Is Your Sewer Line Blocked?

Your sewer line is an integral part of your household plumbing. If it becomes damaged or clogged, it can cause all sorts of problems and issues for your property. Broken or damaged pipes can cost a lot to repair or replace, and oftentimes are not caused by anything you do or can avoid, but the ground shifts and causes an offset or break. No matter the cause, the sooner you identify a sewer line breakage or clog, the likelier it is that it can be fixed without significant hassle or cost. To avoid the damage worsening over time, contact a Joe Cool drain cleaning expert, available in Hillsborough County, FL, and surrounding areas.

Watch out for these warning signs that your sewer line may be blocked:

WHY WON’T THE SINK OR TUB DRAIN?

When you have a sewer line problem, sinks, toilets and even tubs/showers may not drain or may drain slowly. Multiple plumbing drains may be affected by this problem. For example, if you use the washing machine and the toilet overflows or the laundry room sink backs up, your drainage system is sending a strong message about a blockage somewhere in the sewer line – after all, water has to go somewhere and it always seeks the path of least resistance.

Another tell-tale sign may be if you hear gurgling sounds when you flush the toilet. That can be a sign of a blockage in the drain system. Noises like that could be an indication that tree roots are to blame for your blockage; root systems are one of the most common problems with main sewer lines. If there is a large tree near your sewer line, its roots may have grown through the pipes and could be blocking the flow of material and water. This problem shows up most often with older sewer pipes made of clay or concrete. Roots can find their way inside the pipe via the pipe joints. Small feeder roots bury their way inside the pipe seeking moisture and once inside, they enlarge and act like a net, catching toilet paper and waste until a clog forms.

TAKING THE PLUNGE

If you’re frequently experiencing toilet clogs, that’s an indication that the real clog problem might be farther downstream in your sewer system. The same rule applies to your kitchen sink. Is it clogging or draining slowly more often than usual? If you’re using the plunger with frequency just to get the water flowing, you may have a clog that can’t be moved just around the corner. If you have multiple slow drains in your home, then your system is sending you a loud message that it needs attention.

DON’T THROW YOUR MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN

If your home has encountered anything from a slow drain to complete blockage, you might be inclined to reach for the liquid drain cleaner as a quick and efficient solution. What many homeowners don’t know is that liquid drain cleaner is akin to throwing money down the drain. Not only are those chemicals unreliable, they only dissolve enough blockage for some of the water to get through.

GET SOME HELP

A sewer clog can’t simply be treated with a plunger and over-the-counter chemicals. To completely clear the sewer line of roots and debris, a professional cleaning with a heavy-duty drain machine is required. These electric drain machines have a strong, stiff steel cable with a sharp blade on the tip. The cable spins as it travels through the sewer pipe so it cuts away obstructions.

If our machines can’t get through the pipe, your service technician can request a video camera inspection of the sewer pipeline to pinpoint where the blockage is and what has caused the issue to start. Our trained plumbing tech will be able to recommend repair options to get things flowing.

Warning Signs of a Soon-To-Be-Clogged Drain

Contact the Drain Cleaning Pros

If you’re ready to schedule your drain cleaning, contact a Joe Cool drain cleaning pro today. We have many years of experience performing plumbing repairs in Pinellas County, FL, homes, so we can make this a quick process. Contact us today!

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