Tree Root Invasion: How to Protect Your Sewer Line From a Costly Problem

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When residential plumbing services inspect your clogged pipes, they look at the pipes extending into your yard to check for invading tree roots. Tree roots can cause long-term damage that requires intensive repair, so save yourself the cost and hassle of rooter service by following the preventative tips below.

1. Don’t plant trees near your pipe lines

The only way to guarantee your pipes won’t get invaded is by planting trees far from them, or planting nearby trees with small root systems that won’t break pipes. The safest trees for pipes are often small or have slow growth like the mediterranean fan palm and Carolina buckthorn. The worst trees to plant near pipes include the sycamore and elm. If invasive trees are already growing along your pipelines, you can install wood/metal barriers at least 6-12 inches deeper than the pipe to create a barrier.

2. Use carbon sulfate crystals for minor invasion

For drains that clog frequently, you can flush carbon sulfate crystals down a toilet (but not a tub or sink). Fifteen days later, any minor root invasion should be dissolved. Any remaining clogging could be caused by more severe invasion, but don’t use any more carbon sulfate. It isn’t environmentally friendly and too much can be toxic to your pets and family.

3. Contact residential plumbing services for root removal

Though you can use DIY techniques for clearing minor root invasions, the roots will grow back and you’ll have to repeat the process. Only residential plumbers, like Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating company, can provide these long-term solutions:

Hydro Jetting

Hydro jetting blasts pipes clear with high-pressure water spray that can remove additional obstructions, such as early-stage clogs, leaving your pipes clearer than before the roots invaded. However, roots can still find their way in, as tree roots can sense nourishment through any size breech in your pipes. Your plumber might seal the openings or treat your pipes with a poison that deters future root growth.

Pipe Replacement

Sometimes your only choice is to replace the pipe. In most cases, you can use trenchless sewer replacement. This service inserts a narrower pipe into the old pipe or dismantles the old pipe with a pipe of the same size or wider. Once the new pipe is installed, you’d do well to remove the offending tree.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating — Residential Plumbing Services

For assistance with tree root invasion, contact Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292. We provide professional and quality service for residential and commercial properties.

4 Plumbing Tips that New Pet Owners Need to Know

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Newcomers to pet ownership need to pet-proof their homes to provide a safe, worry-less space for their new family members to roam. This could include conducting a household plumbing inspection to eliminate health and safety hazards. Below are four plumbing tips that homeowners are recommended to follow:

  1. Flushable litter isn’t flushable

Even kitty litter that is advertised as flushable isn’t flushable. It will wash down, but in the pipes it can solidify into an obstruction. A rooter service provider might need to break through with a toilet auger, a quick fix but a fix nonetheless that takes time and costs money. Additionally, don’t wash pet waste down the toilet. Even if the waste is free of litter, don’t drop it in the toilet.

As for pet waste, your local disposal policies might vary from others regarding dog poop. The EPA states that dog poop can safely be flushed down, as it isn’t much different from human waste. If your local policies permit flushing dog waste, and you use a public sewer instead of a septic tank, you can do so. However, cat waste should never be flushed, as it might contain a parasite that infects humans and animals alike.

  1. Keep your toilet lid closed when not in use

Not only is a closed toilet lid common courtesy and a health measure to prevent bacteria from splashing out during a flush, it prevents your pet from getting inside. Dogs might stick their muzzles in and lap up the water. Cats might stick in their paws, which could be coated in litter, and lead to a clog. Additionally, if treating your toilet with cleaners, the lid should be shut to prevent poisoning your pets.

  1. Use hair catchers in your tub

If you wash or groom your dogs at home, invest in a hair catcher or drain strainer. Regardless if your dog doesn’t shed much or is non-shedding, hair will wash off. Like human hair, fur can knot together in pipes and catch other debris that washes down. If you use the tub often, the knot can quickly grow, cause a backup, and require residential plumbing services. Hair catches require a little maintenance, but nothing worse than what you’ll need if your plumbing clogs up. Keeping your drains open in general is a bad habit that will damage your sink, shower, and toilet pipes.

  1. Hide exposed drains and pipes

Pets like to play, and exposed plumbing can be enticing. Teething puppies might find your pipes a fun challenge to chew, and wandering kittens might get stuck in open drains. Cover floor drains with rugs to deter curious pets. Your residential plumber can also install drain covers and wrap exposed pipes. 

Schedule a household plumbing inspection with Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides quick household plumbing inspections. We’ll run through your plumbing system and make suggestions for optimizing your water flow and reducing your likelihood of emergency fixes, including those relating to your pets. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for 24/7 residential plumbing services.

How to Clean the Toilet Tanks in Your Business Restrooms

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Business restrooms see a lot of traffic. With high use comes high risk of health hazards. As a business owner, you can reduce the risk with frequent sanitization, including cleaning each toilet tank at least twice a year. Commercial plumbing services can make this a non-thought for you, so you can run your business while plumbers provide rooter service behind the scenes to keep your plumbing running.

However, if you like to get down and personal with keeping your business in top shape, you can follow the steps below to clean your tanks, which could be a common reason your restrooms smell bad every so often.

First, grab your tools

You’ll need white vinegar (enough to fill the tank to the overflow valve, which could be up to 3 gallons per tank), rubber gloves, a disinfectant cleaner safe for plastic and metal, a sponge, and a scrub brush.

Second, clean the tank

  1. Wearing your gloves, remove the tank cover and set it aside.
  2. Pour white vinegar into the tank, stopping an inch below the rim and leave it for 12 hours.
  3. Flush the toilet several times to clear the vinegar.
  4. Turn off the water valve, located near the floor, then flush the toilet one last time.
  5. Run the scrub brush along the tank’s interior and wipe the metal parts with the sponge.
  6. For stubborn tank walls, use the disinfectant cleaner onto the inside walls per the manufacturer’s instructions, then scrub the walls with the brush.
  7. Turn the water on and flush the toilet until water is clear in both the tank and the bowl.
  8. Replace the tank cover and you’re done!

Important notes about maintaining your tanks:

To prolong the cleanliness, consider putting tank tablets in the toilet to fight off mildew, minerals, and contaminants. Don’t use tablets with bleach as that will corrode metal. For the least damage to your plumbing, use tablets that are “natural” or “chemical-free.”

If you don’t want to use tablets, fill your tanks with vinegar and drain on a regular basis. This makes your twice-a-year cleaning easier. For this maintenance, leave vinegar in the tank overnight and flush it out in the morning.

If your tanks haven’t been cleaned in a long time, they’re likely harboring bacteria and hardened deposits. Too much buildup will damage your plumbing and require commercial plumbing services. Keep your tanks clean to keep your business running without a hitch, because even the smallest mishap can overthrow your routine.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating — Commercial Plumbing Services

To get the best cleaning and repairs for your commercial toilet tanks, contact Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292. We work with all brands, and power through all issues.

The Different Ways to Fix a Broken Sewer Line

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Your local plumber offers more than rooter service. If you have a larger problem than a single instance of a clogged toilet, your plumber can take a look at your entire plumbing system, including your sewer line. Your plumber can insert a video camera down your pipes to find issues, such as sagging pipes or a broken sewer line. When your sewer line is broken, your plumber can repair it in the traditional way or use a trenchless method.

Traditional Sewer Replacement with Excavation

In the past, the only way to repair a broken sewer line was by excavating the entire damaged section. The damaged piping was removed then replaced with a new section of pipe. Traditional replacement is still used, but since the acceptance of trenchless sewer replacement in the plumbing industry, it’s been used less frequently. Traditional replacement can be expensive and uproot landscapes, gardens, and buildings, so plumbers try to avoid it.

Trenchless Sewer Replacement

The least invasive repair option is trenchless sewer repair & replacement. The first trenchless technology was created in the 1970s, when British agricultural engineer Eric Woods developed the pipe replacement technique cured-in-place piping (CIPP). He developed this method when he needed to repair a damaged air duct above his mushroom bed, as he couldn’t remove the pipe. Instead, he pulled a plastic-wrapped felt tube containing resin through the damaged pipe, then inflated it to fill the pipe. This hardened into a new layer, fixing the pipe without major construction.

In addition to CIPP, your sewer line replacement contractor will consider two other methods. Here’s what you need to know about those trenchless sewer replacement methods:

Sliplining

Sliplining uses the broken pipe as a pathway for the new pipe. The new pipe must be narrower than the broken pipe, so it can fit inside and be grouted into place. This turns the old pipe into an outer shell that is slightly larger than the new pipe, so if you want to upsize your new pipe, you’ll want the next method: pipe bursting.

Pipe bursting

Pipe bursting uses a bursting tool that pulls a new pipe along the broken pipe, dismantling the broken pipe open as the new pipe replaces it. The new pipe can be of any size, so this is the best trenchless option if you want a new pipe of a similar or larger diameter.

When you’ll need traditional sewer replacement

Trenchless sewer replacement requires an intact old pipe to work. If the old pipe is too damaged, misshapen with a pipe belly, or sags, you’ll need traditional replacement. Additionally, if your old pipe is close to the surface and not underneath gardens or buildings, it could be cost effective to use traditional replacement because it’s easy to dig a narrow trench. 

When you can use trenchless sewer replacement

The fundamental prerequisite for trenchless sewer replacement is the old pipe being intact enough to act as a feeder tube. In most cases, if the old pipe can be a feeder tube, you can use trenchless repair.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating — Family-owned rooter service

To determine the best way to fix your broken sewer line, contact Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292. We’ll inspect your sewer line and talk you through the different repair options available.

Bad Habits that Damage Your Sink, Shower, and Toilet Pipes

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Everybody has bad habits. They’re hard to get out of because they’re often the easy way out of a situation. You might have a few bad habits when it comes to maintaining your plumbing and keeping your pipes in shape. Maybe you’re already aware of them, but you haven’t tried changing them. If your habits are causing increased need for residential plumbing services, you could save time and money by making a change.

Here are common bad habits that cause many of the problems residential plumbers see:

Overusing chemical drain cleaners

Your go-to tool for a clogged drain should be a sink or shower plunger. If those don’t work, you should try a drain auger. Only if those methods fail should you consider a chemical drain cleaner, because overusing chemical cleaners can eat away at your pipes. While the labeling on chemical cleaners might state that they’re safe for piping, they’re still formulated with powerful chemicals. They’re safe if used once in a while, but for more frequent cleaning, use non-toxic drain cleaners like DIY mixtures or enzymatic cleaners.

Rooter service providers typically use chemical cleaners as a last resort before recommending more intensive services (e.g. hydro jetting). However, most clogs can be taken care of with manual methods or an enzymatic cleaner that breaks down organic proteins. Enzymatic cleaners are especially effective for clearing hair out of your shower drain.

Flushing foreign objects down the toilet

This might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how often residential plumbing services are called in to deal with clogs caused by foriegn objects. Some items might seem like they can flush, such as paper towels and antibacterial wipes, but your plumbing is made for specific purposes. The only things that should be flushed are toilet paper and human waste. Anything else can cause buildup and then obstruction.

Abusing your food disposal

It’s tempting to put all your food waste down the food disposal, but it’s not impervious to damage. First, you should always follow the proper steps: run water, turn on the disposal, put food down the disposal, then turn off the disposal and water. Second, you should keep in the back of your mind a list of what not to put down the sink. You obviously don’t want to put non-food down the disposal, but there’s also food stuff you don’t want to wash down.

Don’t put the following food stuff through your disposal:

  • Pasta, rice, and other food that swells with water
  • Grease, oil, and fat
  • Bones 
  • Potato peels
  • Chicken skin
  • Fruit pits

Putting the above through your disposal could cause pipe buildup, damage your disposal blades, and cause general havok in your plumbing system.

Residential Plumbing Services with Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides quick and professional residential plumbing services. We’ll fix your damaged sink and shower pipes, and can advise you on the best pipe care. Contact us through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 for 24/7 residential plumbing services.