Signs of a Clogged Main Sewer Line

The sooner you recognize a clogged main sewer line the better.  If a clogged main sewer line is ignored it may lead to costly repairs.  Regular sewer maintenance (aka sewer cleaning, roto rooting, augering of the pipes, clearing of the pipes, drain cleaning, etc) may be necessary to keep your main sewer line from backing up.  Think of sewer maintenance like a vehicle, your vehicle needs oil changes, routine filter updates, and gas.  The same goes for the main sewer line. Some, not all, sewer lines are susceptible to tree root intrusion and of course the well-known sewer rat.  Tree roots can enter mainline sewer pipes at one or several different areas. Tree roots can completely clog your main sewer line and even worse, cause the sewer pipe to fail.  Failed sewer pipe can be defined as a section or several sections of pipe that may have collapsed, shifted, buckled, chipped, offset, disconnected, dislodged, the list goes on.

The most often sign people see is wastewater pooling up in and around the basement floor drain.  The second sign of a clogged mainline could be that the laundry tub and or basement bathroom sink, shower, and toilet are slowly draining or not draining at all.  Another common sign of a clogged main sewer line may present itself when you have a load of laundry going, the dishwasher turned on and someone is taking a shower the basement floor drain turns into a pool of wastewater, not a fun mess to clean up.

In Minnesota, the estimated cost for sewer cleaning ranges from $100 and possibly above $500.00.  This price varies because there is more than one way to clean out a sewer line and the amount of time and labor it takes also determines the cost.  One way of cleaning out a sewer line is by using a sewer cleaning machine that houses a sewer cable that offers a wider variety of blade attachments (we use this method).  Another way is by jetting out the sewer line with high pressured water (this method involves a little more effort and costs more).  A third way is by descaling the pipe with chains   This cleaning method is used when there are a large number of tree roots and or a lot of grease build-up in the line.

The good news is we can help!  We do the dirty work that other people won’t!  We have successfully cleaned out main sewer lines and voided out the need for major sewer repair work but that, unfortunately, isn’t the case for everyone.  We have a few tricks up our sleeve that we have learned over the years.  “Secrets in the sauce (aka secrets of the trade).”

Contact us and let our team of experts help you out today!