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Drain Plumbing
You'd be amazed at just how many drainpipes we have in our home – for wastewater, sewage and even more, drain plumbing can be complicated at times, but it's also something we never really think about! Just like some homes have over 2500 ft of wiring, you'd be amazed at just how many drains and pipes we need to ensure that everything is running smoothly and that water and toilet waste can drain away cleanly.
Today, drain plumbing is usually only ever a problem if you experience a blockage. In 80% of problems, usually it's a problem which can be localized to the interior of the property, and most of them – can usually be localized to a sink, dishwasher or toilet. The secret to avoiding problems with drain plumbing is to ensure that you remember that drains are for water, and not for waste!
However, blockages do happen and overtime what is a minor blockage in a drain can turn into a major blockage that eventually gets to be 6 inches thick! It sounds impossible, but water has a way of getting through most blockages, and the only time we realize it's bad is when the water can't get through any more. Typically the only solution is to force the blockage out of the drain or to use chemicals in an attempt to break the blockage down.
It has to be said however, drain plumbing is usually rarely to blame. Many people still believe that they don't need to clean drains, and while it's true they are very low maintenance, running hot water through your drains regularly, and keeping an eye on drainage will help to ensure that if you know the difference between a totally unblocked drain and a partially blocked one.
Drain care is the best way to ensure that you have no problems with your drain plumbing. When problems do strike however, the only thing you can do is locate the problem and try and fix it. Usually the only things we can do is to call a plumber when we have a major blockage that won't shift. Despite the fact that most drain blockages happen at the appliance, they do very rarely occur in a place where we can't fix it.
Fixing these problems usually involves either using a CCTV fibre optic camera to find the blockage and then removing it, or using high pressured water jets to force the blockage out the other end. In the UK we're often stuck with old and outdated drain plumbing which means often if you're exposed to blocked drains regularly, you may be forced to replace old cast iron pipes with modern plastic ones.
Ultimately, drain plumbing is something that's never really an issue in modern properties, but in older buildings continues to serve as an annoyance. With copper pipes, cast iron and even lead pipes being used in older buildings, often the only solution is to remove the old piping and replace it with newer, plastic pipes.
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