Month: October 2024

How to Prevent Sewer Backup During the Rainy Season

Oct 11, 2024

How to Prevent Sewer Backup During the Rainy Season

Sewer backups can cause a lot of problems. If your sewer backs up, you have to worry about unpleasant smells, a big mess in your home, the possibility of your family members and pets coming into contact with contaminated water, and potentially expensive repair issues. It’s always important to think about your sewer system to help prevent unnecessary problems, but backups can be even more of a concern during the rainy season. Luckily, there are a few things you can do as a homeowner to prevent sewer backups from being a problem. At Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air in Sacramento, we are more than happy to assist you with all of your sewer and plumbing needs.

1. Have Your Sewer Lines Inspected by a Professional

First of all, if there are issues with your sewer lines, you can expect backups and other issues. It’s best if you can detect and address issues with your sewer lines as soon as possible. An experienced plumber will have the equipment and experience to properly inspect your sewer lines and assist you with any further steps if repairs are needed. For example, at Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air, we perform video line inspections using a small digital camera and a long fiber optic cable. This allows us to thoroughly check for clogs, breaks, and other possible problems, all without the need to dig up your yard in the process.

If you have been having sewer-related issues, it’s a good idea to call a plumber to come and check for problems with your lines. Even if you haven’t noticed any problems, having a professional inspection done regularly can help you stay ahead of any potential issues. After all, sewer line problems are not always immediately noticeable, but addressing the problem sooner rather than later can help you avoid backups and excessive repair costs.

2. Have a Backflow Prevention Device Installed

A backflow prevention device, which is also commonly known as a check valve, is designed to prevent plumbing backups. If you don’t already have one installed, now is the time to hire a professional plumber to assist you.

These devices are quite simple but do a very important job. Basically, a backflow prevention device works as a one-way valve that only allows wastewater to move in one direction. This means that once one of these devices is installed, it will allow wastewater to travel out of your home. However, it will then close off so that water is unable to move in the opposite direction, from the outside to the inside of your home. Plumbers from Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air can talk to you a little more about how these devices work and their benefits, and they can assist with a professional installation.

3. Install a Sump Pump in Your Basement

Although a sump pump is not actually designed to prevent sewer backups, this doesn’t mean it isn’t something you shouldn’t have. For one thing, a sump pump can prevent flooding in your basement. Additionally, in the event of a sewer backup, it can be used to remove wastewater from inside your home. It can also help prevent main line or sewer clogs. How large or powerful your sump pump should be depends on things like the type of soil on your property, the amount of rain that your area normally gets during a rainy season, whether or not your basement is below the water table, and more. Professional plumbers can help you choose a sump pump for your home, and they can ensure the system is installed and properly functioning. Of course, once your sump pump is installed, make sure you keep up with recommended professional maintenance to keep it functioning properly. This can help you avoid basement flooding and a variety of other issues.

4. Be Careful About What You Flush

To prevent issues with your plumbing and sewer lines, it’s critical to be careful about what you flush down the toilet or what you pour down the drains. The only things that should be flushed down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper. Paper towels, feminine hygiene supplies, cat litter, condoms, or other items should not be flushed down the toilet. Additionally, unless you have a garbage disposal, you should avoid pouring food scraps or coffee grounds down your sink. Pouring grease down your sink can also contribute to plumbing and sewer line problems. If you have questions about what you can and can’t safely flush down the toilet or pour down your sink drains, a professional plumber can provide you with guidance and helpful information.

5. Clean Downspouts and Gutters Regularly

If you aren’t careful about managing rainwater on your property, you have to worry about it overwhelming your sewer system. Because of this, consider having gutters and downspouts installed, if you don’t have them already. If you do, you should make sure that you have your gutters and downspouts cleaned regularly to get rid of leaves, twigs, limbs, and other debris.

By installing gutters and keeping them clean, you can help ensure that rainwater is directed away from the sides of your home. This will help the water drain naturally rather than affecting your sewer system; just make sure that your gutters help direct water toward drainage ditches rather than sewer lines. Alternatively, you can collect the rainwater in barrels or containers and use it for other things, such as watering plants.

There are other benefits to having gutters or downspouts that function properly; for example, it can help prevent foundation-related damage and minor flooding in your yard during particularly rainy periods.

6. Keep an Eye on Tree Roots

Many people don’t realize just how much of an impact tree roots can have on sewage lines. Even with smaller trees, tree roots can spread surprisingly far from the base of the tree, and they can often travel much deeper into the soil than many people realize. If you have trees on your property, it’s key to get professional help, ensuring that the roots are not interfering with your sewer lines or that they aren’t at immediate risk of doing so. In some cases, tree and root removal might be necessary to prevent sewer line issues. In the future, you may want to keep the location of your sewer and plumbing lines in mind when planting trees to help prevent these issues.

7. Have Your Drains Professionally Cleaned

Even if you are careful about how you use your drains, they can still become clogged. For example, hair and soap scum can cause clogs that can contribute to sewer backup issues. Having your drains professionally cleaned regularly is a good way to prevent backups, get rid of unpleasant odors, and ensure that your drains are working as they should be.

Proper prevention can go a long way in preventing sewer backups from being an issue on your property. Luckily, Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air in Sacramento can help. We provide a variety of plumbing and sewer system services, including video pipe inspections, sewer repair, plumbing repair, water heater repair, water heater installation services, and much more. We also provide HVAC services, including HVAC maintenance, repairs, and installation. To find out how we can help you prevent sewer backup issues this rainy season, contact us at Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air today.

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The Importance of Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Heating Season

Oct 04, 2024

The Importance of Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Heating Season

Carbon monoxide poisoning kills hundreds of people in the US every year and sends more than 100,000 people to the emergency room for treatment. The biggest issue with carbon monoxide is that it is entirely odorless and colorless, which is why you often hear it referred to as the silent killer. While carbon monoxide detectors generally aren’t necessary if you have an all-electric home, you should make sure you have them if you heat your home with a gas furnace. In this article, we’ll explain how a gas furnace creates a risk of carbon monoxide exposure and everything else you need to know about carbon monoxide detectors including where they should be installed, and which type is the best.

How Heating Can Create a Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide exposure and poisoning is always a risk if you have a gas furnace, gas fireplace or any other type of gas-burning appliance in your home, such as a water heater. There is also a risk if you have a wood-burning stove since any type of organic fuel source can produce carbon monoxide when it burns if it doesn’t combust completely. Incomplete combustion normally happens when the flames produced by the burning fuel don’t receive sufficient oxygen, which can occur if a furnace isn’t properly maintained or is incorrectly working.

Even if you have a gas- or wood-burning appliance that produces carbon monoxide, it normally shouldn’t leak out in your house. Combustion fumes should normally flow straight outside through the exhaust flue or chimney. The issue is if the flue or chimney is clogged or not properly designed, which can result in the fumes backing up and leaking out. Another potential issue with a gas furnace is that the heat exchanger can end up developing a crack or hole that allows the combustion fumes to leak out. This creates the biggest risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Since the fumes will end up leaking into the home’s ductwork, the heating system then circulates them into every part of the house.

Depending on the concentration of carbon monoxide in the air, the first symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can start occurring within just a few minutes of exposure. After this point, it is only a matter of time before a person will lose consciousness if they don’t get outside and start breathing fresh air. A high percentage of the fatal cases of carbon monoxide poisoning occur when a person is sleeping and unable to recognize the first symptoms like dizziness, nausea, headache, etc. The result is that the person ends up passing out and eventually stops breathing. Therefore, carbon monoxide detectors throughout your house are important so that you’ll quickly know if carbon monoxide is present and can immediately get everyone and any pets outside before they lose consciousness.

An Overview of Where to Place Your Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air, which means it slowly rises to near the top of a room. Experts recommend placing each carbon monoxide detector on a wall at least five feet above the floor or directly on the ceiling close to the middle of the room or hallway.

The fact that so many cases of carbon monoxide exposure and poisoning occur at night is why you should make sure you have one detector inside each bedroom or out in the hallway within 10 feet of each bedroom door. If you have multiple bedrooms located together in the same hallway, one detector in the hallway will suffice if it is still no further than 10 feet away from all the bedroom doors.

You also need to make sure you have at least one unit on every floor of your home as well as a unit approximately 15 feet away from each potential source of carbon monoxide, i.e., your furnace, water heater, fireplace, etc. In many homes, the furnace and water heater are located right next to each other and share the same exhaust flue. In this case, one detector will suffice for both appliances.

When building a new home, building codes require you to have carbon monoxide detectors installed in all the places we just mentioned. You’re also usually required to update your home so that you have detectors in all the necessary places when performing extensive renovations. Existing homes are essentially grandfathered in and don’t have to be updated to meet the requirements. Nonetheless, it’s something you should still do if you currently don’t have carbon monoxide detectors as well as smoke detectors in all the places you should.

Why Interconnected Carbon Monoxide Detectors Are the Safest Option

Battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors are relatively inexpensive and work just as effectively as hard-wired detectors. Nonetheless, hard-wired detectors are always going to be the safest, most reliable option for two different reasons. The first is that they are wired to your electrical system while also having batteries as a backup in case the power to your home is out. The fact that the detector has two different power sources means you have a failsafe that should ensure the alarm always goes off if carbon monoxide is present. You still want to test each detector in your house every month to make sure that the batteries still work, but the chances of the batteries in a unit being dead and your power being out at the same time are extremely slim.

The other reason why hard-wired carbon monoxide detectors are far safer is that every unit in the home is interconnected instead of each one being a standalone unit. This interconnectivity ensures that the detectors in every part of your house will all immediately set off their alarm if any one of them detects carbon monoxide. This gives you an extra level of protection since you don’t need to worry about not waking up if a detector in the opposite part of the house goes off at night. While hard-wired detectors are more expensive and need to be installed by an electrician, the added safety and reliability they provide make it more than worth paying a bit more. It’s also worth it to pay a bit extra for combination carbon monoxide/smoke detectors since then you’ll have half as many detectors that you need to test every month.

Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air is a locally-owned company that has been serving the Sacramento County area for nearly 50 years. We offer expert heating maintenance services and can inspect your furnace to ensure it isn’t producing carbon monoxide and is properly venting outside. We can also handle all your repair needs to ensure your heating works all winter or help if you’re looking to upgrade to a new furnace or switch to heating and cooling your home with a heat pump. Our certified HVAC technicians have years of experience working with central and ductless mini-split heating and cooling and are ready to help with all your home comfort needs. Whether you need to schedule a fall heating tune-up or need any other help with your HVAC, indoor air quality, or plumbing, contact us to get the expert service your home and family deserve.