Sharing Knowledge About Residential Plumbing

There are a number of reasons to call a plumber in your home. While a big water leak is a clear plumbing emergency, more than one slow drain in your home also needs to be repaired. When you leave slow drains alone, you may end up with a big problem on your hands. Slow drains are indicative of a main sewer line clog. When you ignore slow drains, eventually they will back up into your home through any available opening. You can end up with waste water in your tub, in sinks, in drains, and back up into your toilet. While you can try to use drain cleaner or a snake on one slow drain, more than one indicates a system problem with your plumbing.

Causes of Main Sewer Line Blockages

Your main sewer line takes all of the waste water out of your home. Over time, objects that have been flushed down your toilet, grease buildup from your kitchen sink, and other debris can build up and begin to clog your main sewer line. In addition, tree roots can grow into the pipe, causing the flow of water to be obstructed. When you see that more than one drain is going slow in your home, this is clear to your plumber that your main sewer line needs to be cleaned.

You Can't Unblock Your Main Sewer Line on Your Own

Unless you are a plumber, you can't unblock your main sewer line on your own. Getting rid of tree roots in your plumbing system requires specialized tools, while typical drain cleaners aren't going to reach the clog at a main sewer line. It won't matter how much drain cleaner you pour down your drain, it simply won't be powerful enough if it even reaches the clog in question. Before the clog becomes complete, find a plumber who can get rid of the clog for you.

How You Can Help Your Main Sewer Line

Once the clog is cleared out, you can help avoid another clog by being mindful about what goes down your drains. Those hygiene products really can't be flushed down your toilet without repercussions, and that grease you poured down the kitchen drain does congeal. While it may seem like no big deal at the time, every item that you send to your main sewer line can build up over time. Pay attention to what goes down your drain to avoid big problems in the future.