Drain Line Installation & Repair

Usually drains are clogged because people are not careful of what they put in them. The kitchen sink is the worst place – all kinds of solid foods and grease make their way down the drain. The bathroom is bad too; hair, dental floss, oil residue from soap and shampoo can create nasty clogs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We recommend that you be extremely vigilant about what you put down your drains and treat them regularly with a drain cleaner.

Yes. Most slowly draining kitchen sinks are due to a buildup of food products, soap scum, grease and hair. Using a plunger can compact the clog and just make it worse. Over-the-counter drain cleaning liquids can burn your skin or damage pipes and sinks. Call Griswold Plumbing for these kinds of situations. We’ll remove the clog quickly and efficiently without any harm to your sink, pipes or kitchen.

No. Hot liquid grease may seem to pour easily down the drain, but once it enters the cold pipes within, it hardens or puts a slick film on the inside of the pipes. After a while this film collects, thickens and restricts water flow…much like cholesterol does in your arteries. If enough accumulates it can completely block your drain.

The toilet should not be used as an all-purpose disposal device. Technically, you shouldn’t flush anything down the toilet, other than human waste and toilet paper. Do not flush the following:

• Baby wipes, napkins, facial tissue or paper towels. They may flush OK for a while; but they won’t dissolve in water like toilet paper, and they can easily cause clogs.
• Sanitary products or diapers.
• Q-tips, cotton balls or dental floss
• Hair
• Food scraps – that is what garbage disposals are for.
• Small toys

Tree and shrub roots require oxygen and water to grow. During drought conditions and in the winter, thirsty roots will travel long distances in search of moisture and oxygen. Often they follow the trail of moisture vapors escaping from small cracks, holes, or poorly sealed joints in water and sewer lines. The roots penetrate the opening to reach the nutrients and moisture inside the pipes.

Some pipe materials are more susceptible to root invasion than others. Clay tile pipe is the most easily penetrated. Concrete pipe may also allow root intrusion, but to a lesser extent. PVC pipe usually has fewer joints and the tightly fitted joints are less likely to leak as a result of settlement around the pipe.

If left undisturbed, the roots will completely fill the pipe with hair-like root masses. The root masses quickly become clogged with toilet tissue, grease and other debris flowing from your home to the main sewer. A complete blockage may occur if the roots are not removed and enough waste material accumulates.

Once roots have entered the pipe, they continue to grow and expand, exerting considerable pressure at the crack or joint. This increased pressure can cause the pipe to break or collapse, in which case it will need to be repaired or completely replaced.

If roots have entered your pipes, Griswold Plumbing can remove the roots without tearing up your yard. And we can apply a compound which prevents future root growth. This compound will kill only the roots growing in the pipes and will not affect the rest of your tree’s root system.

Proper preventative maintenance should include clearing out the drain on a regular basis. Your Griswold Plumbing sewer and water line technician can recommend the proper maintenance schedule as well as any chemicals which might be placed in the drain system so as to prevent the roots from entering your pipes.