It's a terrible feeling to hop into the shower, turn the water on, and see a slow trickle dribble out of the shower head. It's even worse when you try to rinse the soap from your body or shampoo from your hair and have to scrub vigorously to get it all out. Drain technicians refer to this phenomenon as low flow; homeowners might call it low water pressure or a major inconvenience. There are several ways to fix this problem. While most require the aid of a technician, all of them will guarantee an invigorating shower and a strong torrent of water from every faucet.
If you notice low pressure from only one faucet or shower, the problem is most likely mineral buildup in the aerator-- that little screen covering the end of the faucet. It's easy to remove. Once you've unscrewed it, check to see if the water pressure improves. If it does, all you need to do is give the aerator a thorough cleaning and put it back on. If the pressure is still low, the problem is farther down the pipes.
If the problem lies with multiple faucets, there may be mineral buildup in the pipes that restricts the flow of water. Over time, those deposits can collect to the point that only a trickle of water can flow through the pipes. This is where a professional Drain King technicians can help you. If it's just mineral buildup, the pipes can be water-jetted and easily cleared. If the pipes are rusty or have rusted through in spots, they will likely have to be replaced. This is especially true in older homes. If the flow problem is not caused by buildup of pipe gunk, there may be a leak or an obstruction farther down the line that is preventing maximum water flow. This is also a job for a licensed plumber.
Some pressure issues can cause low water flow indoors. The city may be delivering water at a pressure lower than 40 psi or, if you've recently done some plumbing repairs, the shutoff valves may not have been fully reopened. Both of these situations can be tested by checking the water pressure with a pressure gauge, sold at most hardware stores. Reopening a shutoff valve is easy; convincing the city to boost water pressure is not. You may need to install a pressure booster inside your house, but this can require city permits and inspections, so it's best left to a professional plumber.
Another common pressure issue lies with the pressure regulator. When a pressure regulator fails, it can either send huge amounts of water indoors or decrease the flow to practically nothing. Luckily, it is easy for a plumber to replace, and in no time, you'll be back to the perfect water pressure and rate of flow that makes for the happiest (and cleanest!) of showers.
A septic system is a catch basin for all the solid and liquid waste that is collected from a home’s drains and toilets. Each time you wash your hands at the bathroom sink, wash dishes in your kitchen sink, take a shower, or flush the toilet, wastewater drains from your house into a tank that makes up a septic system. For houses that are not serviced by public sewers, homeowners must install a septic system to trap, treat, and dispose of wastewater.
Septic systems must be well-maintained in order to function properly and to provide reliable service for years to come. Poorly functioning systems can cause property damage, pollution, and even disease. Though a significant financial investment, a well-constructed system is a necessity for any homeowner or property owner, especially if he plans to sell his home in the future.
Main Parts of a Septic System
A typical septic system consists of three parts.
The tank or septic tankIn a typical home, a septic tank may be constructed of concrete or steel and can hold about 1,000 gallons of water. It is buried near the home, and wastewater drains into and collects within it. There are three layers in a typical septic tank. The first is the scum layer, composed of anything that floats. The bottom layer is called the sludge layer, where waste that is heavier than water sinks. The middle layer may look fairly clear, but this is where bacteria and toxic chemicals reside.
The drainfieldThe liquid or middle layer of the septic tank contents flow to the drainfield. As new wastewater enters the septic tank from the house, old water is released through a series of perforated pipes that are typically 4 inches in diameter. These pipes are buried in a trench 4 to 6 feet deep and filled with gravel.
The soilThe drainfield drains into soil below. Wastewater that drains into the soil is treated by microorganisms then seeps through the ground and into surface water. The soil must be made of an even mixture of clay and gravel in order to treat wastewater effectively.
Putting it all Together
As wastewater leaves the sink, toilet, or shower stall, it passes through a series of pipes that drain to the septic tank. This wastewater flows into the tank and forces the water that has been collected there out into the drainfield. Feces flushed from the toilet will sink in the tank, while the liquid part will drain into the drainfield. Gravity pretty much does all the work in a typical sewage system. Toxic gases are released, as organic material is broken down. These gases pass from the tank through a vent pipe that reaches up to the roof of a house.
Septic-tank maintenance includes collecting the sludge that has accumulated in the bottom of the tank and checking on the function of the drain field pipes and pipes that run from the home’s drains to the septic tank. A professional contractor should do this periodically.
If you are involved in a food business such as a restaurant, café, or hotel, you are probably aware that you have to prevent grease from entering the sewer system after exiting your establishment’s sink and drainage. By law, all commercial kitchen areas in the U.S. are required to have grease traps installed to prevent this from happening.
A grease trap, also known as a grease interceptor, is part of the plumbing structure designed to prevent grease and other food-waste materials from entering a septic system or sewer. Without it, grease and oily substances will congeal, form a solid mass, and cause blockage, which may lead to burst pipes. Damages caused by grease blockage can be very costly and taxing. That is why law requires installations of grease traps in establishments where a huge amount of grease is used.
Different types of grease traps are available, depending on how your business operates. These include single-tank traps, double-walled tanks, solid interceptors, oil-water separators, and above-ground interceptors. There are slight differences in how each type works, but they all perform the same basic function, to separate fat, oil and grease from water and solid-food waste. Imagine taking a pail of cold water and pouring in oil. The oil will float to the top of the pail and solidify.
This is how a grease trap works. From the drain, it captures the untreated water (water with grease, oil and other solid-food wastes) and deposits it into the grease-trap tank. This tank acts as a reservoir and holds the wastewater and food that passes through the trap. Solid-food wastes, being the heaviest, drop to the bottom. As the greasy substances harden, they float to the top of the tank, displacing the liquid at the middle. A tube fitting is attached to the tank, allowing the liquid to flow into the sewer or sanitary system. Some grease traps are designed to have a second tank to trap additional grease that may have escaped through the first tank, and the same process is repeated.
Like any other equipment, grease traps need to be properly cleaned out so they work as intended. Over time, it is possible to develop clogs in the flowing line (both ingoing and outgoing) and crossover tube, even if the grease-trap tank is not full.
If you have any technical issues with your grease interceptor, contact the manufacturer or hire a Drain King professional to test for and repair any malfunctions. Alternatively, a full grease trap is no longer capable of filtering any grease or solid food. You can either call the manufacturer or hire us to empty the contents of the tank and restore its operative capacity.
Common grease-trap maintenance expenses include drain snaking, power jetting, and line jetting. Maintenance is needed when plumbing between the drain, grease traps, or sewer gets blocked with grease deposits. These deposits are removed by forcing water down the pipes with high pressure to push the grease out with power-jetting or line-jetting procedures.
Let's talk about inflammable waste traps. They are a part of your sewer septic system, designed to intercept and trap inflammable materials so they don't flow into sewer lines, creating a dangerous, explosive mixture. These materials are held in a large, leak-proof steel basin. Sediment settles, and inflammable waste rises, so the leftover wastewater can be safely discharged to a sewer-treatment facility. From time to time, the inflammable waste buildup needs to be safely removed and disposed of, and that's when Drain King can help.
So what is inflammable waste? Since inflammable means "capable of being set on fire," it could be matter in any of its forms ‑ solid, liquid, or gas (vapor). It can be the by-product of a manufacturing process or a discarded commercial product. Examples include, but are not limited to: waste ethanol, methanol, hexane, acetic acid, acetone, motor oil, paints and solvents, aerosols, and cleaning agents. Inflammable waste is characterized by its flash point (the lowest temperature at which a particular organic compound gives off sufficient vapor to ignite in air) of less than 60 C (140 F).
Great care needs to be taken when handling such volatile compounds, to prevent the risk of explosion and/or environmental contamination. In the early 1900s, long before such contaminants were regulated, serious explosions were a regular problem for industrial cities like Pittsburgh, Boston, and New York. In a single year, these three cities suffered six explosions caused by gasoline vapor, resulting in many deaths and severe injuries, as well as physical damage to the sewer lines, buildings, and streets.
Inflammable waste traps may be installed above or below ground. While tanks should be constructed of a leak-proof material, it is important to have them regularly inspected to make sure the waste is fully contained. It is imperative that underground tanks be accessible at ground level for waste removal and inspection. Consider installing an audio and visual alarm that will detect waste levels and alert you when the tank reaches 75 percent of its total capacity. If you choose not to install an alarm, we can manually measure your liquid levels on a monthly basis to gauge the rate of fill. Inflammable waste traps that are not cleaned regularly may allow oils and other chemicals to leak into a septic or sewer system, contaminating wastewater and causing costly cleanup and disposal.
The professionals at Drain King have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to safely and correctly dispose of all types of inflammable waste. Trust us to do your job right the first time.
One of the smallest areas of your home has been found to be the most dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 235,000 people visit emergency rooms because of injuries suffered in the bathroom—from slippery surfaces in the bath and shower to falling in and around the toilet. This room should be examined and, if needed, retrofitted so no one gets hurt.
The CDC found that almost 33,000 people over the age of 14 go to the hospital after sustaining injuries while using the toilet. Not too surprisingly, people age 85 or over are particularly prone to injury this way, due to falls and the lack of a safety grab bar at the toilet. In fact, 81 percent of all injuries in the bathroom are due to falls. This calls for the need for homeowners to consider preventive equipment.
You can improve your bathroom’s safety. Use nonslip strips or mats in the bathtub and shower. Equip your tub or bath with a safety bar to hold while getting in and out. Install a grab bar or holding rail by the toilet for those who need assistance getting up and down from the seat. Consider getting rid of bath mats that can trip you or those that are placed in your walking path. Bathrooms are usually poorly lit; consider installing a light that comes on automatically when the illumination level in the bathroom drops.
While the elderly are more prone to bathroom accidents, all age groups visit the emergency room for accidents related to one of the smallest areas of the home, the bathroom.
