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DRAIN TILE: WHAT IS IT AND DO I NEED IT?

The first time you hear the term “drain tile”, your inclination might be to think of the tiles on the floor of your home. But drain tiles have nothing to do with your home’s flooring. They are perforated pipes surrounded by stones that are used to keep groundwater from getting into your home’s basement. UNDERSTANDING DRAIN TILE SYSTEMS Originally, drain pipes were made from sections of clay. Hence, being called tiles instead of pipes. Today, however, most drain pipes are made of PVC or plastic. They consist of sections of perforated pipes laid inside a gravel trench and overlaid with more gravel. The gravel allows groundwater to collect in the trench and find its way into the pipes through the holes on the sides of the pipes. The  water is subsequently transported away from the house . Sometimes drain tiles are covered with sleeves to keep dirt from getting into them. Drain tiles are essential for keeping the house safe in the event of heavy rain or rapid snowmelt. They can be inst...

WHY A SEWER CAMERA INSPECTION IS CRITICAL BEFORE BUYING A HOUSE

You probably know you should do a home inspection when buying a house. You may also realize the value of doing additional testing for mold, radon, lead, or foundation damage when the home inspection report recommends them, says   Windermere Management . But did you know that you should do a sewer line camera inspection before you pay for any property? Home inspections check the condition of a home’s major structures and systems, plus the appliances inside it. It will look at the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems. Home inspections also examine the building’s foundations, roof, walls, flooring, and main mechanicals. But home inspections do not include an assessment of the sewer lines. WHY SEWER LINES ARE EXCLUDED FROM HOME INSPECTIONS Home inspectors conduct a general evaluation of a building’s physical structures. They are not meant to dig deep into the condition of every single aspect of the house. But, if, during the inspection, a home inspector encounters a problem that...

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO REPLACE A WATER SERVICE LINE?

Every homeowner experiences water problems in their home once in a while, but most of those happen within the home or the pipes within the immediate vicinity of the home. Sometimes though, the unexpected happens and you will have problems with your main water line. When this happens, it can be a big issue because most homeowners are not even aware of that portion of the plumbing. The exterior water line to your home may be buried up to nine feet in the ground, so early detection of problems with the line can be hard. The other thing is even when homeowners know of the existence of the main water line, they assume that responsibility for maintaining the line belongs to the city. But as TE Johnson & Sons Management explains, this assumption is wrong; it is your job to look after the main water line to your home. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR WATER SERVICE LINE AND THE PUBLIC MAIN Knowing how your home connects to the public main water supply will help you understand how the ...

WHY IS THERE SEWAGE COMING UP FROM THE BATHTUB

The first reason you have underground or hidden drainpipes or a septic tank system in your home is so you won’t have to deal with the unpleasant sight and smell of waste materials from the house. The second reason is that minimizing contact between the home’s occupants and the waste generated from the house keeps the home sanitary and prevents diseases, explains  NC Property Group . But all that ends when sewage starts flowing from the drain system into your bathtub. This problem easily ranks as one of the grossest plumbing issues you ever have to deal with in the home. Quite naturally, you would want to correct the situation as quickly as possible. But you also don’t want to apply a quick fix solution that fails to identify the real issues. To make sure the problem doesn’t occur again, you should understand its root causes. This will not only help you find the most comprehensive solution, but you will also learn how you and your family members may be contributing to the problem....

HOW TO UNCLOG A TOILET WITHOUT A PLUNGER

  Clogged toilets are a common occurrence in homes. Anyone who has lived in a house with modern toilet facilities is bound to encounter the problem at some point. But a clogged toilet is not that big of a problem if you have the right tool to remove the blockage and know how to use it. A cheap toilet plunger is often all you need to quickly resolve this problem. But what do you do if your toilet gets clogged and you don’t have a plunger at hand? Toilet clogs are one of those things you need to deal with immediately. Someone may need to use the toilet and they can’t do that unless you have a second toilet in the home. This may be a big problem in vacation rental properties, warns  Bighorn Rentals . Guests don’t like to deal with such issues when they’re paying for a place to relax from work. Finding a way to remove the clog is your best option. Here are ways to  unclog a toilet  when you don’t have a plunger. THINGS YOU WILL NEED: Except for maybe the last two items o...

TIPS ON FINDING THE RIGHT PLUMBER

  The average American home has several hundred feet of plumbing running through it. These are pipes linked by a complex network of joints, connectors, and other plumbing accessories. This intricate system of faucets, valves, and appliances is what ensures that the people who live in the home have clean water on demand wherever they want it in the house. But with water-bearing pipes running through the entire house and the corrosive power of water, problems are bound to happen. Water leaks and the damage caused by those leaks are something every homeowner dreads. Not only are water leaks very likely to happen in the home, but they can also be secretly doing damage without any signs to warn the homeowner. This is why  most water leaks are discovered too late  and cost a lot of money to fix. The owner must first deal with the plumbing issue that caused the leak before addressing the damage to the surrounding area. Every year in the USA water leaks cost homeowners more money...

8 Signs It's Time to Replace Your Sump Pump

Sump pumps are an indispensable part of your arsenal for keeping water issues at bay in your home. Without a machine that automatically kicks in when water starts to find its way to the vital underground spaces of the house, you would not be aware of water issues in your basement. The probability is high that you would only discover those problems after much damage has been done to the building. Even if you are somehow able to quickly discover when your basement is flooded, removing the water would be hard without a sump pump. You may have to scoop water into a bucket and carry it out to where you want to dispose of the water. Or you could get a water pump that you need to operate manually. The hassle of constantly watching for flooding would be too much work. Sump pumps relieve you of the burden of keeping a constant lookout for flooding in your basement. They save you the trouble of manually removing flood water from inside your home. Without a sump pump, life would be harder and wat...