How To Know When To Call A Plumber Vs. Sewer Line Repair Professionals
When your home’s main sewage line is blocked, every drain in your home is susceptible to a backup, so trying to pinpoint a problem with your toilet or tub can be difficult. How are you supposed to know when the issue indicates a larger concern in your home’s main sewer line or when it’s a one-off clogged pipe?
If you’re already feeling frustrated with slow drains and smelly pipes, knowing who to contact for help can save you time and money, ensuring you receive the appropriate repairs to resolve the problem. You might have a local plumber in mind, but if the issue is in the main sewer line, you need professional expertise from sewer specialists experienced in sewer line repair. Learn to spot the signs of a sewer line problem so you know if sewer professionals or traditional plumbers are the right people for the job.
What Is A Main Sewer Line & How Does It Fit Into Your Home Plumbing?
Your home’s main sewer line is responsible for carrying wastewater away from your home, typically connected to the municipal sewer main in your community or to a private septic system on your property. All of the tubs, toilets and other plumbing fixtures in your home carry wastewater away through drain pipes, which flow into the sewer line located beneath your yard or driveway.
Your home plumbing system includes these drain pipes as well as the water lines that deliver fresh water to your home. The sewer line is an essential component of home plumbing, but sewer line repair comes with different challenges and expertise compared to a single clogged pipe within your home. If there’s a blockage in your main sewage line, the stakes are high because wastewater and sewer gas are unable to pass through, putting all of your home’s plumbing at risk of a sewer backup.
What Does It Mean If Your Toilet & Shower Are Backing Up At The Same Time?
One of the most pressing signs of a problem in your sewer line is your toilet and shower backing up simultaneously. When multiple fixtures fail at the same time, this indicates the issue is not localized in one drain pipe but rather is farther along in your home’s main sewer line. If flushing the toilet causes a backup in your shower, you’re right to blame the sewer line. Tub and shower drains are typically lower than toilets, causing trapped wastewater to flow up into these drains first when the main sewage line is blocked.
Clogged toilets and slow shower drains aren’t uncommon as isolated issues, and at-home tools like a plunger or drain snake can often solve these problems. If not, local plumbers have the tools and experience to clear or repair individual drain pipes impacting your plumbing.
When To Call A Plumber For A Clogged Drain
Contact traditional home plumbers for a clogged pipe or drain when DIY approaches like plunging, snaking or combining baking soda and vinegar don’t work. Professional plumbers have the equipment to safely inspect the pipe, identify the issue and clear the blockage or repair the pipe as necessary.
Before you call a plumber, test other drains in your home to ensure the issue is isolated to the offending pipe. Otherwise, a sewer backup will continue to escalate if ignored, and DIY solutions like snakes and chemicals only worsen the damage. Professionals experienced in sewer line repair have the specialized background to safely eliminate blockages in your main sewer line without exacerbating the issue. To help you feel confident before you contact a plumber or sewer professional, learn what the signs of sewer line problems look like and when to be concerned.
Signs Of Sewer Line Problems Compared To Clogged Pipes In Your Plumbing
Along with simultaneous toilet and shower backups, you can distinguish clogged pipe plumbing issues from a blockage in your main sewage line by using your senses. If you notice an issue that doesn’t seem to be confined to one toilet or drain, look for signs of sewer line problems causing foul odors, gurgling sounds and other telling symptoms in your home:
- Multiple fixtures are backed up - A sewer backup is true to its name, backing up into your drain pipes, often becoming evident in lower areas of your home like your basement first before spreading to plumbing fixtures throughout your home as more wastewater adds to the blockage.
- Standing water in your yard - Individual drain pipes are located within your home, so standing water in your yard is indicative of a blockage or damage in the main sewer line located under your yard, causing sewage to leak or back up into the ground.
- Sewage odors in and around your home - If the telltale rotten-egg sewage smell permeates your property, a blockage in your sewer line is likely behind the odor as trapped sewer gas leaks out of drains in your home.
- Recurring backups after cleaning a clog - Pay special attention to persistent clogged pipes that continue to back up after you or a professional cleans the drain, as the recurring clog may be a sign your home’s main sewage line is blocked.
- Gurgling sounds upon flushing or draining water - When your home’s main sewer line is functioning properly, it shouldn’t make a sound, so if you notice gurgling noises after using a toilet, sink or drain, something is blocking wastewater flow away from your home.
- Intrusive tree roots nearby - While this sign of a problem in your sewer line isn’t often visible, trees in your yard may cause roots to grow into the nearby sewer line, creating a blockage and potentially cracking the pipe. If you have trees in your yard and are unsure what’s causing a sewer backup, consider working with sewer professionals for a sewer line camera inspection to determine if tree roots or other debris are blocking the main sewage line.
Who Fixes Sewer Lines When Your Main Sewage Line Is Blocked?
If you suspect a blockage in your home’s main sewer line, the best professionals to call are companies specializing in sewer repair solutions beyond traditional plumbing. Plumbers are well-equipped to service clogged drain pipes in your home, but sewer rehabilitation experts focus on identifying and fixing problems in your home’s sewer line. Look for a company that offers a comprehensive range of sewer line repair services, including sewer line camera inspections and sewer and drain cleaning solutions.
Ideally, find sewer repair experts specializing in trenchless rehabilitation methods like pipe lining. These professionals have the equipment, experience and expertise to execute sewer line repair as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible by avoiding digging up the sewer line.
Can You Clear A Main Sewer Line Clog Yourself?
Unlike the DIY solutions that may work for a clogged pipe, attempting to clear a main sewer line clog yourself risks causing more damage to the sewer line and surrounding property. Snaking a drain risks pushing the blockage farther and making it more difficult to reach, while using drain cleaning chemicals only adds more caustic materials to the mix. Especially given that many home sewer lines are deteriorating from old age, these DIY methods can further harm the sewer line and escalate the damage. Since traditional plumbers often aren’t equipped to service sewer lines, you should avoid a do-it-yourself approach and instead contact trained sewer repair professionals.
Why Sewer Professionals Are Better Equipped For Sewer Backups
Sewer line repair professionals trained in innovative trenchless techniques deliver long-lasting solutions to eliminate sewer backups and restore your main sewer line. Professionals have experience working on sewer lines made up of a wide range of materials, including Orangeburg, clay, cast iron and modern-day plastics. Experts are able to perform sewer line camera inspections to assess the interior of your sewer line without digging it up. Depending on the age and condition of the sewer line, experts can then recommend sewer and drain cleaning solutions like hydro jetting or trenchless repair like pipe lining.
Hydro jetting equipment targets blockages in your main sewage line with powerful blasts of water, allowing for a chemical-free approach safe for your pipes and your family. For more advanced sewer line repair, pipe lining enables professionals to install a minimally invasive epoxy pipe liner into the existing pipe to strengthen it from within, rather than digging it up to replace it. These pipe liners provide a lifespan of up to 50 years, equivalent to a brand new pipe without all of the digging and destruction to your property.
If a sewer backup is behind your home’s plumbing problems, sewer professionals provide long-lasting solutions rather than one-off repairs to individual drain pipes that won’t last if the sewer line is the real cause. Save time and money by working with sewer specialists prepared for the job.
Trust CME For Sewer Line Repair That Gets To The Root Of The Problem
If you’re unsure whether a plumbing issue is the result of a clogged pipe or your home’s main sewer line, contact CME Sewer Repair for a free sewer line camera inspection. We assess your sewer line free of charge for peace of mind or to provide recommendations for cost-effective sewer line repair. Get in touch to learn more about signs of problems in your sewer line or to schedule your free inspection today.
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