4 Signs Your Sewer Line is Clogged

Clogs are a pretty common problem for any home plumbing system. However, many home owners could not tell if that clog is just a regular drain clog or is actually a bigger and more problematic sewer line clog. While drain clogs are often solved using plungers and drain cleaners, a sewer line clog is much harder to detect and fix.

It’s extremely important to get a clogged sewer line fixed the moment you detect it, because it can ultimately cause raw sewage to back up the drains. That would cause water damage, not to mention pose a health risk for everyone in your household, as raw sewage is extremely filthy. To determine if you have a sewer line clog, here some signs to watch out for.

1. Multiple drains seem to be clogged

Check all the drains inside your home, from the toilet to kitchen sink. Are they all draining slowly? And when they do drain, do you hear a gurgling sound? If the answer to both questions is yes, then it’s highly likely that you have a sewer line clog.

2. Oddly-behaving fixtures

One clear sign of a sewer drain clog is when water backs up or comes up into the tub or shower when you flush the toilet. That’s because water that cannot pass through the sewer drain flows back up and seeks the lowest point, which is the shower drain in most cases.

When you have trapped air in your home’s plumbing system, it is also an indication that you have a sewer line clog. To see if there is trapped air in the plumbing system, run water in the sink that is located close to a toilet. If the water level in the toilet rises or if the toilet bubbles, a sewer line clog is very likely the culprit.

3. A terrible smell is coming from your drains

When you pick up that unmistakable odour of raw sewage coming from your drains, it is very likely that your main sewer line is clogged.

4. Water drains at the clean-out

Unfortunately, this tip is not for everyone, as not every house has a clean-out. If a house has one, it could still prove to be hard to locate. Not that you’d be clearing it out yourself, but knowing where it is can be helpful when you call in a professional plumber.

Assuming your house has a clean-out and you manage to locate one, unscrew the cap and check if it has any water coming up it. If you see any waste or water backing up there, then you have all the confirmation you need that you have a clogged sewer line, because you’re not supposed to see any water coming up the clear-out pipe.

Once you determine that there is a sewer line clog, waste no time in clearing it. You are going to need a sewer drain snake to remove the clog. However, if you want to make sure that the clog is removed in the quickest and safest way possible, we recommend getting a professional plumber to do it. The Tradebusters network has a lot of highly skilled and experienced professional plumbers under its wing, and they all come highly recommended. Give us a call, so you can gain access to their services.