Older homes have plenty of character, but they also have plenty of gremlins lurking in the walls. Dealing with a home built to older construction standards with many previous homeowners can often be challenging, especially as you adapt to your new home's quirks over the first few years. Fortunately, the rewards can often make these difficulties more than worthwhile.
However, failing to appreciate some of the differences between older homes and more modern construction can potentially lead to more costly problems. Since older plumbing can often be particularly fragile, drain cleaning is one area where you'll want to go into your homeownership adventure with your eyes open.
What Do You Need to Know About Your New Home's Plumbing?
If you performed a detailed home inspection before buying your new home, you might already have all the information you need about the plumbing in your house. If not, you'll want to learn as much as possible, including the materials used in your pipes. You should also determine if previous owners may have renovated your home's plumbing or if you're still using original pipework.
While this information may not seem essential, it will become critical once you face your first major clog. Pipes deteriorate at different rates (and for different reasons) depending on their material, and not all drain cleaning techniques will be suitable for older pipes. In particular, many chemical cleaners can cause damage to old pipes with existing damage or corrosion.
You should also spend some time familiarizing yourself with your sewer clean-out locations. When dealing with older plumbing, working from the closest location to the clog is often safest to minimize collateral damage to your pipes. Knowing these locations can save you time and frustration when you need to call a plumber for serious drain cleaning.
What Should You Do When You Experience a Clog?
The first clog in a new house is never fun, but don't panic. Start by using the gentlest methods available to try to dislodge the obstruction. Plungers and household plumbing snakes are often safe for even older plumbing if you work carefully and avoid using too much force. These methods will often resolve minor clogs, but stop and call a professional if you can't solve the problem relatively quickly.
Other warning signs of more serious trouble include clogs that quickly return or multiple slow-running drains throughout the home. Older plumbing systems can have numerous problems that may cause persistent clogs, including root intrusion, scale build-up, and long-term fat or grease clogs. You won't be able to solve these issues simply by plunging your drains or using a consumer-grade snake.
If you're experiencing these more severe drain issues in your new home, contact drain cleaning services.
Share22 March 2023
Think about how different your life would be without plumbing. To get water, you would have to walk outside and pull it up from a well. To use the bathroom, you would have to venture out to an outhouse, which would certainly not be pleasant in the winter. We really have to thank plumbers for the work that they do, since it allows us all to stay comfortable and do our business inside of our homes. Life has been transformed, in so many ways, by the plumbing profession. Join us in honoring plumbers by reading the articles on this website.