Problems cleaning sewer pipes
But it also happens that no chemical solvents designed for these purposes help to clear a clogged pipe. Then it remains possible to clean the pipes mechanically or by water hammer. Mechanically, through a special input, which should be located at the end of the pipeline (usually under the sink in the kitchen), you can try to clean the pipes yourself, but for a water hammer, you will have to invite specialists with the appropriate equipment.
If the kitchen is not equipped by special order, then the masters have access to a joint for connecting the sink to the sewer and an input for cleaning. Otherwise, to get to the joints, you will have to move the kitchen structure or even dismantle it.
All of the above has one goal - to convince the owner, who decided to make repairs in the apartment, with the utmost attention to the correct installation of the sewer system and to assemble it with high quality, as well as to perform reliable sealing of the joints.
Sealing materials
Tapes for sealing, are issued as usual and foil.
Conventional and foil tapes have recently been used for sealing and corrosion protection of linear pipe elements, plugs, tie-ins, bends and turning corners. To some extent, where necessary, they also provide waterproofing of joints. They are made on the basis of polyethylene, therefore they are dielectrics. These tapes are strong enough and have a long service life. The disadvantage of films is that they need to be protected from exposure to sunlight. Therefore, it is not advisable to use them in open areas of the sewer system without protection from sunlight.
Waterproofing of sewer pipes in underground utilities is carried out using liquid rubber. Sealing silicone or fluoroplastic O-rings are operational at temperatures from -60°C to +300°C. There are special sealing rings that seal the joints between plastic and cast iron pipes.
Silicone sealants are perhaps the most common material used for high quality sealing of metal and plastic sewer pipes. Depending on the hardener, they are divided into acidic (cheaper) and neutral. It is impossible to use acid sealants for pipes made of metals, the surface of which can react with acids. Neutral sealants are universal.
Petroleum bitumen and asphalt mastic are used to fill the sockets of ceramic pipelines, technical sulfur, previously crushed and heated to a liquid state, is used for the joints of cast iron pipes. Cast iron pipe sockets are minted with asbestos cement mixed with Portland cement.
For the same pipes, resin strand, jute and hemp cords known to many are used. A reliable seal at the joints can be created using linen sanitary wrapping or cords pre-impregnated with resin. At home, sewer pipe joints are sealed with epoxy resin.
Why condensation occurs
The main reasons for cold pipe humidification are:
- If we are talking about a cold water riser, in this case, condensate will form on an ongoing basis, up to the appearance of puddles on the floor. The reason may be a leak in one or more pipes in the upper neighbor's apartment. Often the whole thing is in an unreliable toilet tank. To clarify this, it is best to choose night time, when it is possible to hear well the fall of drops along the sewer riser. Condensation on hot water pipes usually does not occur.
- When there is no exhaust ventilation. The same may be due to interruptions in her work.This problem often affects new buildings or dwellings where there are metal-plastic windows: in such cases, there may be no hood if the windows are tightly closed. To determine the difference, a simple experiment is carried out by applying a newspaper to the ventilation grill, opening and then closing the windows. If there is no exhaust ventilation, sometimes the additional fan is powerless.
- If condensation is observed on the plastic pipes that are included in the apartment wiring, quite often the reason lies in the breakdown of the plumbing fixture, with insufficient or completely absent hood.
Why is joint sealing so important?
The sealing process should be taken quite seriously right away, since work is carried out with pipes, in contrast to the exterior finish, for example, the defects of which are quite easy to fix.
The broken joints of the pipes of the sewer system during the repair process should be carefully sealed so that sewage does not enter the apartment and does not create an unpleasant odor.
The tightness of the joints and their quality sealing is important in two ways
- so that impurities do not fall into the ground;
- so that groundwater does not get inside the joints and further into the sewer pipes.
In this case, we are talking about a system of pipes of a sufficiently large diameter and length, which are assembled into a single structure. First, it is advisable to assemble the individual links, and then connect them. Working with such pipes is difficult, and correcting an earlier mistake (especially if the pipes were waterproofed) practically means doing the same, if not more, amount of work.
