It's Halloween season, and we write about pipes. That can only mean 1 thing: it's time to get some plumbing horror stories. If you are fan of these sorts of"it arrived from below" pipes horror stories, however, you could be inured to their chilling consequences. That is why we're doing something a little different this year.
These are not the"scariest pipes horror stories ," or"the scariest plumbing creatures in fiction" No, these are hitting a little closer to home. These four petrifying plumbing issues are the scariest that may occur to you. That's right--those aren't something that occurred once 100 decades ago; they're something which could happen right now. Happy Halloween!
A "fatberg" is a mass of fat, oil, and dirt (or"FOG"). When people flush FOG down their drains, it turns strong as it cools. Strong FOG sticks to pipe clogs or walls rather than moving through the pipe. The longer the FOG remains in the pipe, the longer it congeals… and grows. The sticky berg collects an increasing number of FOG and debris over time, growing bigger and more obtrusive.
There's virtually no limit to how big a fatberg may get. Just ask the epic workers of Macomb County, Michigan's Public Works department. Last monththey pulled a fatberg out of the sewer which was 100 feet long. Not big enough? What about the 820 foot long, 130 ton fatberg engineers eliminated from sewers under White chapel, London? Fatbergs would be the scourge of the modern plumbing globe. When we say you should never pour FOG down your drain, then fatbergs are the reason why.
Yes, snakes may crawl through pipes and enter houses through toilets. Yes, snakes can have bitten the folks sitting on bathrooms (warning: this connection is disturbing). Before you destroy all the toilets in your home, however, know that this is extremely unlikely. Snakes get into toilets by slithering up from the sewer pipes. They don't enter sewer pipes quite frequently, and if they do they rarely survive for long.
Snakes wander into sewer pipes several ways. They may fall in through air compressor pipes or chase victim to storm drains or damaged pipes. Leaking septic systems supply a particularly likely place for rodents to enter your pipes. Once indoors, snakes readily swim through the six feet of water from your pipes along with your toilet. It does not happen frequently, but it may! Think about this as one more (rather compelling!) Reason to place the lid down after you use it.
Sinkholes type if a natural depression in the ground does not have any external surface drainage. Without proper drainage, water in the soil can not drain away and redistribute correctly. Rather, that water collects, dissolving the structures propping the ground up. Eventually, the groundwater hollows from the earth entirely, creating empty cavernous spaces only under the surface of the dirt. With support, the surface collapses and whatever's on it sinks to the gap below.
Sinkholes normally happen in areas where the stone beneath the ground surface is soluble and easily dissolved. Regrettably, however, sinkholes may also occur in the event of accidents, weather disasters, or serious plumbing issues. Plumbing leaks in pipes can soften the ground around the pipes and create a sinkhole. When a sinkhole opens near home, the results can be disastrous. If you think excess water buildup is detrimental your yard or home, call us immediately!
Traditional water heaters heat and save water within a large, cylindrical metal tank. The heating element inside this tank heats up the water stored inside the tank. As the machine warms up, the water within it obviously expands. When that happens, the water strains against the faces of the tank and generates excess pressure. With time, this pressure can cause leaks, ruptures, or (in extreme cases) even the infamous water heater explosion.
Ordinarily, water heaters have a couple countermeasures to prevent pressure buildup. If the water gets too warm, the heater thermostat should step in and turn the heater off. The tank includes a Temperature & Pressure (T&P) valve that releases pressure if too much builds up. Dangerously excessive pressure simply builds up if these countermeasures fail or sediment interferes with the heater's right function. It is possible to prevent both of these scary situations by regularly keeping your own water heater.
Loathe as we're to break our spooky spellwe feel obligated to impart at least a little good thing. Every one of those admittedly terrifying troubles is totally preventable. Just stay on top of your pipes maintenance, and you're going to survive whatever horrors your house can throw at you.
If you're ever dealing with a plumbing monster (in any form!) Arvada, simply give Jet Plumbers Arvada Co a Call. We're always prepared to exorcise your pipes's demons.
