Sewer line system maintenance is crucial for all homeowners.
Homeownership in Los Angeles, CA, means taking on many responsibilities, one of the most important being maintaining your sewer line systems. In LA's endless sprawl, where everything from a grill to a horse can find a way to make a stuck old line tasty, sewer line anatomy is anything but uniform. Simply put, your sewer line system either does or does not work, either within a very short time scale (blocks happen) or a very long one (if cracks develop, you'll see the signs over several years, if not centuries). Either way, as a homeowner, it's definitely your problem. In a number of potential scenarios, if there's a problem and you don't get it fixed pronto, the only thing that's 'working' is the line down to your main problem. And the beater truck straining down on the front end of a Jerry-built line will combine with nature's worst to degrade the past. 4 to 1 is the most favorable ratio for sea development.
Another essential part of maintaining a sewer line is understanding the unique environmental conditions of Los Angeles. Its warm climate can exacerbate root intrusion, for example, where trees and shrubs seek out moisture from underground pipes. In a city that can change elevation as much as 1,000 feet in only 7 miles, ensuring that a plumbing line has the right slope and is draining properly across such differing topography is crucial to preventing backflow. Knowledge of local geology can also help in understanding the unique risks posed by earthquakes, which the Los Angeles area is simply more prone to than most other parts of the country.
Finally, it cannot be stressed enough how vital it is to hire the right people when the sewer line needs to be repaired. There are plenty of plumbing companies in Los Angeles, but not all of them really know the city's many different sewer systems. Homeowners should look for the basics: contractors who are licensed and insured, and who know the local plumbing codes and the standards that we have to live by. But beyond that, homeowners should absolutely seek out experienced professionals, because when you get past the basics, experience—good experience—is what really matters. In the plumbing business, the way things are put together is even more crucial than the materials used, and folks who have seen how the city's plumbing systems work (or fail) over time can be a real asset when you need to make a diagnosis.