If you’ve noticed that the water pressure at your home is slow to drain out, there are several possible causes.
If your home has older cast iron pipes, the issue could be scale. Also known as lime scale, it is a byproduct of hard water and can causes a residue of hardened calcium and mineral deposits to build up inside your pipes, narrowing the pipe’s diameter. Not only does this restrict the amount of draining power needed to allow water to flow through the pipe, it can also lead to blockages which could ultimately cause damage to the pipe. Scale can be treated using high-pressure water jetting, milling machines, which can remove residue that has formed within the pipe, as well as any debris that may be trapped inside.
A potential cause for a high water bill or decreased water pressure is a water leak, often due to a running or leaking toilet. You can easily check to see if your toilet might be the cause of low water pressure by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Let it set for one hour, and then check to see if any of the color shows up in the bowl. If it does, you have a leak. Fortunately, this can usually be fixed simply by replacing the toilet flapper or filling mechanism.
Clogs may have also formed in the pipes. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you flushed something you shouldn’t have (although if you have a toddler in your home, that could definitely be the case). It is natural for build-up to form inside pipes over time. Common household items, such as soap or grease, frequently become stuck inside the pipe’s interior. This in turn attracts other material passing through your pipe, causing the interior to narrow and slowing down water flow. Not only can this lead to slow drains, it can also potentially cause drainage issues for your shower or sink drains.
Finally, you may discover that the “root” of your problem is just that – tree roots. Hungry roots in search of nutrients often consider sewer pipe an ideal food source. If any cracks have formed in your pipes, tree roots can begin to work their way inside, damaging the pipe and potentially causing blockage issue, which in turn can cause sewage to back up into your home.
Other than having a backup, diagnosing and addressing these issues can be difficult if not impossible for most homeowners. If you have slow drains at your home, EcoClean can help. Utilizing high-resolution video camera, we can inspect your pipes to determine what is causing your slow drains. We can then either clean the pipes with our new milling equipment, use root foam to kill roots in your pipes or repair or replace your damaged pipes by installing a pipe liner or using pipe bursting.
Give us a call today to learn more about the best treatment options for your pipes.
