If you’re currently living in a home that was constructed before 1989, then more than likely your main water line was installed with a device that is commonly known as a “house trap”. In this day and age, they are seen to be obsolete and can cause a plethora of reoccurring plumbing issues, as well as unsafe conditions for a home. The most common signs that you’re having a problem with your house trap and need to call a certified plumber are as follows: backflow or flooding in your basement, drains that leave standing water, sewer odors in your living area, frequent backups with your sewer system, and many plumbing fixtures being out of order.

These devices are outdated and may not be efficient anymore, but they were originally created to keep the sewer gases out of your living space. The way that this works is that the trap collects water in order to block odors from escaping from the drains; that is where it got the name “trap” from. These gases are trapped into the system and are unable to go back into the home.

If you’re reading this and identifying with some of the issues it can cause, you may want to consider calling a plumber who can help. The problem with these house traps is that most of them become rusted after a long period of time, and it ends up causing more problems than it can solve. As corrosion begins eating away at your old drains, the trap acts as a stopping point, no waste-water will be able to pass through. This will also make it challenging to inspect the system with a sewer camera.
Luckily, there’s a solution to this problem that your plumber can help you with: a sewer cleanout. This is essentially just a more advanced and efficient version of a house trap.

A sewer cleanout looks like a vertical capped-off pipe that extends from an existing line. They do the exact same thing as a house trap does, such as preventing odors, but it also comes with some advantages as well:
First is manual checking. A sewer cleanout can be checked manually to see if your main water line is experiencing any kind of clogging. When you manually check this system, you will want to make sure that the cap that is visible above ground is full of water.

With a sewer cleanout, you can say goodbye to drain issues. Many homeowners clean their drains as a temporary fix to clogs and restart the line, but if you end up installing a sewer cleanout, it can definitely get rid of your drain problems for good.

Sewer cleanouts are made of high-quality materials, especially in comparison to the house trap. These systems are usually made with PEX pipe material that is resistant to erosion, rust, and buildup of any kind of sediment.
Don’t let your drain issues and old plumbing systems cause you any more grief! If you are experiencing issues with your systems or your home was built before 1989, call a local plumbing professional for an inspection and sewer cleanout installation.

Winter storms have hit a large portion of the country, sending a friendly reminder to homeowners that cold weather problems for your property is not over. I love the silence after fresh fallen snow and the beauty of everything draped in white.. However, I also live in a lake community that originally was all summer homes so the insulation isn’t always the greatest. Throughout the area, it is not uncommon for people to have their pipes freeze during the winter, especially the newer homeowners who don’t realize all these homes were originally summer retreats.

Pipes freezing in the winter can end up being a very costly problem if the pipes burst. But there are steps that can be taken to help prevent this from happening. Some the homeowner can do themselves, while others are best to have done by a professional plumber, like ABC Plumbing.

Some of the things you can do yourself, is never turn your heat below 65 degree. Even though the cost of heating has risen drastically over the past few years, if you turn your heat below 65 degrees, on the really cold nights when the wind chill is factored in, the chance of your pipes freezing increases significantly.

The type of heating system you have can make a difference as well. If you have oil or gas heating, unless it has separate zones, you only have one thermostat for the whole house. If this is the case, and your kitchen or bathrooms or the areas where pipes are most likely to be close to outside walls, and those rooms don’t get as warm, a small space heater with a timer will help to keep those rooms warm enough to keep your pipes from freezing. Leaving the cabinet doors under the sink open so that the heat can get into the space more easily is another trick that helps.

On the other hand, if you have electric heat, you typically have a thermostat in every room, so this makes it easy to turn the heat up in those rooms like the kitchen bathroom where you have pipes that might freeze, while keeping the heat a little lower in the rooms you use least often to conserve on the cost of heating.

One of the oldest tricks to keep the pipes from freezing yourself is to leave the faucets running at just a trickle. As long as water is flowing through the pipes, it makes it more difficult for those pipes to freeze. Think of it like the ocean. Most of the ocean doesn’t freeze because it is constantly moving.

A professional plumber can insulate your pipes and makes sure the areas around your plumbing are well insulated so that the cold doesn’t reach the pipes. Some people will also have their whole home re-insulated not just to prevent frozen pipes, but to keep their home warmer.

If your pipes do freeze, try pointing a heater directly towards them or a use a blow dryer to try to defrost them before they can a chance to burst. If they do burst, call in a professional plumber like ABC Plumbing as soon as possible to minimize the damage and to get the pipes repaired.

If you’re currently living in a home that was constructed before 1989, then more than likely your main water line was installed with a device that is commonly known as a “house trap”. In this day and age, they are seen to be obsolete and can cause a plethora of reoccurring plumbing issues, as well as unsafe conditions for a home. The most common signs that you’re having a problem with your house trap and need to call a certified plumber are as follows: backflow or flooding in your basement, drains that leave standing water, sewer odors in your living area, frequent backups with your sewer system, and many plumbing fixtures being out of order.

These devices are outdated and may not be efficient anymore, but they were originally created to keep the sewer gases out of your living space. The way that this works is that the trap collects water in order to block odors from escaping from the drains; that is where it got the name “trap” from. These gases are trapped into the system and are unable to go back into the home.

If you’re reading this and identifying with some of the issues it can cause, you may want to consider calling a plumber who can help. The problem with these house traps is that most of them become rusted after a long period of time, and it ends up causing more problems than it can solve. As corrosion begins eating away at your old drains, the trap acts as a stopping point, no waste-water will be able to pass through. This will also make it challenging to inspect the system with a sewer camera.

Luckily, there’s a solution to this problem that your plumber can help you with: a sewer cleanout. This is essentially just a more advanced and efficient version of a house trap.

A sewer cleanout looks like a vertical capped-off pipe that extends from an existing line. They do the exact same thing as a house trap does, such as preventing odors, but it also comes with some advantages as well:

First is manual checking. A sewer cleanout can be checked manually to see if your main water line is experiencing any kind of clogging. When you manually check this system, you will want to make sure that the cap that is visible above ground is full of water.

With a sewer cleanout, you can say goodbye to drain issues. Many homeowners clean their drains as a temporary fix to clogs and restart the line, but if you end up installing a sewer cleanout, it can definitely get rid of your drain problems for good.

Sewer cleanouts are made of high-quality materials, especially in comparison to the house trap. These systems are usually made with PEX pipe material that is resistant to erosion, rust, and buildup of any kind of sediment.

Don’t let your drain issues and old plumbing systems cause you any more grief! If you are experiencing issues with your systems or your home was built before 1989, call a local plumbing professional for an inspection and sewer cleanout installation.

If your basement floods there are some very important things you should do and more importantly some things you should avoid doing for not only your safety but also your families health and safety. If your basement has just flooded and you are not sure if it is safe to enter then do not enter it until told the area is safe by a professional plumber or certified water damage restoration expert. Entering a flooded basement can expose you to the following hazards:

Electrical Shock: – Water and electricity do not mix, ever. Flooded basements pose a very real risk for electrocution. If your homes power supply is NOT in the basement and your basement floods and if it is safe to do so, by all means turn of your homes power supply.

Gas leaks – This is not to common during basement floods, but we have seen it happen in the homes that we serviced and for a verity of reasons. If you smell gas leave your house right away and call your gas company and a licensed plumber or water damage restoration expert right away.

Pollutants – Flood water can contain all manner of pollutants from chemicals to harmful sewage, viruses, bacteria and other diseases. You should wear water proof boots and use gloves when handling anything in a flooded basement. Safety goggles and a light face mask are recommended as well. You should wash thoroughly after any contact with flood water and have the effected area sanitized thoroughly following any basement flood.

If your basement floods by all means call a plumber right away. Now is not the time to try and save a few bucks by attempting to clean it up yourself and trying to stop any further water from entering. That being said there is a few things you can do before the plumber arrives that could help minimize any further damage.

Floods caused by burst or faulty pipes: For floods caused by these circumstances, if it is safe for you to do so, you should shut of the homes water supply. Your home is equipped with a water shut off valve which will allow you to shut off your homes entire water supply.

Floods due to sewage backup: Avoid flushing toilets or running tap water. Also avoid using your homes dishwasher or washing machine. Using anything that causes water to go down a drain will very likely make any flooding worse.

You should also call your insurance company. They will provide you with information on clean-up, contractors that should be called, and any claim procedures. Your flood might be entirely covered by your insurance policy so it is vital that you contact them. Our company is on a first name basis with any insurance adjustors and we have excellent relations with most insurance agencies serving the area.

You should document any and all damage thoroughly. Take lots of photos of all damaged areas and especially damaged personal possessions. if you are covered by insurance do not go out buying new things until you are fully versed with your insurance policies coverage requirements. Keep every receipt related to the damage and clean up of the flood including any emergency work done and or repairs.

If you do have insurance for flooding or water damage you should do everything in your power to prevent flooding from occurring in the first place. In the unfortunate event of flooding occurring your insurance company will look for favorably on you for doing so and the claims process will be much easier on you if you can show that you have performed the proper maintenance on your homes plumbing systems. Failure to maintain your homes plumbing system along with repeated claims for flood damage is likely to cause you being dropped from future coverage.

If your basement is damp or is prone to flooding due to exterior water you might have had a contractor try and sell you on expensive exterior waterproofing. The expense can be quite high with exterior waterproofing options due to the excavation that is involved.

image credit, aqua guard injection

What then are other viable options? An interior weeping tile system provides a viable alternative to traditional foundation excavation and waterproofing measures. An interior weeping tile system is also known as a internal perimeter drain system. Interior weeping tile system have been proven over the last two decades as a highly efficient and cost effective basement waterproofing measure. These systems waterproof both concrete block and cinder block foundation walls.

A perimeter drainage system keeps your basement dry by providing a channel to drain water that flows into or pools within your concrete block or cinder block foundation walls. This system is also highly effective in dealing with high water tables underneath basement floors. It also combats any water that leaks in through foundation wall cracks, making an interior weeping tile system a highly effective means of combating many forms and sources of basement leaks and flooding.

The interior weeping tile system is built by installing a drainage system along the entire perimeter of your basement, beneath your basement floor. This system avoids expensive digging outside of the home. This system drains water at the footing of your foundation much like an exterior weeping tile system does. It works by allowing water which has collected in your walls to drain, which prevents water from seeping through into your basement interior or from going beneath your basement floor. This system extends the life of your foundation by preventing or delaying deterioration over time due to the saturation of the blocks from pooled water within them. Most basement foundation erode over time due to the presence of water which becomes trapped within its walls, but this system provides continual drainage there by alleviating the problem. A properly installed interior weeping tile system will keep your basement dry for life.

Your contractor will jackhammer the basement floor right next to the foundation walls to expose your foundations footing as well as to excavate a trench to be used for the installation of a drain pipe or drain tile. The contractor then drills holes into the fully exposed bottom course of concrete blocks hollow cavities, this allows water to exit the holes and flow into the channel trench or drain pipe. A perforated drain pipe is then installed adjacent to the foundations footing and an air gap membrane is installed along your wall. If your basement does not have a sump pump liner, a sump liner and submersible sump pump will then installed beneath your basement floor, with the liner cover installed flush with the floor. The weeping tile systems drain pipe is then connected to the sump liner but beneath your basement floor and out of sight. This allows the water that was collected from your walls to be drained into your sump pump. The drain pipe and lower portion of the drainage membrane are then covered up with a fresh layer of concrete and leveled so that all that will be visible to you is a seam along the floor next to the wall and the membrane which is fastened to the wall, as well as a sump pump discharge pipe to the exterior. Even the discharge pipe that goes up the wall can be hidden from view by installing against the basement wall and concealing the pipe behind finished basement walls.

Internal weeping tile systems are far more effective at preventing wet basements than exterior weeping tile systems. This is because most of the ground water that enters our basement enters in through cracks, gaps and voids in the basement wall, all of which an exterior tile system will not prevent. In short an interior weeping tile system is one of the most effective tools at your disposal for dealing with leaky basement walls and basement drainage.

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