You should have the drains in your Norwell, MA home professionally cleaned each year. Regular drain cleaning prevents problems like drain gnat infestations, slow-moving drains, and foul drain odors. However, the sewer line that serves your drains needs cleaning, too. All of your drains converge onto your sewer line en route to the municipal sewer main. This pipe can develop the same build-ups of grease, hair, sediment, soap scum, and biofilm. If your sewer line is dirty or blocked, your drains will underperform. Read on to determine the best schedule for sewer line maintenance for your home.
General Recommendations for Sewer Line Cleaning
According to most plumbers, homeowners should have their sewer lines inspected and cleaned every 18 to 22 months. For homes with healthy, high-functioning drains and limited risk of sewer line encroachment, this schedule is sufficient for keeping wastewater flowing in the right direction and moving swiftly. However, you may need to have your sewer line cleaned every 12 to 18 months if have:
- Home with very hard water
- Sewer line that has already been encroached upon
- Residents regularly flushing slow-degrading items
- Large household and a highly active plumbing system
Homes with untreated hard water are prone to rapid and significant build-ups of sediment in their water supply pipes, wastewater pipes, and sewer lines. Slow-degrading items like “flushable” wipes and feminine hygiene products are often snagged on rough pipe interiors and can create partial blockages in sewer lines. With lots of people washing dishes and clothes, flushing your toilets, and bathing or showering, your sewer line will develop build-ups of body oils, slime, and other organic materials faster than a home with less plumbing system use.
Get a Home and Household-Specific Recommendation
During sewer line cleaning, plumbers use diagnostic tools to assess the health and integrity of sewer pipes. For instance, many rooter machines are equipped with sewer line cameras, clog locators, and electronic monitors. These tools help plumbers clean sewer lines and resolve blockages without damaging pipes or causing other problems. During your next sewer line service, we can use the information we collect to help you establish a needs-specific cleaning schedule.
Signs You Need Sewer Line Cleaning Right Now
Even if you’ve had your sewer line cleaned within the last 18 months, there may be tell-tale signs that now is the time to schedule another treatment.
Slow-Moving Drains
Slow-moving drains leave greasy, filmy residues in sinks, tubs, and shower pans. They can also expose residents to dangerous drain bacteria and other pathogens. If left unchecked, slow-moving drains can result in stained or dingy-looking plumbing fixtures.
If your drains are moving slowly but you’re caught up with annual drain cleaning, you likely have a dirty or partially clogged sewer line. Having just one or two slow-moving drains doesn’t usually indicate sewer line issues. However, if all of the drains in your home start moving slowly at once, you may be headed for a whole-house backup.
Drain Gnat Infestations
Drain gnats are a common issue in homes with dirty, poorly maintained drains. These troublesome pests feed on the waste in drain catches and thrive in moist, dirty conditions. Much like slow-moving drains, drain gnats can also be an indication of sewer line trouble. If build-ups in your sewer line are inhibiting the movement of wastewater, drain build-ups will accumulate faster than normal.
Rodent Problems
Dirty sewer pipes and the organic materials, rank odors, and standing water they contain are all major attractants for rats and other rodents. Worse still, if your sewer pipe has been encroached upon by tree roots or weeds, has cracks, or has another point of ingress, rodents could climb into your sewer line and exit through your toilets. If you’ve recently spied the signs of rodent activity in your bathrooms or other areas, cleaning and repairing your sewer line could be essential steps in your pest treatment.
Gurgling Noises Coming From Your Plumbing Fixtures
Gurgling, bubbling sounds coming from toilets and sinks are an indication of slow-moving water in sewer lines. These sounds occur just as slow-moving wastewater clears partial obstructions in sewer pipes. You’re most likely to hear these sounds at night when few to no people are using your plumbing system.
Malfunctioning Appliances
If your dishwasher or washing machine is suddenly having a hard time draining or won’t complete a rinse or wash cycle, the problem could lie with your sewer line. Like multi-drain issues, malfunctioning appliances are a common precursor to whole-house backups.
Frequent Drain Clogs
If you need professional clog removal service several times each year, it’s time to have both your drains and your sewer line cleaned. Built-up waste decreases the interior diameters of wastewater pipes and sewer lines. Having this waste sloughed off and flushed out will give larger and slow-degrading items more room to move through.
Tree Roots and Sewer Line Encroachment
If you have one or more large trees in your yard, you may need sewer line cleaning more frequently. Tree roots and fast-growing weed roots can enter sewer lines via surprisingly small-sized cracks. They send out ultra-thin lateral roots that work their way into openings that are millimeters thin. However, as they grow, these roots widen these cracks and gradually spread throughout the interior of sewer pipes.
Treatments like hydro-jetting, hydro-steaming, and rooter service break invasive roots up and flush them out. However, they aren’t permanent solutions. Some tree and weed roots can regrow within just 30 days of sewer cleaning. To prevent sewer line encroachment from causing a whole-house backup, you’ll need to:
- Repair or replace damaged sewer pipe sections
- Remove or replant invasive species
- Invest in stump grinding service
If you choose to cut down a tree that repeatedly encroaches on your sewer line, stump grinding will prevent its roots from spreading. Tree stumps can maintain active root systems for many years after trees are felled.
How to Keep Your Sewer Line Clean In-Between Professional Service
To keep your sewer line functioning optimally in between sewer cleaning, have your water quality tested and take steps to mitigate hard or very hard water. Installing a water softener will prevent heavy build-ups of hard water minerals in all of your home’s pipes. There are also several things that you can do from day to day to slow the accumulation of tacky, stuck-on waste in your sewer pipe.
Dispose of Grease Correctly
Cool all cooking oils, grease, and rendered fats in sealed, heat-safe containers. Throw these containers away rather than dumping them down your drains.
Don’t Flush Non-Degradable or Slow-Degrading Items
If you or anyone else in your household uses “flushable” wipes, throw these away rather than flushing them. The only things that residents should flush down your toilets are toilet paper and human waste.
Keep Your Drains Covered
Invest in well-fitted drain covers. These will prevent hard, non-degradable items from slipping into your drains and getting lodged in your wastewater pipes or sewer line. With drain covers, having someone drop a toothbrush or toy near a plumbing drain won’t be a big deal.
Plant Responsibly
Take good care of your landscape, especially around your sewer line. Regularly remove weeds from your yard or implement another effective weed control plan. If you intend to plant new trees, plant them at least 10 feet away from your sewer line.
We help homeowners in Norwell maintain clean, high-functioning plumbing systems. We offer exceptional plumbing, drain cleaning, and sewer line services. We also provide water heaters, boilers, and gas lines and fittings. If you need professional sewer line cleaning or other kinds of plumbing repair, contact Pilgrim Plumbing, Inc. today!
