Hello, my name is Lelani O’Malley. Welcome to my website about keeping your plumbing system in great shape. When I bought my first home, I was shocked to learn that it was built in the early 1900s. Another shocking discovery awaited as I learned that the plumbing system remained from its original build. Upon learning those facts, I dedicated my time to learning how to keep that system in great condition. I developed this website to bring that knowledge to you as well. I want to help all my readers maintain their existing plumbing system for years to come. Thank you for coming by.
Sewer Safety Issues: Examining Facts and Fallacies of Underground Plumbing Gathered From Video Games
Over the years, there have been a lot of video games that take players into underground sewers. Some of the most popular games pit players' skills against the pitfalls and challenges of the virtual sewers, but how much of the video game content is realistic? How much of it is a fantasy world? Here is a closer examination of the facts and fallacies of underground plumbing as they apply to video games, and why you should never believe or do what you have seen on the video game screen. (In other words, kids: Stay away from sewers for all of the following reasons.)
FACT: Humans Can Fit into Sewer Pipes and Sewer Drains
While you will not go swirling down your sinks or toilet in your house anytime soon, you can fit through a manhole drain and walk through underground sewer pipes. Most city sewers are large enough, tall enough, and wide enough that an average-sized human can fit through, crawl through, and walk through them. This allows plumbers and civil engineers, among others, to enter the sewer system and perform necessary repairs or sewer maintenance. That does not mean you should enter sewers just because you can!
FALLACY: You Can See Clearly in the Sewer Tunnels
Sadly, almost all sewer tunnels are not lit. They are extremely dark, and with a lack of sunlight or moonlight, you are enshrouded in total darkness down there. Any professional who heads into a sewer system must have a headlamp or a flashlight, at the very least.
You should never enter a sewer tunnel system if you are not a plumber or a city engineer. At the very least, you should be a repair technician for a communications company. All aside, it is just too dark and too dangerous for anyone who does not know what they are doing.
FACT: The Floor Can Drop From Under You
Sewers are designed to have deeper tunnels and wash-out holes where excess sewer water can drain. Most of these holes closer to the surface of the street above should have grates covering them, but that does not mean they always do. As such, the flowing sewage water flows straight down into them.
People who are not careful in the sewers can also drop through as well. Not only is this a hazard, but it is also a problem when these openings become clogged. Sewage will back up the drains, and that sewage can enter your home. Plumbers will need to "roto-root" the problem or carefully enter the drains and unclog them while simultaneously avoiding slipping into the non-grated holes themselves.
Instead of entering in the sewer line or trying to fix a plumbing issue yourself, call a professional, such as Ez Flow Plumbing.