Home maintenance can take its toll on any homeowner, especially with a clogged sewer. When the seasons change, it’s time to weatherize your home. When the paint on your wall peels, it’s time to pick swatches. A fuse is blown and now you have to worry about updating your home’s electrical wiring. There’s plenty of upkeep in your home, and sometimes there are limited funds to work with. Sometimes prioritizing problems at home is more like a triage. Your home’s plumbing, however, should be a top priority.

Why a Clogged Sewer Can Be A Serious Problem

Nobody wants a malfunctioning toilet, but sometimes the issue is much worse than a slow drain. Untreated plumbing can lead to serious damages to your home and health. The more you wait, the more it could cost the quality of your house and wallet. Here’s why.

• Clogged pipes can lead to backed up sewage. Undrained pipes can result in your bathroom or basement floor flooded with contaminated water. Not only is the bacteria from the sewage a hazard to your health, if it isn’t treated for right away, it can cause costly damages to your floors, the mold being one of them.
• A leak can spring at any time. Generally, people treat a slow or clogged drain with a chemical drain cleaner, and sometimes it gets the job done. Using these cleaners, however, slowly eats away at your pipes and causes leaks. If those leaks are hard to spot, the result can be some very expensive water damage and repairs.
• Untreated plumbing can cost you a lot of money. Depending on how severe the problem is of course, costs to drain or clean a pipe can cost anywhere from $130 to $500. What it costs to clean up a sewer line (when your home has backed up sewage) can cost anywhere from $150 to $900 depending on the damages.

What Causes a Clogged Sewer?

Before you call a plumber, it’s important to understand what causes a clogged sewer in the first place. Sometimes the issue might be as simple as a buildup of food or hair, other times the issue might not too obvious. It’s better to be proactive versus reactive, which means being watchful of your plumbing and taking preventative action. But what exactly causes your toilet to stop flushing in the first place?

• When no one cleans the drain. Sounds pretty simple, but it’s easy to overlook. Actively cleaning your drains with products or a strainer, however, is usually the most effective way to keep your drains clear and prevent any major clog or backup.
• When your water heater needs flushing. Mineral deposits can develop over time inside a storage tank water heater, which over time can corrode the tank and affect its performance. Flushing the tank regularly removes the sediment inside and lowers the speed at which the deposits form.
• When trash or chemicals are flushed down the toilet. What you might think was a safe method of disposing of something toxic, can actually be very damaging to your plumbing. It’s best to throw out the trash in the trash can or send your hazardous materials to a waste management center. It’s also a good idea to keep your toilet lid closed in case something falls into the bowl and the next user unknowingly flushes it down the drain.
• When you try to fix the problem yourself. Understandably it’s tempting, especially if a DIY fix can save you money. However, it’s best to leave your damaged plumbing to the professionals, as trying to fix the problem yourself could lead to more problems.

The Warning Signs of a Clogged Sewer

When the problem is literally inside your walls, it can tricky to know where to look for the warning signs. If you notice slow drains in your sink or tub, frequent clogs, multiple drains clogging at once, toilets gurgling, bubbles, or a very foul odor coming from the drain- your home’s at risk of a clogged sewer. It’s important to contact a professional if you notice anything wrong, as they can identify, repair, and replace your plumbing with the right tools.

Why You Should Jet Your Drains When The Time Calls For It

There are a few different methods to unclog your drain, but one of the most effective and environmentally friendly methods is hydro-jetting. Hydro-jetting cleans your pipes with a high-pressure stream of water. It doesn’t rely on toxic chemicals, like most chemical drain cleaners, and can reach grime that sits on the pipe walls, unlike a plumbing snake. There are a handful of perks that come with hydro-jetting your pipes, including:

• Clearing up major clogs and blockages.
• Cleaning the pipes, removing bacteria, and improving the health of your pipes.
• Removing those pesky tree roots.
• Prevents future clogs.

What to Expect From Hydro-Jetting

If you need to hydro-jet your drains, that means calling in a professional plumber, who will access the sewer line to perform a video inspection. The inspection is to first check for any broken or damaged pipes. The plumber will then identify the areas and nature of the clogged problem. One the line is inspected and the problem areas are identified, a special hose with a cleaning head is inserted to apply 7,000 psi up to 60,000 psi of water pressure to the line. Usually, several passes are made to thoroughly clean any tough blockages like tree roots or grease. Once the line is cleaned, the sewer line is inspected once again to ensure all buildup has been removed.

Your Home’s Plumbing Is A Priority, Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

If you’re worried about flooded floors being added to your home maintenance list, then it’s time to contact a professional plumber. Plumbers can put your troubles at ease, as they’re trained to identify the problem, and repair or replace your plumbing safely and efficiently.

Don’t put off a clogged sewer and wait for it to work again – call a plumber or specialist at Lake Cook Plumbing today!

By zachadmachinescom