Drain Cleaning: Looking for Trouble
June 6, 2013
Drains in institutional and commercial facilities can present tough challenges. By understanding the locations of the most common drain-cleaning trouble spots in facilities' plumbing systems, maintenance and engineering managers will be better able to specify the most appropriate equipment to meet the challenges.
The most common drain trouble spots that require the attention of technicians with drain-cleaning equipment are those areas where solids build up — sink, shower, and toilet drains. Kitchen-sink drains dispose of grease and garbage, which can build up in traps. Shower drain traps can get clogged with soap residue and hair. Toilet bowls can get blocked with waste, paper products, and foreign objects. These solids might partially dissolve, but they are known to accumulate in piping over time and cause complete blockages, backups and overflows.
Blockages often occur in the lower end of a vertical riser that collects waste water from several fixtures. The place to access the problems is at the cleanout where the drains collect. Opening the horizontal and vertical cleanouts and attacking the clog at that point generally solves the problem.
More complicated blockages occur when the common sewer drain that collects sink, shower and toilet waste becomes blocked. The tipoff to trouble is backups occurring at several points at the same time.
For example, if the common sewer drain is blocked, a backup can occur at a toilet and a sink drain at the same time. When the toilet is flushed, it backs up into the sink drain. The cause of the problem can be buildup on pipe walls, a solid object lodged in the drain, a tree root growing into the drain, or a combination of these problems. In addition to the inconvenience, this type of blockage is a serious potential health problem, and workers must deal with it right away.
Floor drains can present unique challenges, depending on the facility type and location. Garage drains are quite different from drains in basements or restrooms, and each requires specialized cleaning equipment.
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