Clogged sewer lines can cause extensive damage to your home and expose you and your family to contaminated water. This happens when your sewer pipes are completely blocked and start draining sewer water back into the home.
Sewage water carries numerous bacteria and pathogens, and people may get diseases like gastroenteritis, hepatitis A, giardiasis, and encephalitis when exposed to it. Therefore, you should identify and repair clogged sewer lines before the pipes are completely blocked. Read the guide below to discover signs of sewer line clogs.
Foul Smells
Sewers should contain sewer smells within the piping and plumbing vents, so if you detect a sewer smell from drains within or outside your house, you might have a clogged sewer line. You should, however, note that a smelly kitchen sink drain may not be a sign of a clogged sewer but blockage from food particles.
Gurgling Toilets
Gurgling in your toilets is another sign of sewer line blockage. Because toilets typically connect directly to the sewer pipeline, signs of blockage may appear there first. If your toilet starts gurgling when you drain the bathtub or run water down the bathroom sink, then your sewer line is likely clogged.
In severe cases, using water in other house areas may cause the toilet to overflow. You should treat severe blockage cases as a plumbing emergency.
Slow Drainage in Multiple Fixtures
If your sinks or bathtub start draining water slowly or need frequent plunging, you may have a clog in the larger drainage system. Sewer pipes have drain waste vents for releasing sewer gas and letting in air to create suction, which helps drain water from fixtures in the house. If one of the vents has a blockage, less air gets into the system, creating drainage problems.
Water Backing Up in Several Plumbing Fixtures
A clog in the main sewer line can compromise all the plumbing fixtures in the house. In this case, whenever you use a fixture, water will back up in another. For instance, if you flush the toilet, water may back up in the bathtub or shower drain, or running the washing machine may cause water to back up in the kitchen sink. If you have a main sewer clog, contact your plumber immediately to clear the drain.
Drainage in the Sewer Cleanout
A sewer cleanout refers to the pipe connected to the main sewer line. Plumbers can clear out any blockages in the sewer line through the sewer cleanout. If you notice water flowing out of or standing in the cleanout, you have a clog in your main sewer line. You can confirm the presence of a clog by unscrewing the cleanout and checking for waste.
Sewage Water Backing Up in the Basement Drains
The fixtures in your basement are at the lowest point in your plumbing system and will experience the effects of a sewer blockage more. If you have a clogged sewer, water may back up from the floor drains in the basement when upstairs fixtures drain.
Puddles or Lush Patches of Grass in the Yard
Tiny cracks in sewer pipes may attract tree roots, which then intrude on the piping in search of water and nutrients. Eventually, the roots grow inside the pipes, blocking them. This causes wastewater to drain into the yard where it fertilizes plants and promotes plant growth. Therefore, areas with wastewater leaks will have lush grass or other vegetation patches.
A clogged sewer is not a problem you can remedy with a plunger. Have a plumber inspect your sewers to identify the location of the blockage and clean it out. Contact us today for drainage cleaning services if you have a sewer drainage problem.
