5 Ways to Prevent Sewer Backups

No one wants to open the shower door and find a sewage backing up the drain. Sewer backups can occur for several reasons, but usually they are preventable. The main cause of a sewer backup is a clog in your sewer line – other causes can include septic system failure and sewer line breaks. The best ways to prevent sewage backup issues include keeping your sewer lines clear and maintained – try these five tips.

  1. Keep grease and fats out of your drains. Fat and grease are responsible for many clogs in plumbing, including large clogs in your sewer lines. Grease also can cause problems with septic systems. Wipe out greasy pans before rinsing or cleaning to keep grease out of your drains.
  2. Be careful what you flush. Cotton swabs, feminine hygiene products, cotton balls and other solid items can cause clogs in your pipes and in septic systems. Keep non-biodegradable items out of the toilet.
  3. Compost hard foods. Even if you have a garbage disposal, some hard or solid foods should not be put down the drain. Start a compost for hard food items like egg shells, tough produce peels and coffee grounds to prevent clogs.
  4. Schedule preventive hydro-jetting. Debris and sludge can accumulate in your sewer lines. Hydro-jetting performed by a sewer professional can clear your sewer lines to prevent clogs.
  5. Inspect your sewer lines and maintain your septic system. Every few years, have a camera inspection performed on your sewer lines – this can identify any pipe deterioration or problems for preventive repairs. Also, if you have a septic system, make sure to schedule annual service to prevent backups.

A few preventive steps can eliminate many problems that cause sewer backups. It is worth the investment to keep your sewer lines and septic system maintained to help prevent inconvenient and expensive sewer backups.

Posted on behalf of:
Seagraves Plumbing Sewer & Septic
4980 Plant Atkinson Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
(494) 792-2221

Warning Signs Your Main Sewer Line is Clogged

Under your yard, large sewer pipes sweep away waste from your home. Whether you have a septic system or are connected to a municipal sewer system, these sewer lines are critical to keep your plumbing working correctly. Many homeowners can go years, even decades, without any problems with their sewer lines, especially if they keep up with maintenance. However, clogs and do form and when they do, they can cause a sewer backup into your home. Here are some of the warning signs that you may have a clog forming in your main sewer line.

  • Slow drains. If you notice more than one drain in your home is slow, it could be a clog in your sewer line. It usually begins with the drains closest to the sewer line outlet in the lower levels of the home. If only one drain is slow, it is more likely a localized clog in your plumbing.
  • Bad odors. When you smell sewage near your drains or in your yard, you may have a sewer line clog. Sewage may be trapped in the pipes and the fumes can come up through your sink and shower drains.
  • Wet spot in the yard. If a tree root has clogged your sewer line, it could also cause a leak in the pipe, letting sewage out into the soil. This can cause a wet area in the yard or a green spot in your lawn.

If you have any signs of a sewer line clog, don’t hesitate to call your sewer professional. Clearing it before it gets worse can prevent a sewer backup in your home and the damage that it can create. Many sewer line clogs can be swiftly removed with hydro-jetting by your local sewer service company.

Posted on behalf of:
Metro Septic LLC
1210 N Tennessee St
Cartersville, GA 30120
(678) 873-7934

Why You Should Proactively Hydro-Jet Your Sewer Lines

It is common to put most sewer or septic issues out of mind until there’s a problem. It is not something you see or want to see, so unless it creates an issue in your home, it is usually forgotten. However, a little proactive maintenance can go a long way in preventing sewer line clogs and backups that can be inconvenient, nasty and expensive. Here are some reasons why you should proactively hydro-jet your sewer lines to keep them clear of clogs.

  • Trees love sewer lines. If you have trees in your yard, their roots would love to find their way into your sewer line. The moisture inside attracts roots to infiltrate sewer lines. Hydro-jetting can remove any small roots that have made their way inside and clear them before they cause a clog or broken pipe.
  • Remove sludge. Almost every sewer line has a certain amount of sludge that accumulates over time. While it may not be clogging the pipe now, it can eventually become thick enough to cause a backup. Clearing it out regularly can avoid sludge buildup and clogs.
  • Proactive repairs. When you have your sewer lines hydro-jetted, your sewer service can also do an inspection of the pipes. This is done with a digital camera that can be fed down through the line. This can reveal any potential problems so you can get them fixed before they cause a sewer line emergency.

Add sewer line hydro-jetting to your list of household maintenance that you do once a year. It is worth the time and investment to avoid costly and inconvenient sewer line clogs and other repairs when you least expect it.

Posted on behalf of:
Septic Service Pro, LLC
Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30334
(678) 292-8728

Hydro Jetting for Tough Clogs

No homeowner likes a clogged sewer line, especially when accompanied by smelly brown water backup into sinks and toilets. Most of the time, a snake sent through the septic pipe will release the blockage, while other times, you need to hire a sewer-septic service to use high pressure hydro jetting to clear the lines.

How Does Hydro Jetting Work? 

Hydro jetting is a relatively easy process whereby the sewer septic service will use a truck equipped with a large water tank and heavy hose to free the clog with a high pressure water stream at up to 3,500 psi, which is powerful enough to break up big clogs of grease, sediment and even tree roots.

The pipe is inserted into the sewer line through the cleanout, an accessible opening that exists in every plumbing system. The water is positioned upstream, so that the debris will flow downstream once the clog is broken up. The hydro jet can clean several hundred feet of sewer pipe at a time.

When is Hydro Jetting Not a Good Solution?

Hydro jetting is effective in clearing sediment and grease, but if the clog is due to tree roots, it may be best to consider sewer line replacement. If roots have invaded the pipes and caused a blockage, it could be a sign that pipes have weakened and broken underground and hydro jetting would only be a temporary solution because tree roots would eventually just grow back.

It is usually a good idea to have a full sewer septic line inspection before embarking on any intensive pipe clearing operation. The septic company can even use special cameras to inspect the lines from within.

Water Jetting

High pressure water jetting or hydro jetting offers an effective solution for most clogged drains and sewer lines.  Built up accumulations of grease, oil, sludge, hair, dirt and other debris as well as infiltration by tree roots and other foreign materials can cause drain and sewer lines to clog.

Traditional rootering techniques use a mechanical cutting head attached to a thick metal cable (often called a snake) to cut through clogs.  While this method works well to cut through clogs, it leaves behind a lot of residual debris that can soon start forming a new clog.

High pressure water jetting does a much more thorough job of clearing clogged pipes.  Water jetting uses water sprayed under very high pressure to cut through clogs in drain lines and sewer lines.  Special high pressure hoses with spray nozzles at the end are inserted into the pipe and pushed or pulled the length of the pipe while blasting water at very high pressure.  The high pressure water spray clears clogs by cutting through tree roots, grease, hair, paper, and other organic materials.

In addition, water jetting scours the inside of the pipe and removes all of the debris from the pipe walls including grease, oil, sludge, dirt, and other foreign materials.  Unlike rootering which simply cuts through a clog, water jetting actually cleans the inside of the pipe and returns it to nearly new condition.   The water spray then drains through the pipe, flushing away the removed debris.

For industrial and commercial drains that are subjected to high volumes of grease, oil, sludge, or other materials, regular water jetting can help minimize business interruptions by keeping your drain and sewer lines flowing freely.