This morning, the NY Times has a story from a NYC homeowner who has a problem with recurring sludge in their bathtub. We’re in absolute agreement with Ronda Kaysen’s assertion that you shouldn’t have sludge in your bathtub. While Ronda goes on to discuss the sludge problem in terms of the tenant/landlord relationship and from a financial perspective, as your NYC plumber we’d like to take this moment to simply talk sludge.
What is sludge?
New Yorkers are renowned for being pretty blunt. We call it the way we see it, most of the time. But when we get to talking about plumbing, people – even New Yorkers! – abandon that plain talk tendency. We use polite catch all words like sludge to describe the nasty filth that can come back up through bathtub drain pipes instead of calling it what it really is – sewage waste, used dishwater, bathing residue and anything else the people in your building decide to flush down the drain. That’s what’s in the nasty mess that piles up in your tub. It’s terrible to have to clean something like that up – there’s no way you want to deal with it on a recurring basis.
Drain backups can be fixed. It is not safe or sanitary for your family to have to deal with regular sludge backups in your bathtub. Do you really want your child or spouse bathing in the same tub that was recently home to the nasty waste water of the entire building? Not if you can help it! Resolving the issue can be as simple as having your NYC plumber do some drain cleaning, or it may require more extensive repairs. Either way, don’t live with a situation that’s not safe or healthy in your home. You shouldn’t have sludge in your bathroom!
