Your main sewer line is one of the most important plumbing pipes in your home, and if it becomes clogged, you’re probably going to need to call an expert local plumber for a main sewer line cleanout.
There are a few different reasons why your sewer line could be clogged in the first place, and in this blog post, we are going to help you understand the 5 symptoms of a main sewer line clog in your house.
In need of a main sewer line cleanout? Here’s what you need to know, first…
If your sewer line is clogged, it can cause a lot of nasty plumbing fixture problems throughout your home, including:
- Backed up toilets and sinks…
- Wastewater seeping out from under your home or into your yard…
- Foul smells coming from deep within your drains…
And more! Unless you know how to fix a clogged sewer line yourself, you’re going to need to call a plumber for a cleanout. Expert and licensed plumbers are able to identify problems on the spot, and usually provide an estimate same-day (unless the problem is more extensive/severe than a simple clog, of course!).
Thankfully, Western Rooter & Plumbing is on call for emergency sewer line cleanouts 24/7, so give us a call at (626) 448-6455 so we can come to your home and perform a complementary sewer video camera inspection with your main sewer line cleanout!
Fixing a clogged sewer line by yourself…
We’ve written an entire blog post talking in-depth about how to fix your clogged sewer line yourself without needing to call a plumber… but, just in case the problem is deeper than you assume, it’s always best to call Western Rooter & Plumbing for a free sewer video camera inspection service.
If the clog isn’t too severe, then you may be able to fix it yourself, depending on where the main sewer line is located.
Western Rooter & Plumbing can help you locate your main sewer line, which should run from the outlet of your house near the foundation all the way down to where it connects with a public main in front or behind your property.
Here are 7 tell-tale symptoms of a main sewer line clog:
- There are multiple backed-up or clogged drains in your home. This is usually the most tell-tale sign of a main sewer line clog, as all of your drains will be trying to use the same limited amount of space in the main sewer line.
- Your sewer cleanout access pipe is backed up and overflowing. If this pipe is located in your yard, then you’ll likely see wastewater spilling out and running down the street (gross!).
- Water is coming up through your drains or around your toilet when you flush. This is a plumber’s & a homeowner’s nightmare – it usually means that the main sewer line is so clogged that wastewater is backing up all the way to your home.
- You can smell sewage or rotting garbage coming from your drains. This symptom is pretty self-explanatory, and it’s definitely not a good sign if you’re smelling it in your home!
- Water is pooling near your main sewer line cleanout. If there’s water pooling around the main access point, then you know that wastewater is backing up and starting to backflow towards your home when it shouldn’t be – yet another symptom of a main sewer line clog!
- There’s sewage coming up out of your floor drain. If you have a floor drain, then it is 100% connected to your main sewer line and should only be used to drain out wastewater. If you notice sewage coming up through your floor drains, then it’s another main sewer line clog symptom…
- Sewage or water is backing up into your shower when someone flushes the toilet. This is obviously a less than ideal situation for homeowners, especially early in the morning when people are trying to shower and get ready for work!
What causes main sewer line clogs in the first place?
You should know that there’s not a singular reason for main sewer line clogs, although there are some main culprits that cause this issue more than others. Here are some of the most common reasons why a main sewer line might be clogged:
- A sewer pipe or lateral pipe might be old and cracked. If this is the case, then wastewater will start seeping out and creating a clog.
- Tree roots might have grown into the main sewer line, causing a blockage. This is a common problem for homeowners in Arcadia, California, as our hometown has so many trees. That’s why we are called Western Rooter & Plumbing.
- An object (or objects) might be lodged in the main sewer line, clogging the proper flow of sewage and wastewater. If you’ve dropped something down your main sewer line in the past, then there’s a chance that it could be lodged in place and cause main sewer line clogs.
- Incorrect plumbing installations by unlicensed plumbers. This is one of the main reasons why plumbers exist – to correct the mistakes made by unlicensed plumbers who don’t know what they’re doing!
Advice for getting a main sewer line cleanout, from expert plumbers…
If you are in need of a main sewer line cleanout, then you are in luck! We’ve performed literally thousands of these over our 40+ years in business, and the process hasn’t changed much since we started offering this service.
One thing that we have nowadays is what’s called a sewer line video camera inspection, which is a tiny camera that plumbers insert into your sewer line to find out exactly what is causing a clog, where the clog is located, and figure out what it’s going to take to fix it.
We always recommend starting off any main sewer line cleanout service with a video camera inspection, to be on the safe side.
How Western Rooter & Plumbing can help…
At Western Rooter & Plumbing, we offer a complimentary main sewer line video camera inspection service with all main sewer clog clean-outs to help determine the size and scope of your problem.
We can help you get rid of any main sewer line clog in your home, and we’ll also make sure that everything is back up and running smoothly ASAP. Make sure to call us at (626) 448-6455 before you do anything else – it could save you thousands!
