If an unpleasant odor appears in the apartment, and the water does not pass through the drain hole well, it is time to start preventing sewage blockages. To do this, it is necessary to determine the place where the traffic jam has formed, as well as the reason for what is happening. This will help in the future to be more attentive to plumbing devices and how they are used. You may have to redo the sewage system, but such cases happen in private houses where the installation was not carried out according to the rules.
The main causes of clogged sewer pipes
Traffic jams are most common in the bathroom or kitchen. In the first case, the cause is hair getting into the siphon. If one of the tenants has a habit of doing manicure and pedicure in the bathroom, then the blockages will be repeated often. In the kitchen pipes, a layer of fat builds up on the walls. It gradually increases and runoff problems begin. When washing greasy dishes with cool water, for reasons of economy, it is periodically necessary to use agents that remove waste from the walls of the pipes.
When the waste decomposes, hydrogen sulfide is released, which is produced by anaerobic bacteria, you can get respiratory diseases or allergies.
Another common cause of blockage is a blockage in the pipe that drains water away from the washing machine. Over the years, fabric lint accumulates in the siphon and the machine cannot push out the water after washing. After that, the electronics generates an error and the device turns off.
To properly flush the sewer pipes, you need to understand the reasons that cause the blockage.
Clogging of pipes during operation
The operational blockage develops gradually. Approximately once every two months, a blockage can be observed, after cleaning which the devices work again normally. This is mainly the case in the kitchen, where grease enters the pipe and accumulates. The same thing happens in the bathroom and shower.
In the course of long-term operation of the city sewer system, a plug of mineral deposits may occur. For example - iron oxide, which is rich in local water. If you inspect such a pipe, it turns out that there is practically no room for fluid flow. The whole place is occupied by minerals of bronze or white color.
In the general sewage system of a multi-storey building, organic residues accumulate in the process of work - feces, protein compounds.
Technological problems of sewer pipes
Process blockage is a more serious problem as it will be repeated frequently. The reason is the improper arrangement of the sewage system in a private house (and sometimes in a high-rise one). The angles at which the pipes are connected are of great importance. To determine if this is the reason, you need to look at the engineering plan for laying the pipes. If this is not the case, you need to call the masters and consult on what to do. Most likely, you will have to redo the joints.
If plugs are formed within 2 - 3 weeks after the next cleaning, there is little time for an operational blockage to occur. Consequently, waste accumulates somewhere along the highway, because they cannot overcome a turn of 90 degrees or less.Most often, a technological problem arises at the junction of the internal and external sewerage systems, as well as at the entrance to the septic tank. First you need to inspect these places so as not to dig up the entire site in vain.
If the slope rule was not observed during the installation of the sewage system - 2 cm for each linear meter of the line, the water flow will be slow and will not be able to wash off the blockage in a natural way.
Another technological problem is the freezing of pipes in winter. If the climate is cold and the pipes were not additionally insulated, a piece of ice forms inside the pipe. This is also dangerous in that the ice can damage the plastic, simply breaking it.
Mechanical blockage
Occurs when a large object enters the sewer system, such as used diapers. Young children often experiment by throwing small toys in the sink or bathroom.
Why is the blockage of pipes dangerous?
The biggest problem is the flood in the apartment. Financial investments in renovations can disappear in an instant if dirty water rushes out of the bathroom or toilet. If such a mixture hits the ceiling, the neighbors will have to pay for two repairs.
Worse, when, due to sloppy neighbors upstairs, the flood begins at the tenants on the first floor. A large object, flushed down the toilet, descends with sewage to the first floor and clogs the riser. The apartment downstairs suffers first, then on the second floor, if the emergency team is not called in time.
Determining the location of the blockage
- near the siphon, knee;
- near the central riser;
- at a distance of 50 - 60 cm to the joint with a common pipe.
In a private house, the outlet of the internal sewage system is clogged. If the siphon is clogged, the water will start pouring back out after a couple of seconds. If the problem is in the farther pipes, it will take a few minutes before water starts to drain into the sink.
When the central riser is blocked, water rises simultaneously in all plumbing devices and in the toilet.
An unpleasant smell can be heard if the blockage is located near the sinks or bathroom, the smell does not reach the house from distant pipes.
Technicians use devices with a camera at the end to see on the computer screen exactly where the problem is. This option is preferable if the sewer wiring has a complex structure and you do not want to disassemble it. In winter, digging up street sewers is also problematic. It is possible to clean the sewer system in order to eliminate blockages only after detecting a plug in the pipe. To find the means for cleaning, you need to find out what the obstacle consists of, and then act.
Cleaning methods
Ways to remove blockages in the sink:
- Chemicals are strong alkalis or acids. They come in powder or liquid. Suitable for prevention, but not effective for serious problems. They are expensive, but in most cases the problem is not solved or solved for a short time.
- Mechanical methods, for example, a plumbing cable with a nozzle at the end. There are manual and electric ones. The flexible hose penetrates into the pipe at any distance. When rotating, it breaks up organic deposits on the walls, so the effect after such cleaning lasts a long time. After the cable, you can pour a bucket of hot water into the system to rinse off the remaining grease.
- Hydrodynamic method. Based on the use of high pressure hot water, the temperature of which reaches 120 degrees.
- Manual method. It implies the use of a plunger, wire. Helps temporarily with minor blockages. If the riser is clogged, the plunger will be ineffective, since it will not be able to create the required pressure in the pipe.
Before using one of the methods, it is important to correctly diagnose the cause of the congestion.If these are old pipes, they can be mechanically damaged even more and provoke the outpouring of sewer drains, the elimination of which will cost a round sum.
Flat
When the sink is clogged in the kitchen, chemicals or folk remedies are used. First, you can try to remove the fat plug with boiling water and baking soda:
- Pour a glass of baking soda into the hole in the sink and pour boiling water over it. Leave on for 8 hours. Top up with hot water periodically.
- After cleaning, flush the pipe again.
Baking soda with vinegar works in a similar way, but faster. You may need a whole bag of baking soda and a bottle of vinegar.
Acid granules are also poured with boiling water. In cold water, they stick together and form a solid, therefore, while it dissolves, a little hot liquid is added. After cleaning, you need to turn on the tap at full power. The flowing water should form a vortex, which means a successful outcome of the event.
It is necessary to use the plunger competently, as experienced plumbers say. First, you need to close all the drain holes in the plumbing fixtures to create a vacuum in the system. Then attach the rubber to the clogged drain and try to pump it several times. The forward movement of the water will break the clot and push it along the pipe into the main riser.
In extreme cases, specialists with a hydraulic installation will help to resolve the issue with the sewage system in the apartment, which will create increased pressure and eliminate the problem within five minutes. This method is used in case of serious malfunctions, so that the cork does not sink below and does not block the main sewer pipe. If the water pressure in the house is weak, it will be difficult to drain from the toilet bowls. Periodically, you need to call the emergency team and do the prevention of traffic jams.
A private house
You need a mini camera or radical measures - a long cable with a nozzle, a hydraulic installation or, in extreme cases, a vacuum cleaner turned on for blowing. Before the event, you need to clean the septic tank, if it is full, then the waste will be easier to eliminate with air.
If the water contains carbonates - lime components, they will be deposited on the pipe walls. Metal communications are most susceptible. Plastic does not attract lime.
Ways to eliminate small blockages in a private house are the same as in an apartment. If it is not known exactly where the debris is, use a cable. When entering the pipe, it moves freely. When it rests against a traffic jam, tension is felt. Thus, by the length of the cable, the master can approximately determine where the problem area is and what it is connected with.
Which way to choose
If there is a flexible plumbing cable in the house, it is also used independently. It helps you troubleshoot more serious problems. For example, if a child flushes a stuffed toy or ball down the toilet. With a nozzle, it is pushed into the main riser, the width of which is larger than the liner to the toilet. Then he will go down the slope into the septic tank.
It is necessary to call a team of repairmen in cases when the main riser in a private or multi-storey building is clogged and there is a high probability of flooding of several apartments connected to this drain.
The cost of cleaning sewer pipes
Calling specialists to clean pipes is a serious undertaking that requires financial costs. ZhEKs are reluctant to undertake such work, since they do not have professional equipment. We have to contact private structures that fix the problem within 2 hours, taking into account the arrival.
Usually, private offices do not only clean pipes, they also change plumbing, lay turnkey sewers, install electrical heating devices and connect them to plumbing. The more types of services a company provides, the cheaper the work of professionals will be. The price range for the elimination of sewage blockages is from 1500 to 4000 rubles.
