Handling a Clogged Sewer Mainline

Nothing makes life more inconvenient and messy than a bunch of backed up drains and toilets. When more than one drain gets backed up, it's a sure sign that there's a problem with the sewer. It's possible to confirm that by finding the open port into the sewer. This is usually located in the yard, and it's covered with a top that can be screwed off. If the water's high in this open pipe, it's safe to guess that's a sewer backup.

This tends to happen a lot after heavy rains for multiple reasons.For example, thirsty tree roots may grow rapidly and actually grow into the sewer system. These roots catch toilet paper and other refuse, and in time, the sewer gets clogged. While really severe breaks in the sewer line might call for extensive repairs, smaller intrusions may just get dealt with by cleaning out the roots and source of the clog.

Clogged Main Sewer Lines

For most homeowners, the next step is to call an emergency plumbing service in Cleveland or to try to fix it themselves. The size and location of the clog might determine the best course of action.

It's tempting to call upon one of those plumbing services that advertise really cheap sewer line cleaning. The problem is that they are almost always looking for a customer that they can sell expensive services to. They may tell customers that their entire sewer needs to get replaced when it really doesn't.

In this case, it might be wise to get a second opinion from a full-service plumber. It's sad but true that offers for really cheap plumbing services often only give customers what they are paying for, and this could just be bad advice.

If the problem is a small clog that's close to the house, a homeowner might be able to fix it themselves with an inexpensive tool called a snake. This is just a strong and flexible metal line that can be run down the line to dislodge the clog. Hardware stores usually also sell chemical products that are meant to dissolve mainline clogs. These should be used with care, but they can be very effective.

It's also possible to rent a powered snake. However, these can be somewhat dangerous to use and expensive to rent, so it might be smarter just to call a trusted plumber in the first place.