Let’s face it, we’ve all experienced a clogged drain. No big deal. We grab the plunger and give it a couple of pushes. Wala, problem solved. Don’t we wish clearing a drain is always that simple? The fact is, most drains are that simple to clear. It’s those 5 or 10% that will drive you crazy. Clogged drains come in all shapes and sizes. The most common is the slow-moving bathroom drain. Coming in a close second is the clogged toilet. If you have teenagers in your home, a clogged toilet is number one. Then there is the backed-up pipe leading to the kitchen sink. On top of them all, the worst is a backed-up sewer main. A clogged sewer main requires the experience of a plumbing professional.
How Do You Know Which Drain Is Clogged?
Some drains are obvious such as a slow-moving shower drain, clogged bathroom sink, or a clogged toilet. In most cases, the average do-it-yourselfer can remove these clogs. A telltale sign that you have a problem sewer line is when all the drains in your home are moving slow. Your home has one main sewer line that removes all the waste from your home. When something obstructs the main sewer line, it will affect all other waste lines. In some extreme cases, a clogged sewer main can back up through your bathtub drain and even your toilet, leaving a raw sewage mess in your bathroom.
What Causes The Main Sewer Line To Back-Up
There is a whole list of things that can result in a backed-up sewer line. The most common cause is people abusing their drains by pouring things down them, eventually leading to clogging. Never pour paints, oil, grease, or solvents down your drains. Your sewer line can back up by flushing things down your toilet that doesn’t belong in our sewer system. Your toilet is not a trash can. It’s recommended that only three things get flushed down the toilet: liquid waste, solid waste, and toilet paper. No tampons, sanitary napkins, rubbers, and baby wipes should not go down the toilet, and that includes flushable wipes. Flushable wipes do not stay in the water long enough to biodegrade, so this causes problems to your sewer line and the municipal sewer system.
Other Common Reasons Your Sewer Line Will Clog
A damaged sewer pipe due to aging pipes, shifting soil, and in some cases, above-ground traffic that may include heavy equipment could cause your sewer pipe to crack or break. The broken pipe won’t allow for the sewage to drain correctly. This will eventually lead to a backed-up sewer main. A sagging sewer main is another occurrence that will cause a sewer pipe to clog, also known as bellied sewer lines. A bellied sewer line will interfere with the natural flow of water and collect sediment in the belly that eventually leads to a clogged line. Tree roots can also wreak havoc on a sewer pipe. Once inside the line, they expand rapidly, living on the raw sewage.
What Is The Solution To A Clogged Sewer Line
The 21st century has several options for a broken sewer line, but the two most popular options that stand out the most are cured in place pipe lining (CIPP) and pipe bursting. Before your plumbing expert can find the best repair option, they’ll complete a camera inspection to survey the damage. This will give them the correct alternative for repair.
Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP)Lining
The CIPP method is a seamless, jointless way of rehabilitating the original pipe without causing collateral damage to the existing landscape. The same methods are used for commercial applications. A plumbing expert will insert a felt tube saturated in a resin substance and pull it into the damaged pipe. Hot steam is injected into the liner and cures it in place—the liner forms into all the fractures inside the pipe. The CIPP leaves behind a smooth interior and no joints; and in most cases, the resin will dry in one hour. Not that long ago, the conventional path to sewer pipe replacement could take days. A plumbing expert can perform most sewer line repairs in one day.
Pipe Bursting
When a sewer main is severely damaged, pipe bursting is the method most commonly used. The method requires physical access to the pipe to start repair. The technician will cut out approximately two four foot access holes at both ends of the sewer line. The technician places a bursting head at the entrance point and uses hydraulic pressure to drag the head through the preexisting old pipe breaking the old pipe away. Most of the new replacement pipes are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Some experts say that the new pipe could last as much as 100 years.
See What Others Are Saying
Is your sewer line acting up? At Big B’s Plumbing, we have a sewer line specialist that can evaluate your sewer line and give you the best, most affordable options. We also have excellent financing options and one year is the same as cash, 0% interest. We’re an A+ rated plumbing company with the Better Business Bureau. Please don’t take our word for it. Check out all our hundreds of top-notch reviews on Facebook, Google Business, and Yelp!.
