Plumbing systems are pressurized and flow in one direction for a very good reason. When water comes into your house from its source and doesn’t come in contact with anything else, then it’s considered “clean” or at least “fresh.” This is an important metric to use, because the moment your water starts interacting with things like infiltrating tree roots, other water pipes, or even it’s own backflow, then you’re dealing with a serious health and safety concern.
When it comes to sink plumbing in North Ridgeville, OH, water should only flow in one direction. It should come out of the faucet and down the drain. If you suspect there’s a leak in your plumbing system somewhere, or you think that there’s a problem with backflow, then we recommend calling our team as soon as possible. We can help install a backflow preventer and even provide video pipe inspection to monitor the interior of your plumbing system.
What Is Backflow?
Backflow is an industry term used for water that flows in the opposite direction that it’s supposed to. If you think of your plumbing system like a straight line, the start is your local water treatment plant or well, where clean water is sent directly into your home’s pipes. Then, it reaches your sink to be used, before heading into the drain and being sent to a facility for cleaning.
If there’s backflow in this process, that means the water stops and starts traveling in the opposite direction than what it’s supposed to. This can be a huge problem because once that contaminated water comes in contact with your freshwater supply, the whole thing could be contaminated and make you sick!
Gravity Can Be a Big Problem
Backflow preventers are vital in homes where the plumbing system has to work against gravity in order to get clean water into your rooms. In an upstairs bathroom, for instance, water must fight against gravity to reach your bathroom sink. When there’s a problem or a leak, backflow can start heading backwards in the pipe because gravity dictates that’s the natural path it should follow.
We recommend working with our team to install a backflow preventer so you are prepared for when water starts flowing in the opposite direction. These components stop the flow of water when they detect backflow occurring, so you’re protected at all times!
Leaks Can Contaminate Too
You’ve got two different types of pipes in your house: wastewater pipes and freshwater pipes. If there are leaks, you could risk contaminating the freshwater pipes depending on how large the leak is or where it’s located.
This is going to depend heavily on the location of the leak, but we urge that homeowners get these kinds of issues fixed ASAP by a professional.
Infiltrating Tree Roots
Tree roots can be a huge nuisance, and they can also contaminate your water supply. If your main water line is being disrupted by tree roots, it can send contaminants into the supply that might make you and your family sick.
Our team can find out if there are any tree roots infiltrating your water pipes, and we’ll fix the problem quickly.
