Why Do I Have a Clogged Sewer Line?
Does your drain keep on clogging?
Every homeowner has, at some point, dealt with a clogged sewer line. Ever wondered why sewer lines get clogged? All of your home’s drains, pipes, and plumbing fixtures are hooked up to the main sewer which is located outside your house.
Between improper use of these drains, fixtures, pipes, and many other external factors, the main sewer line can take a beating and wear down over time.
Eventually, it can get clogged or damaged to the point of needing serious repair services or replacement. These clogs, if not addressed, can cause corrosion, flooding, and even sewage backups in severe cases.
By recognizing the causes of clogged sewer lines, you can prevent clogging and costly repairs to your plumbing system. Here are the four main causes of household clogs.
1. Severe Pipe Damage
One of the most problematic sewer lines clogs results from leaking pipes that misdirect the sewage into the ground around your property instead of the sewerage system.
When sewer pipes are raptured, the sewage won’t be able to drain into the sewerage system, which leads to frequent backups. Common causes of pipe damage include:
- Corrosion, which causes the pipe to break
- Rupture due to increased traffic on the ground above. This can result from the use of earth-moving equipment above the sewer lines
- Leaking joints
Broken pipes can allow soil or silt into the sewer line, causing the sediment to clog the pipes. If you suspect a broken pipe, call a professional plumbing service immediately. At Doctor Drips, we can inspect the pipes using a sewer inspection camera to ensure all your pipes are in good working condition.
2. Old Sewer Line
When drain pipes get old, they develop cracks and can easily collapse. This can lead to serious sewer problems, including sewage backups.
If your sewer pipes are old, it’s advisable to replace them as soon as possible to avoid such problems. This not only prevents sewer clogging but also makes the sewer lines more efficient.
If you aren’t sure how old your sewer pipes are, consider the age of your home. Sewer lines are designed to last for at least 50 years. So, if you inherited family property, the sewer pipes could be on their last breath.
3. Pouring Oil/Grease Down the Drain
Grease, fats, and oil are common causes of sewer drain clogs.
Many people pour these substances down their kitchen drain each day, unknowingly to them that they can cause household clogs.
Hot water, indeed, does help to remove the grease and oil from the faucet. However, it does more than remove these substances. When the hot water cools, typically around 25 feet down the sewer line, the oil and grease harden, leading to sewer line clogs.
Other substances, such as coffee grindings, coagulate with the grease, compounding the problem, so they should also go to the bin. This problem can be prevented by ensuring that oil, grease, and fatty substances are not flushed into the drains.
4. Flushing Debris Down the Toilet
One of the main culprits of pipe clogging is debris. Many people are unaware of the consequences of flushing foreign items down the toilet.
While all sorts of debris and foreign objects find their way into the sewer each day, the most common culprits of blocked drains are.
- Hair
- Diapers and flushable wipes
- Cat litter
- Menstrual pads and sanitary napkins
- Cotton balls
- Children’s toys
- Paper towels
Once flushed into the toilet, these items start building up within the main sewer.
To prevent clogging and sewage backups, these items need to be thrown into the trash. Treating your toilet as a trashcan will only lead to sewer clogging issues. If the damage has already been done, our team at Doctor Drips can help identify the cause and fix the problem.
Contact Doctor Drips Today
If you’re experiencing sewer clogging issues or simply looking for a plumber in Nashville, call Doctor Drips at (615) 970-0047. We provide sewer pipe cleaning services for residential and commercial properties in Nashville.
Our skilled technicians are ready to help you with your plumbing issues, no matter how big there are.
The team at Doctor Drips is available round the clock for sewer clogging and other plumbing services in Nashville.