Frequently Asked Questions

What steps can I take to improve my plumbing?

A simple approach to better pipe care includes knowing what not to put down your drains. Here are some common items that cause pipe blockage and damage:

• Grease, Oil, Coffee Grounds
• Food that soaks water in to expand, like pasta or rice
• Medicine, Paint, Cleaning Products
• Any product claiming to be flushable
• Produce stickers
• Paper products

Food and paper products cause blockages when flushed or washed into your home’s pipe system, while chemicals cause damage through corrosion and environmental pollution. Your pipes are what give you clean drinking water, and they are all connected. Good pipe-keeping habits can begin with simple awareness of what your pipes do for you, and where your water comes from.

Take care of your pipes better by preparing them for the winter season. Freezing temperatures often result in bursting pipes because when water freezes, it increases in volume. Frozen pipe preparedness and awareness is key to preparing for a seasonal shift from hot to cold. Here are some ways to protect your pipes from the harsh winter temperatures:

• Shut off the main water line when leaving on winter vacations
• Call a Speedy Rooter Technician, and ask about winter pipe insulation methods
• Keep faucets dripping slightly for pipe warmth/ kinetic energy through your pipes
• Open up cabinets that hold pipes to let more heat in

If you have further questions about pipe winterization or general pipe care, just call your local Speedy Rooter Plumbing technicians today.

What are trenchless services?

Speedy Rooter offers trenchless plumbing services, which means that the technicians use the latest eco-friendly technology to solve your plumbing needs. The terrain of the earth is not disturbed as certified plumbing technicians utilize trenchless technology to perform subsurface construction.

Speedy Rooter Plumbing’s trenchless technology includes sewer camera inspections as a diagnostic tool. Sewer cameras are cables that are snaked down drains. They have cameras and LED lights attached near the lens to enable technicians to view your pipes from the inside-out on a screen.

Other trenchless tools that our plumbers utilize are hydro jets, which use high-pressured blasts of water to clean pipes and quickly resolve drain-clogs. Our technicians never operate without inspecting your pipe systems first. Our eco-friendly technology reveals the root of the pipeline problem before we operate.

When are Speedy Rooter technicians available.

Our technicians are available ²⁴⁄₇. Speedy Rooter Plumbing cares about client needs at any time of the day because costs of damage become exponential when disaster strikes. Our emergency service contact information can be found in bright-blue font at the top of our home page. For additional home-security, write your regional emergency line down, and stick it on the fridge for easy access. If you need us, we will be there to help.

What should I do in a plumbing emergency?

Emergency plumbing services are necessary when severe water damage is occurring. Be sure to call 9-1-1 if water damage is interacting dangerously with an electrical unit, or if you or another is injured or in danger.

Here are some simple steps to follow when faced with a plumbing emergency:

• Shut off your main water line
• Call a Speedy Rooter Plumbing technician
• Assess the damaged/ affected areas
• Take photos of the damage
• Call/review your homeowner’s insurance for plumbing benefits
• Begin to mop up excess water to avoid future mold contamination

How do I locate and shut off my main water line?

Shutting off your main water line is a great way to stop plumbing accidents before they worsen, however, your main water line location can vary. If you do not know where your main water valve shut-off is, take some time to find it before the situation is dire. Below are some steps for you to locate it, but if you need some more help or have any further questions, be sure to call a technician from your region.

• Look for you main water valve indoors. Your main water valve location could be in a: closet, crawl space, basement, garage, or near large, water-based appliances.
• If it’s not inside, check outside. There could be a water meter mounted on the exterior of your home, or somewhere close to a sidewalk.
• Once you find the main water valve, turn it clockwise. It should stop water flow to your whole house.
• Return indoors, and turn on both handles of a faucet until the water stops. This releases pressure from holding remaining water in the pipes.

What products does Speedy Rooter use?

An in-depth description of our favorite pipe-cleaning products can be found on the main home page, under the Products tab. For quick reference, our favorite pipe cleaning products include:

• Drain Master
• RootX
• CCLS
• BIO-REM-ED

Our plumbers ensure that these products are of high-quality, and are friendly to your pipe and water systems. These products are used in concurrence with trenchless technology, and only as-needed.

What are signs that my pipes need replacing?

When you move into a new home, it’s important to know the age and material of your pipes. If you are unsure of what your pipes are made out of, ask a technician to assess if they are brass, galvanized steel, cast-iron, copper, or PVC. The wearing of your pipes can be assessed from the identification of your pipe material, and also by assessing how long they have been in use. From here, a technician can help determine how the land is interacting with them, and if they ought to be replaced with something more efficient.

Common signs that your pipes need replacing include:

• Frequent clogs, even after multiple repairs
• A metallic taste in your water from pipe corrosion

What is pipe corrosion?

Pipe corrosion is damage resulting from a chemical reaction between your pipe’s metal and its environment. Corrosive environments can cause the wearing or rusting of a pipe, and endanger your health through your water systems. If you notice a metallic taste, or a discoloration in your water, call a technician immediately and do not drink any more of it.

Our technicians are familiar with the fact that different pipe metals thrive in environments that minimize chemically reactive behavior. If you suspect your pipes may be corroded, call your regional technician for a diagnostic assessment today.

What are common signs of a clogged pipe?

A clogged pipe may seem like a simple, single-cause dilemma, but there are a few factors can cause pipeline obstruction. Clogged pipes are commonly caused by: user-error, tree root invasions, and pipe corrosion. Here are some ways to detect a sneaky pipe-clog in your home’s pipe systems:

• Watch your water bills carefully, and know their averages. If they spike at random and remain high, you may have an obstruction deep in your pipeline.
• Take note of water pressure changes in your water appliances. If a faucet or shower head shifts in behavior in terms of water output, an obstruction could be changing the pressure of your line. It also helps to listen to your appliances, and know how they sound when you use them, just like you listen to your car’s engine for error.
• Notice if your shower drain gurgles when your toilet flushes, or if other drains gurgle in your home, this could be a sign of a clog in your pipeline.
• Take note of slow drains in your home
• Observe your lawn and notice if there are sinkholes near pipe systems. Water could be leaking out, and dirt and tree roots could be invited to obstruct your pipeline.

What seasonal habits can make my pipes last longer?

To get in a seasonal pipe-care routine, it is best to clean and inspect your pipes during the springtime, and execute insulation and damage prevention measures just before wintertime. Prepare for the worst weather in the best weather of the year so you can enjoy your holiday season without interruptive pipe-bursts and water damage.

The Valued Customer Plan is a great seasonal investment because it inspects, cleans, and prevents damage from occurring in the harsher weather to come. Call a technician today to schedule to annual checkup, and ensure your home water appliances function strongly through the wintertime.

How often should I pump my septic tank?

Speedy Rooter Plumbing recommends that you pump your septic tank every every 2-3 years. However, each septic tank will depend on the property and how often and to what degree it is used. If you schedule a septic tank pump in small increments, you can extend the life of your septic field while avoiding unhealthy contamination buildup. Signs that a septic tank needs a pump can include: toilet backups, foul smells, or soil softening near the surrounding area of septic tank.

The consequences of seldomly pumping a septic tank out can include high-cost repairs and negative effects on the surrounding environment. Not only does neglecting the septic tank put groundwater at risk of contamination, but nearby residents and wildlife as well. If you have any questions about the condition of your septic tank, call a technician to schedule a diagnostic assessment, and to determine if your tank needs a septic clean or pump.

What is the difference between a septic tank cleaning and pumping?

A septic pump is a service that drains the waste from your septic tank. We recommend a healthy 2-3 years between in you septic pumps, and guarantee that a pump will leave you with a waste-free tank. The more frequently you pump your septic tank, the less you will need to spend on a septic clean, which is the actual removal of buildup within your septic tank.

The amount of septic cleaning needed is usually a result of neglecting regular septic pumps. The sludge that remains at the bottom of the tank after it has been pumped is treated with Speedy Rooter Plumbing’s trusted products, leaving you with a septic tank that is healthy for you and the surrounding environment.

What is a sump pump?

A sump pump is a device that is installed in the lowest part of a basement to redirect any water that accumulates in the area. It is installed within a sump pit in a location that will not disturb your other water lines, and its pipes collect and steer water away from your home in order to stop it from flooding. Its purpose is to keep the underside of a home or building dry, so it becomes a key actor in preventing water damage when storms hit.

If you don’t have a sump pump, consider one, especially if your home has a beneath-the-ground, concrete basement. Call a technician today to ask about sump pump installation, repair, or replacement.