Water! Water! Everywhere in Ridgewood, NY; Hair Clogged Drain, Plumbing Vent Pipe, Corrosion & More

Back in the late 50’s and early 60’s they had adds for a nationally known drain cleaning service that would use a powered snake with a cutter on the end. The snake was jammed down the offending drain and broke up the clog and things would be good. Back then cast iron was the drainpipe material of choice. The allowed the whirling blades to cut through the muck with little or no concern for the pipe. Today though, that won’t happen. Too many of our drains are made of plastics, at least in new construction, and in many situations if deteriorating cast iron need replacement most repairs are done in plastic. Plastic is good. It is easy to work with and comparatively cheap. Most plastic drainage materials are PVC, as ABS though good, doesn’t hold up as well.

Hair Clogged Drain

Hair is the primary culprit to backed up drains in showers, tubs and sinks. We shed our hair and it gets into the drains. It is light and if it finds a home within your drains it will trap other solids and you have the beginnings of a clog. As more hair and solids accumulate they eventually shut down the drain. Many clogs occur in the sink’s trap. Any turn with a 90-degree joint is a potential point for a clog to develop. That is why so many drain fittings have large radius turns and where two pipes connect, they do so at an extended radius or a flattened angle. Sanitary tees connects to the ventilation subsystem of the drains.

Plumbing Vent Pipe to Outside of House

As water flows through a pipe, and if it fills the pipe, gravity pulling the water down, but a vacuum is created behind the flow liquids. Problem is if the flow is too slow, solids drop out of the liquid creating a potential for eventual stoppage. So, plumbing is vented to the outside air allowing the air to fill any vacuum created by water flow and facilitating the downward flow to proceed without any back vacuum slowing it down. In the typical structure the pipes that stick through the roof are plumbing vents for the most part. Venting rarely gets plugged, but condensation can accumulate in the vents, as such any horizontal runs are done at a slight angle so that the condensed water flow down into the drain.

Corrosion on Copper, Cast Iron & Steel Plumbing Pipes

Much of the older original plumbing consists of cast iron or steel. But a lot of this may have reached the end of their life span. Water and iron and steel are not good playmates. The primary hoodlum is corrosion, and the piping eventually corrodes to point of failure. But a lot happens as where there is corrosion this area becomes a potential trap to drain debris.

Plumbing Drain & Sewer Plumbing Inspection

Today technology has given us the TV. But with monitors for computers and flat screen TV’s the plumbing technician is armed with his own array of gadgets. Flexible fiber optics or copper cabling allows for a small video camera with an array of LED lights to be inserted into a drain for a visual inspection of any problems. The acuity is high enough that details are captured for the technician to render a diagnosis and allows for an accurate assessment for doing job appraisals. Many of these machines have counters that will provide a readout of the length of cable inserted and a reasonably precise approximation within a couple of feet, will tell how far in the obstruction is.

Cleaning & Unclogging Drain Pipes & Sewer Lines in Staten Island, Maspeth, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Yonkers, Queens, NYC Boroughs, New York City NY

Technology seems to be encroaching in areas of human endeavor. Plumbing is benefiting from many technological innovations. The Original $49.95 Plumber can handle all your plumbing needs. Contact us today!

Call Now Button