Winter brings many joys like curling up in front of the fireplace. However, it also brings a hidden threat to the sewer line buried beneath your yard. Most people never think about their sewer lines until something goes wrong. Yet, the cold weather changes how your plumbing behaves in ways that might surprise you. Here are some tips you can implement to protect your sewer line as winter gets under way.
Keep Grease and Cooking Oils Out of Your Drains
So many people make the serious mistake of pouring cooking oil and grease down the kitchen sink because they assume it will easily drain along with the water. Even though these substances are liquid, they harden when they get cold. Even if you chase the oil with hot water, the freezing ground surrounding your sewer pipe will cool that liquid in a matter of seconds. Once the grease hits the cold section of the line, it solidifies into a thick, waxy plug that catches all the debris that is passing through your pipes. After enough accumulation, a stubborn blockage forms that can potentially cause catastrophic issues. To keep problems at bay, you should always pour the leftover fat into a disposable container and dump it into the trash once it cools down.
Protect Your Outdoor Cleanout Pipe
A sewer cleanout is a pipe with a cap that sticks out of the ground to give plumbers access to your main line for cleaning and troubleshooting. During a heavy snowstorm, these pipes can easily be buried or struck by a snowblower if you do not know their exact location. Freezing air can enter the line and cause a localized ice blockage that stops your drains from functioning entirely if the cap is missing or cracked. To keep costly repairs at bay, use a small stake or a flag to mark the location of your cleanout pipe before the first big snow comes along.
Look Out for Signs That Tree Roots Are Intruding on Your Sewer Line
Trees might look like they are dormant in the winter, but their roots are actually very busy searching for any source of warmth and moisture. Your sewer line carries warm water and nutrients. If there is even a tiny pinhole leak, a thirsty root will find its way inside. Once a root enters the pipe, it grows into a thick web that acts like a net. This will trap everything you flush down the toilet and dump down the drains. Because the surrounding soil is frozen and hard, the roots have nowhere else to go but deeper into your plumbing. If you notice your toilets gurgling or your bathtub draining slowly, it might be time to have a professional run a camera through the line to check for these hidden intruders.
A professional plumber can thoroughly check for these types of problems and fix anything they find before it causes major trouble. Call Absolute Electrical Heating & Air to schedule a sewer line inspection for your Denver, CO home.