Sewer Cleaning

Several factors influence how often sewer lines should be cleaned, including the age of the plumbing system, the type and size of the structures served by the system, and the patterns of usage. For residential buildings, a frequency of 18 to 22 months is normal, and some might go as far as to say that this is a preventive measure that is reasonably spaced apart. Commercial buildings—especially those that serve many people or that are used intensively—may require cleaning once a year or even more often. And of course, we recommend that you utilize a certified plumbing professional to clean the line.

To clear a blockage in the sewer line, use a plunger or a plumbing snake. First, try the plunger if you haven't already. The plunger works by creating suction to dislodge the blockage. If the blockage doesn't budge, reach for the plumbing snake. With the snake, you can either break up the obstruction or extract the obstruction. For really persistent blockages—you know, the kind that makes you think you've just ruined your sewer line for good—try a chemical drain cleaner. If that doesn't work, it's time to play Call of Duty: Professional Plumber Edition.

The price of cleaning a drain can depend on where it is located, how bad the blockage is, and which company you choose to do the work. Generally, a straightforward cleaning of a drain line might run from $100 to $300. If the drain is under a lot of pressure because it is in a complicated plumbing system, and the blockage is really bad, the cost could go way up. For a more accurate price, it's best to call around to local plumbing companies and see what they would charge.

There are various indicators that may point to a main sewer line that is clogged. These include many of the plumbing fixtures in your home either draining very slowly or not draining at all (while the fixture itself is still in use). Other symptoms include drains that are making unusual sounds (gurgling, for instance) or otherwise seeming to struggle; any near-apocalypse plumbing odor that seems to be emanating from a drain; or apparent over-watered areas in the landscape right above your sewer line. All of these are signs that the sewer line is clogged; unlike most plumbing problems, however, this one isn't something the average homeowner can fix.

How long it takes to clear a main sewer line usually falls between a few hours and a full day. It depends on the size and severity of the blockage, the method used to clear it, and how easily the sewer line can be accessed.

Sewer lines can have widely different lifespans depending on what they're made of and the conditions they work under, but they usually last somewhere between 50 and 100 years.

It is possible to clean your sewer line, but it is also difficult and somewhat dangerous. If you opt to tackle this project, you would use a plumbing snake or auger to get the line clear. You might even have to use a sewer jet, which is a kind of high-pressure hose, to clean out the line if you have a really stubborn clog. You would also need to take care to not expose yourself to the waste that you are probably very near to - as well as to not damage the line itself. It's a big job, and it can be done, but unless you know what you are doing, it's very likely that you will not do it safely. Hiring a professional plumber to clean your line is probably the best option.

When a main sewer line is clogged, it takes a skilled plumber to get it flowing freely again. These blockages can be tough to identify and even tougher to clear. You might think there's a single straightforward solution, but the pros use a mix of methods and a lot of know-how (and some not-so-common sense) to get the line clear. After all, you probably don't want vast amounts of nastiness coming back upstream into your house. Inside the main sewer line, the various methods look like this: if we don't drain it, we flood it; and if we don't do it safely, we (and our poor house) end up in a hazardous mess.

How often you snake a drain is determined by how badly it is clogged and the kind of plumbing it uses. For semiannual routine maintenance, snake the drain using a standard power auger. If that doesn't solve the problem, use a more powerful drain cleaner. If the drain continues to clog, snake it again and consider replacing the power auger with a jackhammer.

Sewer jetting is effective and, therefore, worth the money spent to clear sewer lines of blockages and buildup. When we are done with our work, you can expect the lines to flow much better and be much less likely to clog again in the near future. Plus, sewer jetting is a versatile method that can handle many different types of debris and is much friendlier to the environment than using chemical cleaners.