Living in a condo on the lowest floors of an apartment building comes with one advantage that residents on the higher floors of the complex do not enjoy. Garden-level condos and those on the first floor, often highlighted by Keyrenter Provo rental services, have easier access to the street; their occupants do not have to haul stuff up a long flight of stairs to reach their homes.
But this benefit doesn’t come without a cost. Street-level condos are often subject to severe drainage issues, with a very high possibility of moisture infiltration, mold, and sewer backup happening in the home. This risk is highest in apartment buildings that are located in flood-prone areas like Lakeview (Chicago).
Why are these types of Lakeview condos more likely to suffer from drain backups than other condos? The reasons are fairly simple.
Like the rest of Chicago, Lakeview sits at an elevation of 578–595 feet (176–181 meters) above sea level. What is now Chicago City was once a vast marshland that served as a natural water reservoir. Moreover, Lakeview itself sits directly adjacent to Lake Michigan, which makes the entire neighborhood prone to flooding.
When flooding occurs in Lakeview, the impact is worse on homes and structures closest to the street level, such as garden-level homes and first-floor condos. These homes may also experience drain backups as a direct result of the flooding. But these are not the only factors that can cause these problems.
Chicago’s aging sewer infrastructure also contributes to the issues. Age-related problems in the system make it vulnerable to flooding, often resulting in sewer backups in Lakeview homes. Another problem is that much of Lakeview uses a combined sewer system, a design that makes the infrastructure prone to flooding.
The final problem is that the ripple effects of the drainage issues in apartment complexes tend to occur on the lowest floors of the building. For instance, if occupants on the top floors of the building dump non-flushable items into their toilets, the resulting drain backup may happen in the lowest floors, far from the origin of the problem.
But this does not mean that the effects of drain backups caused by the misuse of the building’s plumbing system are always limited to condos on the lower floors. Even units on the higher levels of the complex can experience them. As a resident of one of these condos, how do you prevent these problems?
How to protect your Lakeview condo from drain backups
Since the origins of the problem are multidimensional, the solutions must also be multifaceted.
- Watch how you use your drains
For all their ruggedness, drainage systems and sewer lines are not designed to handle certain types of materials. If you or the other residents of your building dispose of any of the following categories of waste in the drainage system, the building will be more susceptible to drain backups:
- Fats, oils, and grease (FOG): Grease is a mortal enemy of modern drainage systems because fats, oils, and grease congeal into a hard solid that blocks drainage pipes and traps debris. Dispose of FOG in the trash.
- Observe the “3 Ps” rule: Nothing should go into your toilet if it is not Poo, Pee, and toilet Paper. Anything else, including paper towels, napkins, diapers, and feminine hygiene products, can cause drain backups.
- Trash food waste: Do not dispose of large pieces of food in the sink, especially starchy foods (mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.), fibrous veggies (corn silk, celery, cauliflower, etc.), coffee grounds, eggshells, and more.
- Implement these safeguards
Installing the following systems and devices at strategic locations in your drainage system will help to minimize the risk of drain backups in your home.
- Install strainers: The right type of strainer installed on your sink, shower, or bathtub drain will significantly reduce the quantity of debris that finds its way into the sewer line. These simple devices will trap hair, lint, soap scum, food scraps, and more.
- Install a backwater valve: These valves ensure that wastewater can only flow in one direction inside your pipes. If they sense a reversal in the flow of water (an impending drain backup), the valve will close to seal the pipe and protect your home.
- Adopt a preventive plumbing maintenance plan
This is a proactive approach to plumbing maintenance, where you actively seek out problems in your plumbing system and fix them, instead of waiting for those problems to cause a plumbing emergency in your home.
An effective preventive plumbing maintenance plan has three main elements.
- Regular plumbing inspections: For your drainage system, this will come as a sewer camera inspection. This inspection helps you stay up-to-date with the physical condition and function of your drains. It should be done annually.
- Yearly drain cleaning: This second step promotes optimal flow within your pipes by clearing out the built-up debris inside the system. The recommended drain cleaning methods are sewer rodding and hydro jetting.
The final element in a preventive drainage maintenance plan is a licensed and experienced Lakeview Chicago plumber who understands the drainage issues peculiar to homes in your location. A good plumber will not just solve your home’s drainage issues, but they will also prevent new ones.