In plumbing as in health, prevention is often the best medicine. Keeping tabs on your plumbing and sewer line systems will help keep your commercial properties and operations running smoothly.
The U.S. sewer infrastructure is rapidly aging, and there are few emergencies more irritating than sewer emergencies. That’s why every owner should know how to identify some of the telltale signs of sewage backup or malfunction. Don’t hesitate to call in the nearest sewer line repair Tampa has to offer at the first sign of trouble. Not only can they help you diagnose the problem, but they’ll be able to make any necessary fixes and adjustments — which might end up saving you a fortune compared to a messy sewage break down the road.
Use your senses when it comes to sewer maintenance. Here are a few key signs something might be wrong with your pipes:
- You can see it. When you’re running water in one part of the room, be on the lookout for water rising in other fixtures that aren’t currently in use. You might see the toilet water rise while you’re running the tub, for example, or bubbling up from the kitchen sink while the dishwasher is on. This kind of backflow in plumbing likely stems from one of two problems: back pressure or back-siphonage. Neither is a good sign.
- You can hear it. The same holds true for those gurgling noises — they come from one pipe while something else is in use. These are all signs that you have a backup problem ready to burst, so be sure to call in a commercial plumbing company for sewer line inspections before things get out of hand.
- You can smell it. This one is as self-explanatory as it is important. The sudden appearance of a pungent sewage odor in your yard, often along with unusually wet spots on areas of the lawn that run over sewer lines, means you need the fastest sewer line repair Tampa can provide. And if the sewage smell is inside your home or commercial building, that’s an even bigger problem, as dangerous gasses could be flowing up through your drains.
Bottom line: if your sewer system is more than 40 years old, it’s likely already in need of replacing. But age isn’t the only factor here. Some 36,000 residential and commercial sewer overflows happen every year in the U.S., and 47% of them are due to fat and oil buildups. Whether you’re running a restaurant or a residential apartment building, keep a close eye on your sewer lines.
