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But once you get to know them, drains aren't as
frightening as they seem. They are simply pipes that
move water and other things from one place to another.
Most of the time, they work well, so we don't have to
think about them, as we do with many other conveniences,
we tend to ignore them until something goes wrong. With
drains, the things that go wrong are also simple—they
run slowly; they leak, or sometimes emit unpleasant
smells. They plug up, back up, crack or break. Older
drains pipes are more likely to leak or break, as they
are made of weaker materials than the newer, PVC pipes.
Older pipes are also joined with older technology, which
makes leaking a problem as joint compound glues break
down or plastic or metal clamps fail over time. Newer
pipes include not only threads but a built-in glue that
forms a seal when you screw the pipes together. New,
silicone caulks have more flexibility and seal better
than older caulking. If you need to have a pipe repaired
or replaced because of leaking, consider having it
replaced with all new components to prevent failures
down the road.
Drains usually consist of threaded pipes made of a
strong, inert plastic called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC.
PVC is one of the latest generations of plastics that
work so much better than the metals used in years gone
by that there's practically no call for metal drain
pipes anymore: PVC outclasses them all. PVC doesn't
corrode or rust: it doesn't pass on any metallic
compounds, as the old, copper, hot water pipes once did.
It's light and cheap and easy to work with: you can use
a saw on PVC pipe, whereas metal pipes need soldering
torches to cut through them. PVC's ease of use means
lower labor costs and safer working conditions for
plumbers.
PVC pipe is available in straight lengths or in a
variety of angled pieces, since pipes invariably need to
turn to get from under the sink into the wall and from
the wall down to the ground floor, and from the back of
the house around to the front where they either join the
main sewer or lead to the septic tank. Drains come in a
variety of widths, since pipes that deliver clean water
from the well or city water supply are usually a quarter
inch, and shower and toilet drains must be bigger to
fulfill their duties of transporting waste from one
place to another.
If you're doing any at-home plumbing, drain experts
recommend never using a pipe with a 90 degree bend in it
if it's going to be difficult to get to. When pipes are
buried in the ground or running into a wall, a 90 degree
turn is asking for trouble because drain snakes have a
difficult time making the turn with sufficient power to
clear the drain. Whenever possible, it's preferable to
put in a 45 degree turn, then run it straight for a
couple of feet, and then make another 45 degree turn.
When there are clogs, it will be a lot easier to clear
them than if you have to deal with a right angle.
One way to prevent drain problems in the first place
is to keep them clean by respecting their purpose: don't
pour bacon grease down the drain or into a toilet—let it
cool and then pour or scrape it into the trash. If
you're on a septic system rather than a city sewage
system, tampons can cause clogged drains—they should be
disposed of in the trash. All other feminine protection
items and things like condoms should go into the trash
rather than down the toilet. If you have young children,
especially children at the potty-training stage, a
plunger is a must-have. You can also prevent lots of
toilet-related experimenting on the part of little kids
by putting a grown-up height lock on the outside of the
bathroom door and keeping it locked. There's something
in every toddler's soul that delights in unrolling all
the toilet paper into the toilet bowl. Many children
also decide that toilets are a great place for bathing
the puppy. Keeping kids out of the bathroom unless
you're with them is the safest way to protect little
children as well as your plumbing.
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