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Replace Outdated Plumbing Before It Breaks

Replace Outdated Plumbing Before It Breaks

Plumbing is one of those things that we tend to forget we have. We’ve grown so used to always having running water, a functional shower, and a toilet that we only remember how important they are when they stop working. Instead of waiting for your plumbing to stop working, the experts at POM Plumbing encourage you to replace outdated plumbing before it breaks. If you aren’t sure this applies to you, take a look at the following.

How Old is Your Plumbing?

Wondering if you need to replace outdated plumbing? The first step is to figure out how old your plumbing is. Plumbing is set to last somewhere between 70 and 100 years. It’s around the 60 year mark that major problems begin cropping up. The kind of problems that come from outdated plumbing are not just simple clogs and bad water pressure, though those are on the list. Outdated plumbing can lead to pipe bursts, flooding, mold problems, and an overall decline in your home’s interior and value.

Many people live in older houses and forget that the plumbing won’t last forever. New homes don’t pose much risk with their plumbing. However, if you live in a home you bought used, you should check into what year it was built in. A lot of people think of an old home as something that was built in the 19th century. However, for a home to have outdated pipes, it only has to have been built around 1950. If your plumbing is nearing 70 years old, it’s time to replace it.

Younger Outdated Pipes

The truth is, some pipes that were put in even more recently – say, in the 80s – can also be outdated despite only being 40 years old. Plumbing standards and regulations have changed a lot over the years. That can mean that your plumbing is not functional in the way it should be even if they’re more recent.

For instance, a common issue is that drain pipes put in in the 20th century were made for a lower water volume. They may have been efficient when they were installed, but can’t keep up with modern water volumes. This can lead to water pooling in the tub or shower while you use it. It can lead to toilets not flushing properly or backing up. Even though your 40-year-old pipes may not be breaking from age, they are no longer doing their job.

Replace Outdated Plumbing

If your plumbing is no longer doing its job, it’s time to call in the professionals. Call us today if you need a professional plumber to come check out your plumbing. We can give you a quote on plumbing replacement and then get to work as soon as you need. We look forward to serving you and bringing your home back to its full, functional potential.

Get A Camera Inspection for Your Blocked Drain

Get A Camera Inspection for Your Blocked Drain

Is your drain not, well, draining? It could be from any number of things. Many people rely on using chemical drain cleaners to fix their problem. You shouldn’t use these, as they will damage your pipes. However, if you already have and you still have a blocked drain, it might be time to check things out with a camera inspection, courtesy of POM Plumbing.

What is A Camera Inspection?

When your drain is blocked, a camera inspection is a great way to check out what the problem is with our own eyes. Normally, without a camera, figuring out what’s wrong with a drain is a matter of randomly trying things until something works. Drain cleaner, snaking, or taking apart pipes are some ways we experiment in fixing a drain.

However, what a dysfunctional drain always comes down to is that something is in the way of the pipeway. Therefore, the easiest way to find out the problem is to follow the drain itself until we get stopped by what’s stopping everything else. To do this, we attach a small camera to the end of a line and feed it into the drain pipe. We can then watch the live camera feed from a monitor, seeing with our own eyes what it is that’s causing the problem.

The Verdict

Once we’ve followed the drain down with the camera, we’ll be able to find what the problem is. If it’s a blockage, we can then move on to snaking. If we’ve already tried snaking and it wasn’t effective, we can also try removing the affected pipe and removing the blockage more forcefully.

However, camera inspections, especially those following a failed attempt at snaking, can often reveal more than just a blockage. The problem may lie in the pipe having broken.

It is not at all uncommon for underground pipes to break and collapse. This happens or many reasons. The pipe may have become weaker with years of intense shifts in temperature. It may have been broken forcefully by tree or plant roots. Or, it may have just aged and eroded, going unreplaced for long enough that it can no longer support the earth pressing down on it. No matter the case, a broken pipe must be replaced or repaired.

Fixing Broken Pipes

If you have broken pipes that need fixing, POM Plumbing is more than happy to be of service. Broken pipes in the walls can be accessed by removing a relatively small portion of drywall. The broken pipe can then be removed and replaced with a new one. If the break is minor, it an also be repaired. Pipe repairs are typically done by putting a tight, rubber sleeve around the broken portion of the pipe. Drywall is then replaced and made to look like the rest of the wall like we were never there.

Broken pipes underground will require a bit of digging. Our expert team will replace a broken, outdoor pipe in no time at all. Once the broken pipe is fixed, you should no longer have any trouble with a blocked drain.

If you’re in need of plumbing expertise for a blocked drain, a camera inspection, or pipe repairs, POM Plumbing is Toronto’s #1 choice for plumbing service. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to schedule an inspection for you.