It’s that time of year that we all start thinking about maintenance and repairs to our home, before winter weather sets in. If you haven’t started an annual sewer line rodding routine to keep your sewer line clear and up to par, you may want to consider adding it to your list. Sewer line backs ups can cause huge headaches to home owners, and frequent back-ups can be a complete catastrophe! If you haven’t started an annual rodding routine, perhaps this might be the time to start!
If you’re frequently dealing with sewer line backups, here’s a look at what common problems may be occurring—and what you can do to fix it and stop the backups for good.
Reasons why your sewer line may be backing up:
CLOGS!! : Clogs can be one reason that sewer lines keep backing up. You’ll experience persistent clogs if things like oil, grease, hair, “flushable” wipes, tampons or other items keep entering your drains and sewer line. The good news is that this is one of the easiest problems to fix. Simply take extra precaution to avoid letting these items go down your drains and toilet.
Damage to the sewer line:: After clearing clogs and being careful to avoid future clogs, you can continue having sewer line backups if your sewer line is cracked, has holes in it, or is otherwise damaged. That’s because a cracked sewer line can let dirt and rocks in, creating a new blockage and forcing your wastewater to back up into your home (because it has nowhere else to go).
Roots, Roots and more Roots: Tree roots can cause havoc on your sewer line! . If trees are growing near your sewer line, they can potentially cause damage to the line. The roots can push against the line and cause misalignments and eventually cracks. When the sewer line has a leak the roots can infiltrate the line in search of water and nutrients and cause major blockages and stoppages. When that happens and the line , they can eventually prevent any wastewater from passing through. Plus, if the roots aren’t properly removed, they can grow back, causing the same problem and recurring sewer backups.
A broken, sagging, or collapsed sewer line: Sewer lines can break for all sorts of reasons, from pipe aging and corrosion to shifting soil, heavy above-ground construction, and more. No matter how a sewer line breaks, you’re sure to experience backups in your home until your sewer line is fixed.
How we fix sewer line back-ups and recurring issues:
The only way to stop recurring sewer backups is to identify the exact problem with the line. A camera inspection of the sewer line can help diagnose issues. What you’re professional can see in a camera inspection can tell us a lot about what problems you have going on and even potential future problems. What we see in a camera inspection:
What’s going on inside your sewer line ( roots, clogs, holes or damage )
The condition of the line, including potential future issues in vulnerable areas, (corrosion, cracks, damage)
Exactly where, in the line, that the problem has occured, and may potentially occur later on.
Depending on what your technician finds it may mean:
Annual Rodding: Your technician may suggest annual rodding to maintain free flow of the sewer lines, or suggest a root killer product to help battle roots in the sewer line.
Repair or replacement of the sewer line: If your sewer line is sagging or collapsed it may need to be repaired or replaced. This may require excavation depending how bad the collapse is.
Installation of an outside or inside clean out: these make regular sewer line maintenance much easier and less expensive in the future.
If you are experiencing any of these issues, be sure to call a local plumber to help get the problem solved right away, these problems don’t get better with time, and usually require a sewer line professional to avoid causing further damage to your sewer line. Call Szabo’s Super Rooter for all of your sewer line repair and maintenance needs!
Outside Clean out installation with our very own John Ashe!!