All of the plumbing fixtures in your home are connected to the sewer line, which is responsible for safely transporting wastewater away from your property. Due to extensive daily use and outside factors, your sewer line is under a lot of pressure and might experience the occasional clog. These clogs require professional repairs and sometimes even replacements. While not all sewer line clogs can be avoided, some of them can be, so it is very helpful to learn the most common sources of these clogs. Continue reading to learn more.
Tree Root Intrusion
If your sewer line is near a tree, tree root intrusion could be the source of the clog. Tree roots grow toward sources of water, so if there is a small crack in your sewer line, the tree roots will make their way through the pipe. Once inside, the tree roots will continue growing, feeding off the wastewater from your home, until you’ve got a serious blockage on your hands.
Pipe Damage
Whether caused by serious corrosion, shifts in soil, or leaking joints, broken pipes often allow dirt, rocks, leaves, and other debris to enter. This can quickly result in serious blockages within your sewer line.
A Sagging Sewer Line
Often caused by shifts in soil conditions, a sagging line can collect waste, toilet paper, and other things at the low point of the pipe. This can make it very difficult for wastewater to flow past this point, resulting in a backed-up pipe.
Flushing the Wrong Items Down the Toilet
To put it simply, the only things that you should be flushing down your toilet are toilet paper and human waste. Any other items—including feminine hygiene products, paper towels, gum, flushable wipes, makeup wipes, floss, cotton balls, cotton swabs, band-aids, and more—need to be thrown into a trash can. Just because your toilet might be capable of flushing these items doesn’t mean they won’t get caught in your sewer line when they try to leave your home.
Placing the Wrong Items in Your Garbage Disposal
While the name garbage disposal might indicate that anything can go down it, that is not the case.
The below items can cause serious clogs in a sewer line after being placed in the garbage disposal:
- Too many coffee grounds
- Cooking grease, oil, or fat
- Too many eggshells
- Meat bones
- Pasta and rice
- Potato peels
- Fruit pits
- Celery and asparagus
- Oatmeal
- Onion skins
- Banana peels
- Corn husks
- Trash
What to Do If Your Sewer Line Is Clogged
Sewer line clogs are very difficult to treat, which makes professional assistance crucial. If you are experiencing multiple backed-up drains, sewage smells, water overflowing when using your plumbing fixtures, or any other serious plumbing problems, turn to Smith’s Plumbing Services for a solution. Our skilled plumbing experts offer reliable drain cleaning and sewer repair services to get your sewer line running freely again in no time.
Call (901) 290-1110 or contact us online to learn more.