Chances are that all plumbing fixtures, pipes and drains in your home are connected to the main sewer line in your community. If you dump non-flushable items down your toilet or drain grease down your kitchen sink, it impacts the main sewer line. Imagine your neighbors and everyone in the neighborhood doing the same, also clogging up the pipes. Unfortunately, this might be exactly what’s happening.
Your main sewer line might give in and either clog or collapse. If this happens, it will need to be repaired or replaced. Knowing what can cause sewer lines to clog and noticing the warning signs can prevent you from dealing with a more serious problem later on!
The most common signs of a clogged main sewer line is all the drains in your home backing up at the same time. Repairing or replacing a main sewer line is sometimes what’s really needed when drain clearing efforts aren’t working. Here are some things to look out for when a total repair or replacement is needed:
Pipe Damage
If a sewer pipe has ruptured or is broken, the sewage won’t be able to drain correctly through the system. This can cause backups in your home. Damage could be due to a pipe rupture, corrosion of an old pipe, or leaking joints.
Sagging Sewer Line
Sagging sewer lines are out of a homeowner’s control and will eventually happen after many years. This happens when a section of pipe sinks because of soil or ground conditions. The low spot will then start to collect waste and paper, thus creating blockages.
Tree Roots
Older sewer lines aren’t as secure as today’s PVC versions and as a result, tree roots can easily grow inside a sewer pipe to reach the water inside. As the roots grow and expand, the pipe will break, wreaking havoc on the flow of the local sewer system.
Flushing Debris
You should know what you can and can’t flush down a toilet. Flushing the wrong things can cause major sewer drain issues and cause blockages. While toilet paper is fine, paper towels, tampons, pads, bandaids, cotton swabs and other items are strictly prohibited.
Grease Down The Drain
You should never put any fats, grease or oils down the kitchen sink. This is because over time, their solidified build-up will cause blockages in the pipes. These blockages require professional removal, and are completely preventable.
If you have concerns about in-home or main sewer line problems, contact Landa Plumbing and we can help identify next steps.