Here at Granata Plumbing we want to be able to help our customers maintain their sewers and ensure that they remain healthy and functioning. There are many different ways to care for your sewer to ensure that it won’t block up or collapse. A blocked sewer can cause many disruptions to home owners and can become costly depending on the extent of the blockage and condition of the sewer line.
Some tips to help you maintain you sewer are below.
1. Do not pour grease and fats down the kitchen sink
Grease and fat solidify once cooled down. Pouring hot oil, grease or fat down your kitchen sink may seem like the easy way to dispose of it after cooking. However once these substances come in contact with cold water inside your sewer they begin to solidify and become what we like to call them ‘fatbergs’. These ‘fatbergs’ cause major issues inside of your sewer pipes. The problem only gets worse if you continue to pour oil down your sink. It becomes one big blockage. This can cause bigger issues in the sewer line when the blockage begins to form on junctions in the sewer and can potentially cause a blockage to the entire line.
2. Do not flush “Flushable wipes” or baby wipes down your toilet
Lately there have been a few brands in Australia that have advertised “flushable wipes” to clean yourself when on the toilet. This information is incorrect as NO wipe is flushable. Wipes do not belong in our sewers as they do not break down with water like toilet paper does. Instead these wipes tend to become gluggy and pack together like a glue making it impossible for anything in your sewer to pass through and also making it difficult to clear the blockage.
Sydney water has recently released a campaign rightly named “keep wipes out of the pipes” due to the damage that can be caused. Further, Sydney Water has also released an alarming statistic showing that 75% of all sewer blockages in NSW are a result of flushed wet wipes. Please, do not flush any wipe down your toilet.
3. Be careful where you plant your trees
Tree roots can cause major sewer problems. Tree roots can enter your sewer system and cause serious sewer blockages or even cause the sewer pipe to collapse. For this reason, Granata Plumbing advises not to plant any trees above or surrounding your sewer (if this can be avoided).
You may be thinking, but how do I know where my sewer is? Locating your sewer can be difficult. The contract for sale of land should include your sewer service diagram, which will help you locate it. If you cannot find the sewer service diagram in your contract, it can easily be purchased via Sydney water for a small fee. If you can’t get a hold of a sewer service diagram we are able to locate it for you with our specialised equipment.
The diagram will identify where the sewer is located on your property and from that you will know where you can and cannot plant trees in your garden. This may also prompt you to possibly remove certain trees if they are growing on or near your sewer line.
