Halloween is just around the corner. That means pumpkins, costumes, jokes (yep, it’s a St. Louis thing), treats, and a spooky story or two. In the spirit (see what we did there?) of the season, we thought we’d share our own scary stories… about clogged drains. The most chilling part? They’re 100% true, and they happened to St. Louis homeowners.
Our city may not be as big as Chicago or New York, but at Maplewood Plumbing in Saint Louis Missouri, we’ve seen our share of clogged drains, burst pipes, and backed-up plumbing. Take a glimpse at these 6 real-life clogged drain stories—they just might scare you into taking better care of your pipes.
SCARY DRAIN CLEANING STORY #1: A HAIRY SITUATION
Shower, bathtub, and sink drains can clog up with hair, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and other substances, and over time, these products can build up in your home’s pipes. That’s when you start noticing slow drains and water backing up in your drains. One of our techs arrived for a service call and used a cable to pull out the clog—a four-plus foot length of hair. Wait too long, and you could clean up enough hair in your pipes to rescue Rapunzel from her tower!
SCARY DRAIN CLEANING STORY #2: DEBRIS, MULTIPLIED
Sewer blockages happen all the time. It’s no secret that all types of debris can lodge itself inside your home’s plumbing, and while there are things you can do to prevent the most common culprits from causing trouble, there are certain circumstances you simply don’t have control over unless you schedule routine preventive maintenance. This St. Louis homeowner’s plumbing was blocked with roots and debris that had to be cabled, putting a halt to his home’s normal routine and adding an unplanned service fee to his monthly costs.
SCARY DRAIN CLEANING STORY #3: IT’S COMING FROM INSIDE THE VENT
The plumbing vent that opens to your yard allows gases to escape slowly to keep pressure down in your pipes. A clogged plumbing vent can cause strong, unpleasant odors in your yard. In one such home, our crew pulled out more than its fair share of debris from the plumbing vent in the homeowner’s front yard. As you can see, quite a bit of trash was blocking the vent. Regular maintenance of your home’s pipes can minimize the chances of a clogged vent.
SCARY DRAIN CLEANING STORY #4: SCARY SCALES
Before the mid-1970s, sewer lines in St. Louis homes were primarily made from cast iron. This doesn’t mean you automatically have a problem. In fact, with careful usage and regular maintenance, cast iron pipes have a shelf life of more than 50 years. But the reason home builders got away from using cast iron is because over time, the pipes corrode. In fact, by the time a cast iron pipe is about 30 years old, 25% of it can be filled with corrosion deposits, also called scaling. This can reduce the flow rate of the pipe, and eventually lead to a clogged drain. The typical method used to correct this problem is jetting.
SCARY DRAIN CLEANING STORY #5: CREATURE DISCOMFORTS
Believe it or not, critters can sometimes find their way into a home’s pipes. Small cracks or holes in a drainpipe can be accessed by snakes, mice, and other crawly creatures that burrow down in your yard near where your drainpipes are buried. We’ve seen our fair share of this—in one case finding a rabbit that had been trapped inside a pipe. In another, our technician responded to a clogged pipe in a home. Each time he stuck the camera down to auger the pipe, a mouse jumped out! Installing a screen on the end of your drainpipe, and regular maintenance of your home’s plumbing, can minimize the chance of critters causing problems.
SCARY DRAIN CLEANING STORY #6: FRIGHTENING FINDS
While this particular scary drain cleaning story isn’t about creepy crawlers or spooky sounds, it does prove how important it is to hire a contractor you can trust. In this case, our technician found a 3’7” length of wood stuck in a drainpipe. A contractor had left it during a remodel years before, and over time, it caused a huge back up. Our crew had to cut into the pipe to pull it out! If you’re planning a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or other home remodeling project, it pays to hire an experienced contractor who comes highly recommended. And be sure to hire a licensed, professional plumber to handle all of the plumbing needs in your new space.
Want to avoid scary situations in your home’s pipes? Click here or call this phone number: 314-310-4245 and schedule your routine Saint Louis drain cleaning service now. First time caller? Save $20!
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