2020 is the year we spent at home, and for many people, that’s meant massive home repair. These issues that many don’t see or let slide when they spend so much time outside of their house are now front of minds.
Your kitchen appliances get used in ways they never did before, and you notice they don’t work right. Those windows in your home office bleed the winter air. Your sinks and toilets drain slow.
You need sewer cleaning.
Though all those home issues are important, your sewer system is the beating heart of your house. You may not think about it until there is a problem. Prevent these expensive problems with regular sewer line cleaning.
Read on to learn more about why you should maintain your sewer system, and how to do it.
Signs of Sewer Line Clog
For too many homeowners, the sewer line functions without thought. It works until it doesn’t. The only time many homeowners pay attention to their sewers and sewer lines is when there is a serious problem.
These signs of sewer line clog are easy to ignore when you spend most of your day commuting and working and hauling your kids to their various activities. Now that normal life stopped, you can turn your attention to your sewers.
If you see these problems, you may need a sewer cleaner.
Toilet Bubbling
Do you notice a distinctive bubbling sound coming from your toilet when your bathtub drains? This could be a sign of a sewer line clog.
Your home’s plumbing system is an interconnected series of pipes and vents that all lead to the main sewer line. If you have a clog in one of these pipes, or the main sewer line, it will affect all of your plumbing fixtures.
Slow Drains
A drain clog happens from time to time, and often they’re localized. Your shower might drain slow because of a hair clog. The same goes for your bathroom sink. Kitchen drains slow from solid food waste and grease.
If more than one drains slow, it’s an indicator of a greater problem somewhere else in your plumbing system.
The Smell
It’s never a good sign if you smell sewage in or near your home. These smells make dinner time far less appetizing and are an indicator of a big problem somewhere in your sewage system.
Often coming from your basement, these odors are a good sign of your need for a main sewer line cleaner.
Wet Patches in the Yard
Draining water needs to go somewhere, and when you have a sewer line clog, that water often finds its way into your yard. If you notice pooling water or wet spots in your yard during dry weather, you more than likely have a main sewer line issue.
Clogged Cleanout
Your cleanout drain or cleanout fitting is an access pipe to the main sewer line. In colder climates, these cleanouts are often found inside the house in crawlspace or basements to prevent freezing. They are outside in warmer climates.
If you have a cleanout, you may not think about it or even know what it is until a problem occurs. When these cleanouts back-up, you’ll have foul-smelling sewage and wastewater leaking into your basement or yard.
Should your cleanout back-up or clog, there’s an issue with your main sewer line.
Prevention
There are many reasons sewer mains clog, and you can’t prevent all of them. A frequent unpreventable way sewer mains clog is from tree roots growing into the pipe.
If you recently purchased a home with a tree planted near the main sewer line, you might be wise to have the tree removed. If you can, avoid planting shrubbery or trees near the line to prevent these issues.
One way you can prevent clogged sewer mains is to monitor what you put down your drains. Your toilet isn’t a garbage disposal. Toilet paper is made to flush and travel through your pipes and into the municipal sewer system without clogging it.
Don’t flush things like wet-wipes, paper towels, or tissues. These items will clog your home’s plumbing system and will cause expensive sewer main issues.
If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen, it’s best to follow the rules as to what you can put in it. Items like coffee grounds, bread, and pasta will cause clogs.
Garbage disposal or not, remember to never pour grease or oil down your drains.
Sewer and Drain Cleaning
Your sewers and drains need preventative care like anything else in your home. It’s important to keep up on them like you would your water heater or HVAC systems. Doing so isn’t as hard as it seems.
A regular cleaning routine with hot water, vinegar, and baking soda will help keep your drains running clean. Pour baking soda down your drains, then add vinegar.
Like those elementary school volcano experiments, this mixture will cause a bubbling reaction. Let it sit and do the work in your drain for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water.
A routine like this goes a long way for maintaining your drains and lines. If you think you need more, you can schedule a regular sewer drain cleaning.
Having a professional maintain your lines with yearly care is similar to having a mechanic change your car’s motor oil or perform a yearly tune-up.
Sewer Cleaning is Important
The last thing you need right now is an expensive sewer main clog or issue. You’re working from home, your kids go to school at home, so your home’s function is so much more important.
Regular sewer cleaning is the best way to keep your lines clean. If you notice an issue like slow drains, bubbling toilets or drains, or a foul odor, you shouldn’t delay. Call a professional to get your sewer lines cleaned before something worse happens.
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