(This is an area where you don’t want to risk surprises)

Not every part of life is pretty. We don’t really want to think about our sewers that often, but like Mike Rowe displays in his popular Discovery Show Series, Dirty Jobs, there are a lot of “Hardworking men and women who earn an honest living doing the kinds of jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us.” Plumbers have one of those jobs, perhaps not that glamorous but if you are ever in a sewer emergency, they suddenly do become super heroes; from Upstate New York to Phoenix, Arizona, no matter if you are a stock broker or a homemaker, we all need a good, friendly neighborhood plumber from time to time. There are a couple of steps that you can take and preventive measures that you can keep in mind to help properly maintain your sewer lines.

Here are a few super tips and preventive measures that you can take so that you don’t end up with a filthy job yourself.

1). Don’t believe everything you read! When a product states that it is flushable it is not always true. The label can’t take into consideration the age or condition of your particular sewer lines. Some older and fragile sewer lines may not be able to tolerate flushing the product that you hold in your hands so when in doubt throw it out, instead of flushing it down.

2). When it comes to your sewers the two words to remember are “preventive maintenance.” Be aware of the condition of your sewer lines and don’t wait for something to go wrong before you take action. This will help you avoid possible issues later on down the road. One good suggestion, especially if you own an older home, is to have an annual inspection of your sewer lines. The plumbing industry has integrated new technology into its practices and many companies now have video cameras that they can use to scope your sewer pipes to evaluate their current condition. This is also highly recommended before a new home purchase.

3). Be aware of the placement of your landscaping. Do not plant a tree near a sewer or water line that runs through the yard. Tree and plant roots can infiltrate a sewer line and cause serious problems down the road.  You will avoid having problems later on as the trees roots can infiltrate a sewer line. In fact, roots and grease are the two main culprits when it comes to sewer line problems.

4). It is often more convenient to just flush something away then to dispose of it properly. But it is very important to remember to not use your toilet as garbage can. By not flushing the wrong types of debris down your toilet you will save water and perhaps even the cost of a plumber. Watch small children around the toilet as they love to watch many thing go “down the toilet” ie; toys, tooth and hair brushes, your keys!

Keep these 4 helpful hints in mind and they will help you keep this dirty, but necessary part of life clean and working properly. The good thing about plumbing tips is even if you live in Glendale in the Southwest of Arizona or Washington D.C., plumbing tips are pretty universal so we can all benefit from the same information and apply it so that we don’t wake up to a sewer emergency. If you would like to read about 5 things you should NOT put down your drains, click here.

Our thanks to Stephanie Drescher, who sent this very important information that affects us all.  In case you do wind up doing some plumbing yourself, be sure to wear gloves and safety glasses and any other protection you may need.  We all should appreciate our plumbers, who do jobs we don’t want to do, but receive good compensation for their hard work. pb