It’s an especially annoying experience when a bathtub, sink drain or toilet in your home clogs and fills up, but it’s a much bigger problem when the same happens to a sewer line. A clog or an obstruction in the sewer, or all fixtures related to plumbing, is bad enough, but when the situation worsens you may just find sewage seeping from some of the drains.
Unlike most other jobs, clearing a blocked sewer can’t be done as a DIY project, as such a huge job needs the professional expertise and equipment of plumbing services in Mesa.
The reason why sewers clog
Typically 6 inches or more in diameter, it takes a lot more than a simple buildup of paper or loose debris to clog residential sewers. In fact, most sewers clog when tree roots somehow come into the pipes and this usually happens when the roots spread to any cracks or loose joints in search of warmth and moisture, both of which can be found in sewers.
The water flow is slowed down because of debris getting stuck on the engorged roots, and before long the flow is completely blocked due to the obstruction.
How to properly diagnose the problem
The drains in your house will run slow however much you try to clear them because the root of the problem is not a clogged drain, but a clogged sewer. Other signs that you may have a sewer clog are ‘gurgling’ sounds coming out of the waste pipes when a toilet is flushed, which may give you a warning beforehand.
After determining that other possible causes of a slow working drain don’t apply, homeowners can call a professional plumbing service in Mesa and get a visual inspection of the main sewer pipes from the inside. This will be done with the help of a miniature camera and other special equipment, which can also find out other problems affecting sewer lines.
Types of Cleaning Methods
Basically, there are two main types of cleaning methods that plumbing specialists use;
Mechanical Cleaning Methods
In this type, a variety of tools are usually used to clear up a sewer line. One such tool is an auger, which, although a common household tool, is much longer and works by power.
Another very useful tool used to clear up sewer blockage is a water jet, which uses high pressures to blow away the obstructions blocking the line.
Chemical Cleaning Methods
Although not entirely safe to use for main sewer lines as compared to smaller drains, the only reason why plumbers even use this method is to control tree roots. Copper sulphate is often flushed down a toilet to kill roots, but this method needs to be used frequently.
Another alternative is using metam sodium and dichlobenil based foam which does the same work of killing roots at a much quicker rate, although the chemicals may take weeks to completely wash away.
It’s highly recommended that homeowners hire a professional plumbing service, because not only are they professionally trained for the job, but also are equipped with specialized tools and chemical solutions with which the job gets done effectively.