Your home’s plumbing pipes and fixtures need some regular care to stay in good shape. The sewer line extending from your home to the shared sewer or private septic tank are no different. How often should sewer lines be cleaned? Douglas Cooling & Heating explains how often you need to schedule this essential service.
How Often Should Sewer Lines Be Cleaned?
The sewer lines should be cleaned out about every two years in the average home. Businesses typically need to have the sewer line cleaned out a little more frequently, about every 18 to 22 months on average.
This regular sewer line cleaning works as a preventative measure to keep these pipes draining properly. Cleaning removes buildup that sticks to the inner pipe walls, increasing the risk of a blockage forming. Plumbers use professional tools and techniques like a drain auger to bust through clog material or hydro jetting to remove hard buildup from the inner pipe walls.
Signs You Need Your Sewer Lines Cleaned
It is possible for sewer line issues to arise between routine cleanings, even when you exercise great care in preventing sewer line clogs. Ignoring sewer line issues can result in severe clogs and damage to these buried pipes, so you want to schedule a sewer cleaning whenever you first notice the signs of trouble.
Signs it’s time to have your sewer lines cleaned include:
- You notice the odor of sewage inside your house.
- There is raw sewage backing up into the home’s plumbing fixtures.
- Your pipes make bubbling or gurgling sounds.
- Water backs up in drains when other fixtures or water-using appliances are in use.
- Drains across the house are slow or experience frequent clogs.
- Water pools around the floor drain in your basement
What Causes Sewer Line Clogs?
Even if you pay great attention to your sewer line, problems can still pop up in between maintenance cleanings. Common causes of clogs in your sewer line that produce the symptoms mentioned above include:
- Tree roots: Roots from nearby trees and shrubs naturally grow toward sewer lines and can penetrate the pipe in search of the nutrients within. These roots can continue to grow within the sewer pipe, causing a clog themselves or catching waste material to form a large clog in the sewer line.
- Grease: Dumping grease, oil, and fats down the kitchen drain leads to clogs in the sewer line. These materials solidify and stick to the insides of the drainpipe, restricting the line and increasing the likelihood of catching other materials to form a clog.
- Sagging pipe: Ground shifting can cause sewer pipes to sag, creating a dip in the line. Materials can get caught up in this section of pipe, forming a large clog in the sewer line.
Sewer Drain Cleaning in Birmingham, AL
If your home’s sewer line is due for a cleaning, call Douglas Cooling & Heating today to schedule an appointment for your Birmingham area home to ensure your plumbing system is in good working order.
