Picture this: You’re standing in a pool of water on your home’s floor, looking at a pipe that’s frozen and burst. Or, you’re watching helplessly as a toilet is overflowing with waste and water all over the bathroom. These plumbing nightmares can be avoided if you have regular inspections and preventative maintenance from a licensed plumber, like Priority Plumbing & Drains, a Toronto-based emergency plumber. Plus, with our tips below, you can help prevent these emergencies from occurring simply by changing a few things you do around your home.
Pipe Leaks
Canadian winters can be brutal. To avoid pipe leaks or bursts, make sure to run water through the pipes overnight. You can also open all cabinets that have piping underneath, allowing more warm air from your home to keep them from freezing and add extra insulation, especially around those that are near exterior walls. A regular inspection of your home’s pipes can also find weak seams or spots where the pies are wearing out, which can cause slow leaks or eventually burst pipes.
Main Drain Sewer Backup
When your home’s main sewer line is clogged, the water can’t go down the drain. When this happens, the water (and sewage) will back up into the pipes and come out at the lowest point — which is usually all over your basement floor. Sewage is extremely contaminated and usually results in thousands of dollars in damages and cleanup costs, not to mention the inconvenience of having tradespeople in and out of your home. You might also notice your toilet gurgling and/or bubbling when you use a sink. Inevitably, you don’t want this water and sewage backing up into your home — it will be more than just a bad smell! Some of the easiest ways to help avoid a backup are to dispose of items properly (not put anything down the toilet that shouldn’t go down there), trimming trees and shrubs that are near/over the sewer line, and having a camera inspection done to make sure the line is still in good condition.
Toilet Troubles
An overflowing toilet often happens because of clogs. While you may be able to troubleshoot small clogs yourself with a plunger, if your toilet is constantly stopped up or running over, then you may actually have clogs in the main sewer lines. These happen when “unflushables” are flushed in the toilet, including baby wipes, condoms, feminine care products, and even the “flushable” wipes (these aren’t actually good for septic systems).
To prevent recurring clogs, make sure that only toilet paper and waste are flushed in your toilets.
Need Help? Call Priority Plumbing & Drains!
If you have a plumbing emergency, your first step should be to shut off the main water line for your home. Then, call Priority, your emergency plumbing service in Toronto, ON, for a quick fix! We’ll quickly diagnose the source of the problem, and our professionally certified plumbers will get your home running smoothly again as soon as possible.