There are two common questions when it comes to a home’s sewer lines. The first is “how often does my sewer line need to be cleaned”? The second is “what signs indicate that my sewer lines need to be cleaned”? Today Agape Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing will answer these two questions to help you to know if your sewer line needs cleaning.
How Often Should You Clean Your Sewer Line?
If you’re looking to prevent problems with your home sewer line, it is recommended you have the sewer lines cleaned about every 18 to 22 months. If problems occur more frequently, or even after the line has been cleaned, then there is another problem. Sewer lines often get backed up by a number of different things. Most can be avoided by maintaining your home plumbing lines and having them cleaned about every two years. To answer this question you can have your lines cleaned every 22 months to maintain and prevent sewer plumbing problems.
What are the Signs of a Clogged Sewer Line?
Some signs to look for if your sewer lines need to be cleaned are:
• Drains from bathtubs, sinks, or toilets may back-up and you will see raw sewage.
• The pipes will begin to make odd gurgling noises.
• For those with basements, you may see water around floor drains.
• Water will rise out of bathtubs or showers when the wash machine is running.
• Frequent drain clogs or multiple drain clogs occurring at the same time.
• Your drain will move slowly, or you may smell sewer odors coming from your drains.
These are some of the most common and classic signs that your sewer needs to be cleaned or has a problem.
Causes of Sewer Backups
Answering these two questions often create new questions such as what can cause back-up or blockages in your home sewer lines? There are three common culprits that can cause back-ups or blockages in a home’s sewer lines.
Tree Roots – Tree roots often grow and penetrate sewer lines form the nutrients and water inside them. Over time the root of a tree can break sewer lines which in turn cause a number of problems, including back-ups. Often a video inspection is used to determine the cause of the problem.
Bellied Piping – bellied pipes or sagging pipes often occur when the pipes are installed on a downward slope which is what creates a belly effect. Sometimes the soil around the sewer lines can become loose and breaks up around the pipes. The weight inside the pipes causes the pipes to sag, which cause sewer lines to back-up.
Grease – Cooking oil or grease is the worst thing for your home plumbing. When grease or cooking oil is poured down a drain, over time the grease or oil hardens. As it builds up and hardens, it creates a blockage or improper flow of your home’s drainage system.
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Most of these problems can be both corrected and prevented by having your sewer line cleaned. If a tree root is damaging your pipes, in most cases the tree will need to be removed. Agape Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing provides drain and sewer cleaning, as well as other plumbing and HVAC service. If you are in need of our services, contact us today.