcasing the company’s work, as well as customer reviews and contact information. An employee may choose among several different plumbing companies and hire one for the job.
Plumbers have more than one way to deal with a clogged sewer. The traditional method is to simply dig up the affected sewer pipe, open it, and remove the clogs found inside. Crews can remove tree roots and built-up fats or other waste inside, and they might even replace the pipe if need be. Plumbers will of course shut down the sewage beforehand, so there isn’t an excess of water and waste during work. This may sometimes be done, but some homeowners don’t like the idea of their lawn being torn up to expose a pipe. Instead, zero dig lining may be done if so preferred.
This method won’t dig up the pipe at all. Instead, plumbers insert a camera on a flexible tube to find and diagnose the clog, then insert the right tools down in the pipe to destroy tree roots and break down clogs. Once that is done, the crews will install an epoxy coating inside the pipe (without digging it up), and another tube, an inflatable one, will be inserted and expand to help coat that epoxy to the pipe’s inner surface. The epoxy is allowed to harden and dry, and this makes for a clear pipe that is also leak-resistant. This can repair a pipe without having to dig it up and replace it entirely.
