Innovative plumbing solutions can help homeowners save money, improve their home’s comfort and safety, and positively impact the environment. These innovations range from plumbing tools that improve work efficiency to advanced technologies used for convenience and safety.

For example, smart toilets can be controlled remotely or have sensors to detect leaks or clogs. They can also recycle greywater for outdoor use, reducing water bills and boosting sustainability.

Water Jetting

If you’ve been experiencing recurring slow drains and sewer line backups, hydro jetting may be the solution for you. This plumbing service uses a highly-pressurized water jet to completely clean your pipes and restore proper function. It’s a minimally-invasive service that can effectively clean out even the most stubborn debris, clogs and mineral buildup. It also offers many other benefits that make it a smart choice for keeping your home’s plumbing functioning properly.

Hydro jetting is the most effective way to clear blockages from your drain and sewer lines. It removes all types of buildup, from hair to grease to hardened scale and more. It’s especially helpful when traditional methods like plunging or snaking don’t work. The process involves inserting a hose into your drain or sewer line, then turning on the water jet. This powerful stream of water quickly dislodges and flushes away accumulated debris, ensuring that your pipes are free of clogs, blocks, and damage.

Another benefit of hydro jetting is that it’s safer for your pipes than traditional drain cleaners. While it’s still a dirty job, it reduces the amount of time plumbers spend in direct contact with sewage. It also avoids using corrosive chemicals that can wear down your pipes. This service is particularly useful for homes and businesses that are near natural water sources like rivers or lakes, as it helps protect the environment from dangerous waste materials.

The high-pressure water blasts of hydro jetting can also reveal hidden issues in your pipe system. For example, it can identify areas where tree roots have infiltrated your pipes or where there is cracking or corrosion. This feedback allows your plumber to take the appropriate action to prevent a more serious problem down the road.

The frequency with which you need to have your drains and sewer lines cleaned depends on the type of pipe you have and how much debris tends to accumulate inside them. For example, older pipes made from thin material are more likely to develop clogs and damage over time. To avoid costly repair bills down the road, it’s generally a good idea to have them cleaned every 18-22 months. This will help keep your drains running smoothly, prevent recurrent blockages, and prolong the life of your pipes.

Pipe Lining

A pipe lining is a modern plumbing solution that can take care of problems with a damaged buried line without requiring extensive excavation. It’s also known as cured-in-place pipe lining (CIPP) and it’s one of the most advanced options when it comes to trenchless plumbing repair.

During the process, plumbers feed a special fabric liner that’s doused in resin into your old pipes and then inflate it to fill the entire space. The result is a brand new pipe-within-a-pipe that’s much stronger, more acid resistant and faster flowing than your old pipes.

Since this method doesn’t require extensive excavation, it’s a much less invasive option for homeowners and business owners than the traditional way to solve underground pipe problems. In fact, it’s ideal for commercial properties that need to stay open while they get repaired because it can be completed in a matter of days, compared to weeks or even months when a traditional excavation approach is used.

The new liners that are inserted into your existing pipes also have a low surface friction coefficient, so waste and water move through them more easily than they did before. They’re also designed to be stronger than the standard pipes that are often found in homes and businesses. So, if you have an older system that’s more prone to issues like tree root penetration, this is a great way to prevent them from getting worse.

Another reason why this is a great choice for homeowners and business owners is that it can help to extend the lifespan of your old pipes. The lining can act as a protective barrier that prevents further degradation, and it can also stop water and waste from seeping out of your pipes, which can damage the surrounding soil.

Another trenchless technique that’s sometimes used in conjunction with lining is pipe bursting. This involves destroying the existing line and then pushing it outwards into the surrounding soil, which makes room for a new section of pipe to be winched into place. Both of these methods are a lot less disruptive than the traditional method, and they can save you a ton of money in the long run when it comes to plumbing repairs.

Leak Detection

Leak detection systems monitor the flow of water throughout a home’s pipes. They use various sensors to identify leaks and shut off the water supply when they detect a leak. This saves homeowners from costly repairs and helps them avoid water waste.

A few different types of sensors are used to detect leaks, including acoustic, optical, and flow/pressure sensors. Acoustic leak detection systems work by recording sound waves created by the pressure of liquids flowing through pipes. The system’s software then analyzes the frequency and intensity of these waves to find leaks and record the location of each one.

Other types of leak detection systems rely on optical technology, like a phototransistor that changes sensitivity in the presence of a fluid. These sensors can be installed on both the inside and outside of a pipe, which is beneficial for detecting a leak in hard-to-reach areas. Optical sensors are also capable of identifying the exact location of a leak, which is helpful when determining the best course of action.

Lastly, flow/pressure sensors can be utilized to determine a pipe’s overall health by monitoring the water pressure in the surrounding area. When the pressure rises, this can indicate a leak or other problem with the pipe. Additionally, this type of sensor is useful in identifying when a pipe may be susceptible to freezing temperatures.

Leaks in the home are more common than break-ins or fires, and they can result in catastrophic damage that requires expensive repairs. Luckily, smart leak detection systems can help prevent these problems by meticulously monitoring the flow of water through a home’s pipes. They have a built-in shut off valve that can be triggered from a homeowner’s smartphone or home control panel if they notice any abnormalities. These systems are programmable, allowing users to customize water shut-off settings based on their usage patterns, and they can be used in homes that don’t have Wi-Fi.

Sewer Repair

Sewer lines are a crucial part of a home’s plumbing system, funneling wastewater and other debris away from sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, and appliances to the sewage mainline. But like all plumbing components, age and wear can take their toll, leading to clogs or leaks that need to be repaired.

Thankfully, innovative plumbing solutions are making sewer line repairs faster and less invasive than ever before. Trenchless repair methods are often far more cost-effective than traditional excavation and leave behind no lasting damage to landscaping or outdoor features.

A clogged or leaky sewer line can quickly turn into a major plumbing emergency and a big bill, so it’s important to get on top of things as soon as possible. Look for telltale signs, such as gurgling noises from toilets (which indicate that air is trapped in the clog) or lush patches of grass on your property that are absorbing sewage waste.

If you notice these symptoms, it’s time to call a plumber for a video inspection of your sewer line. Using a small camera attached to a long probe, your plumber will be able to see exactly what’s going on and pinpoint the location of the problem. They’ll then be able to recommend the right solution.

Sewer line problems can be caused by a variety of factors, including tree roots. Roots are naturally attracted to liquid waste, and if they find a broken or cracked sewer pipe, they can grow into it, causing extensive damage. It’s also common for older homes to have clay sewer pipes, which are more prone to breakage than other materials.

Another common cause of a broken or clogged sewer line is improper septic system maintenance. Only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed down the drains; other materials, including wipes labeled as ‘flushable’ can create tough blockages that need professional attention.

The most common way to fix these issues is through trenchless sewer line replacement. Traditionally, replacing a sewer line required digging up and then replacing the entire piping length. But a new method called CIPP (cured-in-place pipe lining) allows your plumber to reline the existing sewer pipes with an epoxy resin that hardens and seals any cracks or leaks. Another trenchless technique called pipe bursting uses an inflatable tube covered in epoxy that’s pushed through the old piping by a specialized bit.