Everything You Need To Know About Drain Leaks | Deerfield Beach, FL

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Most homeowners don’t think a whole lot about what they’re putting down their drains, which can result in some pretty bad problems. One of the worst problems you can have at your home is a drain leak, which can cause water damage and flood your yard with dirty water. The good news is, there are ways to prevent drain leaks and spot them before they’re a major problem. If you want to know more about keeping your drains from leaking, we’ve got you covered.

Drain Cleaners

One of the first things you need to know about when it comes to drain leaks is how drain cleaners can affect your drains. Most people use a drain cleaner like Drano that uses harsh chemicals to unclog drains. These drain cleaners do a fairly good job of removing clogs, but they can cause a lot of damage with certain types of pipe.

If your pipes are old and corroded, Drano may cause further corrosion that leads to pipe damage to the point that the pipes leak. The reactions caused by Drano create heat which can cause a lot of problems with your drain pipes, especially if you have certain types of pipes. The best way to prevent this from happening is to use an enzyme-based drain cleaner that eats away at clogs without actually causing a reaction or creating heat. These enzyme-based cleaners are recommended by most plumbers, and they’re a great way to remove small clogs and blockages without damaging drain pipes.

Clogged Drains

Oftentimes, drain leaks occur as a result of a drain that you let get too clogged over time. A drain clog isn’t a huge deal if it’s simply slowing down the draining of water a bit, but bad clogs that completely block your sink are a different story. This is why one of the most important things you can do as a Deerfield Beach, FL, homeowner is make sure you aren’t putting things down your drains that are known to cause clogs.

Bathroom sink and shower clogs are usually caused by hair and soap scum from shaving and showering. The best way to prevent this is to either shave somewhere else or install a drain catch so the hair and soap don’t go directly down the drain. Still, you’ll have to empty the drain catch regularly.

Toilet clogs can be caused by tons of different things. You might think a toilet drain could handle pretty much anything, but the truth is you’re only supposed to put toilet paper down there. If you’re currently flushing things like cotton swabs or “flushable” wipes, your chances of running into drain leaks are much higher.

Kitchen sinks are another common spot for clogs because people often misuse garbage disposals. Just because you have a garbage disposal doesn’t mean you can throw everything in it. The best thing you can do if you want to prevent kitchen sink clogs and keep your disposal in good shape is put as much solid food as possible in the garbage.

Roots

Another thing you have to know about when it comes to drain leaks is how roots affect your plumbing system. Every year, homeowners across the country have to deal with roots growing into their drain pipes and causing leaks. The good news is, drain leaks caused by roots aren’t the biggest problem in the world, and you have a few different options when it comes to fixing them.

For starters, you have to understand that roots will only grow into your drain pipes if they’re already leaking a little bit. When the drain pipe leaks nutrient-rich wastewater into the ground, the roots sense it and start to grow toward it. Eventually, they find their way into your pipes and cause further damage to the pipe.

While some people will tell you to replace your sewer line if you’ve got roots growing into it, that’s not necessarily something you have to do. A lot of homeowners opt to have the roots cut out of the pipe and a solution added to the pipes to help prevent the growth of roots in the future. While this is a temporary measure in some ways, it’s far cheaper and often just as effective as having a new sewer line installed.

Fixing Drain Leaks

The reason it’s so important to take good care of your drains and keep an eye out for leaks is because these leaks can be a huge inconvenience. The water in your drains is much dirty than the water that comes through a water line, which means you don’t want to be exposed to it. On top of that, drain leaks can cause a significant amount of water damage depending on where they occur in your home. A leaking bathroom or kitchen sink drain can leave you with structural damage that costs a lot of money to repair.

If you ever suspect you have a drain leak, you should call a plumber right away. An expert can scope out your drains to look for leaks and fix them if they find them. Remember, the sooner you figure out where a leak is and get it fixed, the more money you’ll save.