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Homeowners Can Prevent Outdoor Clogs with Three Easy Measures
The home's plumbing system extends to more than the sink and toilet; it also relates to any outdoor fixture that uses water. Pool pumps, hot tubs, and sprinklers rely on adequate water flow and supply to meet the home's needs. Yet, an outdoor clog can quickly turn a well-functioning system into one that works poorly – or not at all.
Thankfully, there are three things homeowners can do to keep outdoor clogs from turning into huge issues. This includes understanding how the home's plumbing system works, how outdoor clogs happen, and how a professional could address them.
Regularly Inspect These Outdoor Plumbing Fixtures
Homeowners have to be vigilant about clogs. This means regularly inspecting the pipes both indoors and outdoors for certain issues. Some of these pipes may extend to:
- Pools: Pools rely on pumps to filter debris and keep the water clean. It also supplies the water with oxygen, decreasing how much bacteria accumulate.
- Sprinklers: Sprinklers are low to the ground, making them ripe for clogs. For instance, if mud builds up around the nozzle, it can create blockages inside the piping system itself.
- Fountains: Leaves, sticks, and moss build-up can prevent water from flowing in and out of the system.
Homeowners should also inspect outdoor showers, hot tubs, and hoses for blockages. They can do this by turning on the devices and gauging the water pressure. This could indicate a clog if the water pressure is low (or water doesn't travel through the system).
Understand How Outdoor Clogs Form
The Valley Sanitation District notes that Colorado homeowners should remember this acronym: FOG when avoiding clogs. This means keeping pipes, drains, and faucets clear of fat, oil, and grease. These substances can congeal and create hard-to-remove clogs in indoor and outdoor plumbing systems. For instance, if one uses too much pool cleaner in their pool, it could obstruct the system.
Outdoor clogs can also form when:
- Mud, dirt, and gravel build up inside a pipe. This is especially common during the rainy season, when these materials can mix and bind together.
- Moss and plant material grow inside a pipe with stagnant water (or doesn't drain all the way).
- Animals and insects get trapped inside the plumbing system. For instance, a frog may try to lay its eggs if water collects inside a rain gutter.
- A pipe rusts. This can compromise the pipe's coating and cause sediment to collect inside the system.
If there's one thing homeowners need to know about clogs, it's this: drain cleaner should be avoided at all costs. While TV commercials advertise drain cleaner as a foolproof method of removing clogs, they can do more harm than good. Over time, over-the-counter drain clear can wear away at a pipe's insides, leading to potential complications in the future.
Schedule Regular Visits with Plumbing Professionals
Monitoring a home's plumbing system only goes so far when trying to prevent outdoor and underground pipe clogs. There comes a time when an expert's knowledge is necessary. To clear a pipe clog, a plumber may use:
- Hydro-jetting: This is when a plumber uses extreme water pressure to clear away or break down clogs deep within the plumbing system.
- A drain snake: A drain snake is an elongated tool that coils around a clog and then pulls it out. Some drain snakes even come with cameras, allowing plumbers to see the clog up close and personal.
- Pipe removal: A plumber may remove a section of pipe and remove the clog by hand. They may locate an obstruction using a magnet on a clogged pipe or a specialized tool that uses soundwaves.
About Benjamin BL Plumbing
Benjamin BL Plumbing is a locally trusted veteran-owned plumbing company in Austin, TX. Their licensed technicians offer flat-rate pricing and same-day service, and always clean up after the service is finished. Call BenjaminBL Plumbing today for more about their commercial and residential sewer line repair services in Austin.
