One of the “joys” of homeownership is being responsible for any appliances or systems that break down in your house. That responsibility also extends to the pipeline that connects your home to the town’s main sewer line, which is typically located in the street. This pipe, also known as the sewer lateral, removes wastewater from all areas of the home to the sanitary sewer main. As a result, keeping your sewer line free and clear of obstructions is essential to your home’s sanitation.
If you want to avoid sewer line backups and damages to your line, you’ll likely want to know what causes backups. You’ll also want to follow our top tips for sewer line maintenance in Sacramento, CA, and the surrounding areas.
The Top 5 Reasons for Sewer Backups
As time passes, pipes can become clogged, causing your house or yard to fill with filthy, toxic wastewater. Before you can fix the issue, a trained plumber will need to identify what’s caused the blockage in the first place. While a plumber will diagnose the cause, it’s still a good idea for homeowners to know what causes sewer backups so they can take action to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
As you try to keep your sewer lines in great shape, learn more about the top five causes of sewer backups in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento below:
- Tree Roots: Having trees on your property adds to your home’s aesthetic value, but they can be the cause of your sewer line problems. The trees’ smaller roots are searching for water, and they can find it in the cracks and pipe joints of a damaged sewer line. Once these roots ease their way in and continue to grow, the damage they cause is extensive and expensive.
- Sanitary Main Blockages: If the city’s main line has an undetected blockage that is not caught in time, sewage will back up into your home via floor drains.
- Combined Pipelines: Some systems use the same pipelines to carry stormwater and raw sewage. The issues arise when the system is exposed to more rain than it is designed to handle, thus resulting in a backup situation.
- Older Sewer System: Time causes wear on pipes, and sewer lines are no exception. As more homes are built and connected to these already slow and aging systems, property owners are seeing an increase in sewer backups.
- Improper items and food being put down the drain: Though it can be tempting to throw large food items down the drain or flush non-food items in your toilet, you’ll want to avoid doing it. For example, plant clippings and sanitary products should never go down to your home’s drains. Additionally, large or slimy food items should never go down your sink’s durian, even if you have a garbage disposal.
6 Sewer Line Maintenance Tips for Homeowners
While you can’t do much to solve a combined pipeline or a blockage in your city’s line, you can take a number of actions to prevent other leading causes of sewer line clogs and damages. Review the top six actionable items you can implement to reduce blockages below:
- Don’t discard non-food items down sinks or toilets: Although it may seem harmless to flush cigarette butts, plant clippings, or other non-food items down the drain, don’t do it. These materials don’t break down in the plumbing system and are more likely to cause a stoppage. For instance, tampons, pads, and even flushable wipes shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet.
- Don’t shove huge chunks of food down the drain: Garbage disposals are awesome features if used properly. Any food particles should be small and sent down the disposal while running cold water. But it’s best to get in the habit of scraping leftover food into the garbage can. Some foods harmful to your sewer system include coffee grounds, eggshells, cooking oil, and pasta. Keep these items away from drains to maintain your plumbing system’s efficiency.
- Give the plumbing system a flush: Once a month, it’s recommended that you flush the plumbing system. To do so, start by filling the bathtubs, sinks, and washing machine with cold water. Next, drain everything simultaneously. Lastly, during the draining process, flush the toilets in the home as quickly as possible. Following these instructions on a consistent basis will clear and prevent blockages.
- Clear out tree roots: A common reason for clogs in the sewer line is overgrown tree roots. You can have a professional clean the pipes with hydro jetting. This high-pressure hose uses water to cut and flush tree roots. However, if an inspection reveals you have tree roots growing in your lines, you’ll likely need a trenchless sewer line repair to replace damaged sections of the pipe to prevent the tree roots from entering your line gain.
- Go natural: Many drain and sewer line cleaning supplies found in stores often use harsh chemicals known to accelerate the breakdown of a plumbing system. Instead of pouring these cleaning supplies down your drain, natural solutions tend to be better. For example, everyday household items like baking soda and vinegar, followed by a stream of hot water, can be used to clean and deodorize drains.
- Schedule regular inspection and sewer line cleanings: Since you won’t know something is going wrong with your sewer lines until a problem has already started, it’s important to receive an inspection and drain cleaning service at least once a year. In a sewer inspection and cleaning appointment, a certified sewer technician will use a specialized camera to review the state of your lines and provide hydro-jetting services to remove any clogs. These inspections can also help you spot damages and solve them before they turn into major problems.
Sewer Line Maintenance Services in Sacramento and Surrounding Areas
If you’re looking for sewer line maintenance in Sacramento or the surrounding areas, turn to Boyd Plumbing. At Boyd, we regularly provide comprehensive inspections and maintenance services to homeowners and businesses. Whether you need a sewer line unclogged or a sewer line repaired, our team has you covered. We also offer multiple coupons to ensure any sewer or plumbing service you receive from us meets your budget.
Learn more about our sewer line drain cleaning and trenchless sewer repair solutions today. If you have any questions or want to schedule a sewer line maintenance appointment, please call us at 916-710-8070 or use our online form.
