Sewer lines serve a crucial function in your home. Sewer line pipes carry wastewater and sewage to a municipal sewer system from your home. Therefore, sewer line problems are never a pleasant experience. 

A sewer line problem can result in severe damage to your plumbing and pose a health hazard.

Tree roots, grease, and debris can accumulate in the sewer lines and damage them. Unfortunately, sewer line problems are not easy to detect. In most cases, an obvious problem won’t present itself until it has become serious, costing you more for the repairs.

The key to avoiding costly repairs is knowing what to look for early. Read on to discover some warning signs of a sewer line problem you should look out for.

1. Lush Green Lawn

One of the first warning signs you may have a problem with your sewer line is a lush green lawn area in your yard. A lush green lawn is a nice feature for any property, but if you have a lush lawn in one spot in the yard developing quickly, it could indicate a break or partial blockage in the line.

When a sewer line bursts, it can cause a leak that might be responsible for the unusually green area you can’t explain. A sewer line is especially responsible if you do not have sprinkler systems or leaky hoses around the lush area.

As wastewater leaks out of the pipe, it releases nutrients and moisture into the ground. The nutrients and moisture create the ideal environment for grass to grow.

2. Slow Draining Sink

Usually, debris build-up inside the drain causes a sink to drain slowly. However, if the slow drainage occurs with multiple sinks, it could mean a complete blockage somewhere in your main sewer line.

When the sewer line backs up, it blocks all the drains in your home, interfering with the water drainage. In extreme cases, the drains don’t only slow down but reverse altogether, so sewage comes back up through the drain lines and into your home.

3. Sewage Smell in the House

An unpleasant odor coming from drains is sometimes an indication of sewage backing up and escaping into your home. Sewer smells in the house manifest as burning sulfur, rotten eggs, skunk smell, or just plain old sewage.

Sewer gases could pose a health hazard as their primary components include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane, which are toxic. The sewage backup could also cause bacteria or mold to grow throughout your home, so you need to call a professional right away.

4. Sudden Change in Your Water Bill

If you have seen a sudden increase in your water bill but haven’t changed anything that would affect your water use, you may have a sewer line leak.

If you have a leak somewhere within the line, water will constantly run through it, causing your utility bill to escalate. Sometimes, sewer line leaks can take some time to show up on your bill. 

5. Gurgling Noises From Your Toilet

Gurgling noises coming from your toilet indicate it’s unable to drain properly. 

The gurgling sound occurs when the air in the sewer line can’t escape as water flows down the drain. The air mixes with water, and the pressure fluctuations in the system force out the water trap in the drain resulting in the noise. Gurgling toilets can happen when a clog in the pipe prevents wastewater from flowing freely through it.

Maintenance is key to ensuring sewer line problems don’t occur as frequently or become as severe as possible. You can take steps to minimize the chances of a sewer line issue by scheduling inspections regularly and scheduling clean-out services if necessary. A sewer line problem can be costly if you don’t take the right prevention measures. 

If you notice any warning signs above, contact a professional to inspect your sewer line. The longer you wait, the more damage the sewer line issues could do to your plumbing. Give First Class Plumbing, LLC a call for expert sewer line and plumbing repairs.

One of the primary reasons you chose to install a well in your country home is to ensure you have a reliable water supply. But like other water resources, your well water can dry up if you fail to manage it properly or due to natural causes.

Often, wells run out of water temporarily, and there are reasons this issue occurs. Keep reading to know some possible reasons why your well is drying up and what to do when facing this problem.

Lack of Rain

When you have a constant supply of water in your country home, you rarely think about the rains because you have enough water for household and farm use. However, the water your well supplies come from a source, and when there’s no replenishment, it will start to dry out.

Whenever you experience a long dry season or don’t get other forms of precipitation, the water that gets to the underground system will reduce significantly. This will, in turn, affect the well’s water supply, especially if the source of your well is linked with your area’s precipitation patterns.

Recent Geological Activities

Most wells you will find today rely on underground aquifers to provide water constantly for years. Some aquifers aren’t far from the earth’s surface, but others are hundreds of feet away. When geological activities like volcanoes, landslides, and earthquakes occur, water accessibility locations may change, causing your well to dry up.

If you realize your well is drying up after a recent geological activity, get a professional to confirm if the water source is compromised. If so, the professional will offer a reliable solution to your problem, including digging another well or digging deeper to find another aquifer.

Higher Water Demand

Every well produces water at a specific speed, and you might not notice any issue if your water requirements are below the average production levels. However, if your water usage increases, maybe because of a new project or more connections, the well may run out of water.

Before you increase your water usage or allow your neighbor to draw water from your well, confirm if the water output is enough to meet your new requirements. If you don’t check the output, you will likely face a water shortage due to high usage.

Lack of Underground Water Replenishment

Even if your area is getting adequate rain, the amount of water that gets to the underground sources will determine if your well’s production remains steady throughout the year. This is the water that recharges the aquifers.

Factors like soil type, wind, evaporation rate, and temperatures determine if the underground water sources get enough replenishment. If the underground water refill process is slow, the well might not produce as much water as it does, which could be why it’s drying out.

Water Table Level Changes

The underground water tables fluctuate naturally from one season to another. This is why a well may have more water in one season and little or no water in another season. People with shallow wells have a higher risk of having water shortages when water table levels reduce since such wells get water from the surface aquifers that recharge via precipitation.

If you’d like to increase your well’s water yield, you may need to drill your well deeper. The probability of finding a larger aquifer increases as you go deeper into the surface. You may also increase the water production rates through hydrofracking, a procedure for creating new pathways to direct more water to your well.

At First Class Plumbing, we can help you determine why your well is drying up and provide a lasting solution to ensure you don’t face water shortage issues in your country residence. Call us today for a consultation or to book an appointment.

An electric water heater is among the essential items in your home. This equipment provides hot water in all water outlets in your home whenever you need it.

Although electric water heaters are designed to serve you for a long time, this equipment may develop issues and inconvenience you in several ways. This article highlights five common water heater problems you should never ignore.

1. Strange Noises

When you use your water heater, you may hear some sounds due to normal contracting or expanding in the pipes. However, your water heater may produce strange noises like banging, knocking, popping, and hissing after some time.

Often, strange noises from your water heater result from sediment build-up on your water heater’s elements. Too much scale build-up at the bottom of the water heater’s tank can also make the equipment produce strange sounds.

Strange water heater noises can be alarming. Nevertheless, you can easily fix this problem by flushing your water heater. If the issue persists, you can call a professional plumber to help identify and fix the problem.

2. Rusty Colored Water

Sometimes you may notice your water heater starts producing rusty-colored water. Rusty-colored water usually indicates a corrosion issue within your tank. Also, if your anode rod rusts, your water heater may produce dirty water.

The best way to handle this issue is to replace the anode rod. If your tank still produces dirty water, you may have to replace the tank.

3. Leaks

Water leaks are among the most common water heater issues you may have to deal with. Water heater leaks can be dangerous since they may cause flooding in your home.

Most times, water heater leaks occur when there is corrosion in your tank. However, water heater leaks don’t always indicate an issue with the tank. If the source of the leak seems to be at the top of your tank, there could be a loose water connection issue. To solve this problem, you need to check whether the water inlet and outlet pipes are strongly connected.

On the other hand, if the leak comes from the bottom of the tank, it may be due to condensation. You can quickly solve this issue by turning the thermostat up.

Other causes of water heater leaks include incorrect water pressure, overheating, and a stuck valve.

4. Long Recovery Period

Generally, electric water heaters take a longer time to reheat the water than gas water heaters do. However, if you notice that your heater takes longer than usual to reheat water, there could be an issue.

Some of the common reasons why your water heater may take ages to reheat include:

• Scale build-up on water heating elements
• Defective water heating elements
• Bad thermostat
• Small tank capacity

A water heater with a long recovery time can inconvenience you, especially when you are in a hurry. Once you notice this issue, you need to ask a professional plumber to replace the faulty parts. You should also consider replacing your water tank with a bigger one or buying the tankless model.

5. Smelly Water

When using hot water in your home, you may notice a rotten egg smell. The main reason your water smells bad is bacteria build-up, especially if you depend on a well as the main water source.

You can fix the smelly water problem by boiling the water in your tank at the highest temperature for about one hour. This way, you will kill the bacteria. During this period, you need to avoid using hot water and ensure you inform every member in the house. Otherwise, the water may cause serious burns. If this option doesn’t work, flush your tank with high chlorine concentration water.

Once you notice any issue with your water heater, you need to call a professional plumber to help you fix the problem. If you ignore the signs, the issues may escalate and cause serious problems. If you need any water heater service, contact First Class Plumbing.

A functional drain line is essential for a healthy and comfortable home. The plumbing components allow a smooth flow of waste liquid away from your house. However, a clogged drain or sewer line can cause the wastewater to back up into the house. The backflow affects the structural integrity of your home and increases the risk of infections.

In the past, a plumber would dig extensively to troubleshoot and unblock the drainage system. However, hydro jetting technology now offers a faster, more effective, and more cost-efficient way to clear your blocked drainage system.

The plumbing technology uses high-pressure water to remove any buildup in a plumbing system. Read on to find out more advantages of hydro jetting technology.

1. Clear Up the Drainage

Hydro jetting can protect your home through comprehensive cleanup of the plumbing system. From grease and mineral scale to tree roots, the high-pressure water leaves nothing in its path.

For the best results, a plumber can first inspect the drains using a video camera. The inspection helps assess the state of the plumbing before the use of high-pressure water. If the drain or sewer line is in good condition, the plumber then guides a cleanout pipe and a nozzle into the system.

When the cleanout pipe comes across a blockage, the plumber uses a powerful blast of water to clear it. The process continues until the entire system is clear of any blockage. This plumbing solution is more effective than other drain cleaning technologies.

2. Protect Your Home

A blocked drainage system poses an enormous threat to your precious investment. Whether it’s a sewer line or a sink drain, any clogged part of the plumbing can affect your home. The blocked wastewater flows back through the system into the house or seeps through the piping into the structure. Without immediate action, your home can flood, leading to property damage.

If you don’t inspect your plumbing regularly, the backflow can burst the piping and leak into foundation walls. With time, signs of water leaks emerge, including cracks, mold growth, and wet walls or floors. Other signs of backflow include bad odors in the home, discolored water in the faucets, and strange sounds in the piping.

By clearing the blockage in the drains or the sewer line, the wastewater can flow smoothly again. You don’t have to worry about costly home repairs caused by blocked drains.

3. Save Money on Drain Cleaning

Conventional drain cleaning is a labor- and cost-intensive project. Plumbing professionals may have to dig extensively across your property’s landscaping to locate the problem in the piping system. The specialized equipment and labor required for the job push the cost up. The technique also doesn’t resolve all the problems in the piping.

Hydro jetting offers a more efficient solution to blocked pipes. This plumbing technology saves money on labor and equipment. When you combine the process with a video camera inspection, you can more easily identify other minor issues in the plumbing system. Plus, the water blast leaves a completely clean drain or sewer line, which reduces the risk of another blockage.

4. Protect the Environment

Blocked drains and sewer lines are among the most common plumbing emergencies. Over the years, more methods have emerged to deal with these home emergencies. Some drain cleaning methods involve the use of chemicals to break down grease and mineral buildup. Some of these chemicals eventually seep into the soil and affect the ecosystem.

However, hydro jetting is a green technology that only uses water to clear blocked drains. The eco-friendly cleaning technology won’t affect the environment, and some plumbing companies even use recycled water for drain cleanup.

Do you suspect a blocked drain in your home or office? If so, our certified plumbers at First Class Plumbing, LLC, can help. We’ve served our area for years, and we commit to delivering exceptional plumbing solutions for every client. Get in touch today, and let’s resolve any plumbing concerns you might have using the most effective technology.