Author Archives: Woolace and Johnson

Causes of Sewer Line Clogs

There are many causes for a sewer line clog and it can be difficult to determine that cause without some help. Scheduling an appointment with sewer line cleaning contractors so they can inspect the pipes is the best route to take. They can use video equipment to find where a clog may be. Once you know that, you can then take the necessary steps to correct the issue.

• Pipe Damage: Damage to your pipes will cause regular issues with your drainage. When older copper pipes begin to corrode, they can leak water into your home or around your property. If this happens, you’ll notice a drop in water pressure and slow drainage.
• Sagging: One thing that  is hard to see, but a big cause for clogs is sagging pipes. What that means is, when the ground shifts or moves around your pipes, it can cause them to droop and sag. Should this happen, connections can become loose resulting in water leaks.
• Tree Root Infiltration: Probably one of the most common reasons for sewer line clogging is tree roots. A sewer line clogged with tree roots won’t be able to drain or move water effectively. It can also mean that your pipes may be damaged or broken.
• Flushing Dirt and Debris: When an excess of the wrong things are flushed down the drain, they can quickly collect in your sewer line creating a clog. Dirt, debris, hair, and more get distractedly washed down your drains on a consistent basis leading to a greater chance of clogs and blockages.
• Grease: The number one culprit for a sewer line clog is grease. When grease is washed down a drain, it hardens around the interior pipes. It also collects things like dirt and hair, which only add to a clog.

The best way to avoid or prevent clogs in the future is to schedule regular sewer line cleaning services. Doing so will ensure your plumbing is always in good condition. That being said, it’s still important to schedule separate inspections of your plumbing. Think of it the same as when you need to replace your roof. You may schedule regular maintenance, but you do always want someone to inspect your roof or your plumbing before you begin repairs of any kind.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How often should sewer lines be cleaned?
  • As a good preventative measure, homeowners should schedule cleanings every 18-22 months – so about once every 2 years. If you are experiencing issues more often, then you will need to schedule a time for a plumber to take video of your lines.
• How much is sewer line cleaning?
  • On average, a sewer line cleaning will cost about $299. It can range from $173 to over $400 depending on the type of service needed. Snaking, or rodding, will usually be the cheapest route.
• What do you do if your sewer line is clogged?
  • There are several drain cleaning products on the market that can help you unclog or remove as much of a clog from your drains. But if your main sewer line is clogged, you will need to contact a company to provide cleaning services.
• Why does my main drain keep clogging?
  • Something is being flushed down your drains, creating clogs and blockages. If it’s not that, then something is preventing the drain from efficiently expelling water and waste. That could be tree roots or damaged piping.
• How much does it cost to camera a sewer line?
  • The average is between $250 and $500 to take video of the inside of a sewer line. It could cost more or less depending on how much pipe line needs to be viewed and if the inspection is a solo service or being done in conjunction with another service.

What causes leaking pipes?

There can be many reasons as to why you have a leaking pipe. Your pipes are essentially behind walls and underneath the ground and can be impacted by a variety of reasons such as outside pressures, the type of piping material, poor initial installations, weather and a variety of other issues. Take for example piping underneath the ground, the foundation of your home is directly connected to your piping so whenever there are shifts to your soil and your foundation moves as a result so do your piping. This causes certain weights of pressure onto the pipes which can cause connections to loosen where leaks can escape or even cause wear caused by corrosion. With corrosion, chemical elements of the surrounding soil can react negatively with the elements of piping materials which can cause wear from the outside in. As far as inner corrosion, water carries contaminants from travel and depending on the degree of water pressures this can wear piping material and cause corrosion from the inside out. When the winter season comes around and pipes aren’t properly insulated you may also be susceptible to pipe freezes. This is where water freezes inside pipes, expands on piping material and causes leaks or pipe bursts. Finally, root invasion with outside piping materials made from porous clay is a danger that often happens with older home constructions. Since roots will grow towards a source of water, even if there’s a crack or small misconnection the roots will typically grow into the openings and in some cases completely take over the inner areas of the piping systems.

With piping inside the house, you can see corrosion from household cleaning products that contain chemicals which cause premature pipe wear. Certain seals and connections with kitchen or bathroom drains can wear and you may see leaks underneath the counter as well. Clogs can form in these drains from food as well as with sinks and bathroom drains from hair, mildew, soap scum and other factors. Inside drains are just as susceptible to premature wear with higher water pressures which can loosen piping material or cause inside corrosion as well.

Can clogged pipes cause leaks?

Clogged pipes are a whole other factor that can influence the progression of a leaking pipe. Essentially you can think of it as a block where water will ultimately build up in pressure and aggravate corrosion or enlargen cracks in the pipe. Water will naturally seek alternate paths of escape and make it’s way out through these openings.

How do you temporarily stop a leaking pipe?

With the piping material of drains inside homes, you may be able to temporarily stop a leaking pipe with plumber’s putty (particularly with kitchen drains) or plumber’s tape. For larger pipe systems it would be better to simply go to the main water stop valve and turn off your water systems until pipe repairs can be made.

How much does it cost for a plumber to fix a leak?

When you’re looking for a leaking pipes fix it’s important to be aware of repair costs. As of such, average leaking pipe repair costs range from $150-$350 with leak location testing either being included with the service or adding an additional cost of around $100. If drywall needs to be repaired expect more costs to be added to the service if a plumbing company also offers that type of service.

If you’re experiencing a leaking pipe in Stryker, Bryan, and Napoleon, OH call 419-546-8424 with Woolace & Johnson today!

In places like the Stryker, Bryan, and Napoleon, OH area, it can get incredibly cold in the winter. When the temperature drops down to below freezing, you need your furnace to work. Many home and business owners don’t pay any attention to their furnace until it stops working. There are things you can do to your furnace to ensure that it doesn’t go out randomly throughout the year. If you keep your eye out for the signs that you need gas furnace maintenance, you’ll be more likely to catch smaller issues before they turn into larger problems. But what are the signs to look for that you need gas furnace repairs or upkeep? What does having your gas furnace serviced even really mean? What are the benefits of having a certified heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC, technician come to your home to work on your furnace? Can you clean your furnace by yourself? A lack of preventative maintenance and care can create more issues than the standard wear and tear that comes with time.

Common Furnace Problems

If you fail to maintain your furnace properly, it can start to show signs of different parts breaking down. You may also notice that something is wrong with some of the components in it. Your furnace needs to be cleaned, and it needs new filters because it cycles air through a system. Something has to filter out the dirt particles, so they don’t jam the furnace equipment. Here are some of the signs to look for to determine if your furnace needs servicing.

• Blower Runs Constantly If your furnace continues to cycle repeated, it’s a sign that something could be wrong with the blower. This component push the hot air into your ducts, ensuring it circulates through your entire home, so if this goes out it will need to be replaced. This could also cause, or be indicative of, a problem with the limit switch.
• No Heat If your furnace isn’t warming your entire home like it used to, the filter could be clogged up, causing the heater to lose efficiency.
  Noisy Unit If your furnace is making a lot of noises that it wasn’t before, this could indicate a mechanical problem somewhere in the interior. This could mean some parts are dirty or shaking loose.
• Heater Won’t Start This could be a problem with the electronics in your thermostat. If it has shorted out, or some of the connections are bad, it could cause the furnace to not respond to the thermostat. There could be loose wiring in your furnace itself as well.
• Thermostat Giving Incorrect Readings If your thermostat is telling you that your home is a toasty 75 degrees, but it is actually the same 32 degrees inside as it is outside, this could be indicative of an electrical problem, or a connection issue with the temperature sensor.
• Clogged Exhaust Port If your gas furnace releases gas exhaust from the heating process, that gas needs to go somewhere. There is a flue connected to your furnace that vents this gas outside of your home. If you start getting headaches when your furnace is on, or if you have a carbon monoxide detector and it is going off, this means your furnace’s exhaust could be clogged and need to be cleared out. This is odorless, so the CO2 monitor is a must for someone with a gas furnace.
• Gas Leak We’re talking about gas furnaces, and that means talking about the potential of a gas leak. A gas leak poses a serious health risk to you and your family. Natural gas also has the potential to explode if trapped in an enclosed space. Natural gas is odorless, but companies put in an additive to give it a smell. If you think you smell rotten eggs in your home, or start to get light-headed and feel nauseous, you may have a gas leak. If you suspect you have a gas leak, turn off the gas line if it is safe to do so, call emergency services, and then contact a certified plumber or the utility company. Emergency services will help evacuate the area while the plumbers or utility crew can help find the source of the leak.

Gas Furnace Maintenance and Service

It’s true, some components just break over time. But if you’re not caring for your furnace, you run the risk that it will break sooner than it is supposed to. Most experts agrees that you should have your gas furnace and natural gas lines inspected and serviced at least once a year. There are some options for do it yourself furnace tune-ups, but professional service is still recommended to ensure there isn’t a gas leak. The easiest thing you can do to keep your heater from needing gas furnace repairs is to change the air filter. Some websites recommend changing the air filter every 3 months. However, if you don’t run the furnace that often, you can inspect it to see if it is dirty and make a judgment call as to whether or not it needs to be changed. If you feel comfortable working with other components in your furnace, you can clean the blower. That’s where the majority of the dirt and dust particles that get past the air filter will go. Cleaning the debris off of the blower can prevent the dirt from causing it to short out.

How do technicians service gas furnaces? HVAC techs go through a checklist when they work on your heater. They check to make sure your vents and ducts aren’t clogged. They remove parts of the blower and check for dirt and debris that may have been missed during your own home maintenance. They ensure all of your electrical lines are connected and functioning properly, and check for corrosion or wear and tear on components and belts. For gas furnaces, they check the unit’s thermocouple, combustion gases, pilot lights, and natural gas lines. These are the components where damage can be a health hazard to you and the people around you. That’s why it’s important to have these components checked out by a professional. A faulty thermocouple can lead to an explosion, although this is a very rare occurrence. Because of the danger associated with gas furnace components and fuel, we recommend using a professional HVAC service that can provide quality service when you need it. If you want to schedule gas furnace maintenance or an inspection in Stryker, Bryan, and Napoleon, OH, contact the HVAC experts of Woolace & Johnson at 419-546-8424.