General Knowledge On Sewer Clogs
Most times for minor problems like a blocked bathroom drain or clogged toilet can be fixed by a simple plunger or what is called a drain snake that can help to remove blockages. Sometimes the problem can be more serious and the main sewer line that takes the waste away from the home to the sewer system can become clogged.
Homeowners can experience an unpleasant symptom of a floor drain that is blocked by foul water that spreads all over the floor.
The main sewer line is a pipe that carries such waste away from the toilet, sink bathroom basin etc. there. Getting to the parts of the sewer it not that hard if you have an accessible cleanout. If you don’t have one it can be harder and pricier to get to the sewer line. The clean outfitting can look different, but it is normally a 3inch, 4 or 6-inch pipe that has a visible plug and can easily be opened with a wrench. The plug is a threaded fitting, or it can also be a bell-shaped cup with a rubber bonnet secured with a pipe clamp. The main cleanout will be located right in the floor while different times it can be found in a tee fitting that will be mounted to the bottom of the main soil-stack. Depending on where these are it can be difficult in some cases to gain access to the parts of the sewer that need to be repaired.
Main drain clogs can happen if a root penetrates the join holding the pipes and then blocks the swearer. Although this might sound like an outlandish idea, roots blocking pipes are actually more common than you think and is one of the main cause of blockages that plumbers all over the world have to deal with. A professional can clear this blockage with an auger that has cutting blades. Another problem is where the sewer line collapses all together which usually only happens with the pipes that are made of cast iron or clay. This is a place in the sewer that can be hard to get to and the job isn’t easy so the yard will need to be dug up and a portion replaced or a completely new run of pipe from the home to the main swearer.
In warmer places, the main access point will be exterior of the home and there may be more than one sewer cleanout. This can be set in the or even a concrete slab that will consist of a round cover over the top. It is common for people not to remember the opening or just forget about it and put shelves, cupboard and other obstructions over it, thinking that it is not important.
The main cleanout will involve using a large pipe wrench in order to grip the lug within the middle of the plug then unscrew it by twisting counter-clockwise. This can be hard if the pipes are cast iron and have not be opened in a long time. Most time it will depend on where the problem is and where the access point is. If you have a concrete backyard etc then it will be hard to get to the sewer parts that need to be fixed but this will be determined by the plumber as to how the access is going to take place. A plan will come into place as to how they are going to gain access and you will be given a quote plus a clear explanation as to what is going to happen in order to access the sewer in order to conduct the sewer blockage clearing.
