How often do you think about the drain and sewer part of your plumbing system? If you’re like most homeowners, probably not much! You may think about it a little when you have a drain clog, but maybe you just reach for a bottle of liquid drain cleaner you got at the hardware store, and call it a day.
We could write an entire blog post on why you shouldn’t use these chemical “solutions” (in fact, we have!) The bottom line is, they are caustic and eat away at the lining of your pipes, ultimately doing more harm than good. Plus, if your clog originated from a blockage or problem in your sewer line, then a little bit of liquid drain cleaner isn’t going to resolve the problem.
For this, you will likely need the help of a hydro-jet, a type of drain snake that has an omnidirectional sprayer head on it that scours the lining of your pipes with a high-pressured stream of water. This not only removes whatever is sticking to the inside of your plumbing, but prevents clogs from happening in the future, too. Read on to learn how to tell when you may have a sewer line blockage and need this service!
“Do I Have a Sewer Line Blockage?”
These are a few of the indicators you can keep an eye out for that tell you that your clogged drain may be a bit more serious than you think, and may actually be a sewer line blockage.
More than one drain is backed up. Let’s say you noticed that your kitchen sink drain is backing water up. Perhaps you get a plunger and a little bit of “elbow grease” and relieve the blockage, and your kitchen sink drain works fine after that.
But what if your kitchen sink clog seems impossible to get rid of, and you discover that your bathroom sinks and other drains are starting to back up, too? Well, then you could very well have a blocked sewer line that’s disallowing water from flowing freely downward.
You noticed all your drains are smelly. One drain with a bad smell could be due to a particular substance that’s stuck in that singular part of your plumbing. However, if you notice a gross smell from multiple drains then it’s a sign of a backed-up sewer line.
On this note, you should also be aware of water pooling in your yard, particularly if there is a foul odor coming from it. This could be the sign of a sewer line leak and while hydro-jetting won’t resolve that, you should still call a plumber right away so we can help you resolve this unhygienic and inconvenient problem.
You have a drain or set of drains that keep backing up. Maybe you have used plungers or drain cleaners “successfully” in the past to remove a clog, but the solution was only temporary? If you have a drain or set of drains that keep clogging up, however, it could be that something is preventing wastewater to pass through, such as tree roots.
Contact Brooks Plumbing Co. today for professional Yelm plumbing services.
