Plumbing Horror Stories (and how to prevent them): Volume II

Ghouls and goblins are quite a fright, but a house that’s haunted with plumbing problems can be much, much scarier! This fall, beware of potential plumbing pitfalls in your home, and try to prevent the problem before disaster strikes!

Plumbing Horror Story #1: Your sump pump is supposed to keep your basement dry by collecting, pumping and draining water. But during cold fall nights, your sump pump's exposed lines—especially the discharge pipe— can freeze, causing rainwater to back up, and even flood your basement!
How to prevent: Have a professional plumber install a back-up sump pump. If the power goes out (which is common during flooding rainstorms) or the main pump fails, the backup can save you from expensive water damage.

Plumbing Horror Story #2: 
Fall is a favorite season for family get-togethers with lots of food. But during meal preparation or clean-up, you might throw fibrous, starchy or greasy foods into your kitchen’s garbage disposal. The resulting broken blades or tough clog can cause water to back up into your other sink through the drain pipe that the sink and the disposal share.
How to prevent: Learn about jam hazards that could damage your disposal (bones, fruit pits, hard shells) as well as cumulative cloggers (grease, peels, skins) that cause unnecessary wear and tear. Keep up with day-to-day maintenance and cleaning, and your disposal should keep working in optimum condition.

Plumbing Horror Story #3: 
As the weather cools, you’ll most likely enjoy a few hot, steamy showers.  But as water heats up and expands inside your water heater tank, the increasing water pressure can damage valves in plumbing fixtures and/or pipes throughout your house!

How to prevent: Consider having your plumber install an expansion tank for your water heater, which absorbs extra pressure caused by thermal expansion. And don’t forget to schedule regular water heater maintenance check-ups to prevent common problems like this.

Has your home been hit with a plumbing disaster? Call ARS®/Rescue Rooter® at 1-800-277-9400 today for more information about our plumbing services.