Nothing annoys anyone more than a sewer drain clog. No matter the severity, a clogged drain can be a severe household problem that can affect the integrity of your home and even raise some health issues.
A sewer drain clog is most often a serious problem that qualifies for the assistance of expert local plumbers to excavate the damaged pipes, foreign matter, and other drain issues. Sometimes, the problem lies on the route from your plumbing system to the main sewer, or the lack of it. With that, wastewater will have no choice but to remain in your fixtures until it reaches your floor drains.
But how do you know if you’re dealing with a clogged sewer drain? What are you supposed to do if you are? Don’t fret. In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know about sewer drains: the basics, the symptoms, and the solution. Let’s begin!
The Basics: How does a sewer drain clog?
Some homes have a city sewer service with a single horizontal drain pipe that runs from their house to the street. Usually, this drain pipe is around 3-4 inches in diameter. Your main drain’s job is to accept all the wastewater from the various branch drains in your plumbing fixtures, such as your sinks, tubs, shower, toilets, and more.
Your branch drains are often smaller than your main drain, which is at 1.25-2.5 inches in diameter. Knowing that, if your main sewer drain is clogged, it will quickly go back up into the drains of your home.
Unfortunately, when your main sewer drain pipe is clogged, wastewater and raw sewage will find its way back through a floor drain and into the surface of your home, giving you more issues to worry about.
The Symptoms: How do I know I have a clogged sewer drain?
Several fixtures are clogged
Some of the most visible signs you’ll notice when dealing with a clogged sewer drain is if more than one plumbing fixtures are backed up. The first few fixtures that will experience problems are low-lying fixtures, such as your toilet or bathtub.
If you think something’s wrong with your sewer drain, start by checking these low-lying fixtures.
Unusual activity from fixtures
Other symptoms you should be aware of are odd behaviors from your fixtures, starting from your home’s main level. Clogs in the main sewer drains often happen between your house and the street. The backups will start at the clog’s origin and slowly move up and affect the fixtures and pipes on the lowest floor first.
One of the signs you’ll notice with toilets is that they won’t flush properly or if there is a gurgle when there is water running down through it. For tubs and showers, you’ll notice that their drains are filled with wastewater and have difficulty draining the flowing water coming from your sink and showers.
Another way to check for main sewer drain clogs is by running your sink. If you run water in a sink closest to the toilet, you may hear a reaction from the toilet and see that the water level rises.
The Solution: How am I supposed to deal with a clogged sewer drain?
The first thing you need to do when dealing with clogged drains is to ask for assistance from expert local plumbers to deal with this issue. Usually, they’ll proceed to clean out by using the special fitting attached to your drain. This type of solution is best done by experts since it might get a bit messy, and you may not have the right plumbing tools.
Additionally, when you work with plumbers, you may get to have regular plumbing maintenance in your contract, which could be a great help for you.
Conclusion
Dealing with sewer drain clogs could be a household nightmare, especially if you don’t deal with it right away. If your fixtures are experiencing the symptoms mentioned above, it’s time to give your local plumbers a call. This way, they’ll be able to resolve your plumbing issues, and you won’t have to deal with unnecessary clogging for a while.
Are you looking for plumbing services in Santa Clarita? Rooter Drain Expert has just what you need. We are a local plumbing company that provides expert plumbing services, such as drain cleaning, hydro-jetting, trenchless, and pipe rehabilitation. Check out our services today!