Category Archives: sewer augering

How to Prevent Costly Sewer Backups in Chicago, IL

preventing costly sewer backups in chicago.

Sewer Backups in Chicago

Living in Chicago presents unique challenges with sewer backups. The city of Chicago is served by a combination of public and private sewer systems with over three thousand miles of sewer lines. Despite ongoing preventative maintenance and infrastructure repairs, many Chicago homeowners experience sewer backups due to recurring issues of clogged or blocked pipes, bellied sewer lines, sump pump malfunctions, and home flooding. A sewer backup can be a major inconvenience and can be costly to repair and clean up.

While much of the responsibility for preventing sewer backups rests with city authorities and the water utility responsible for maintaining the city’s sewer system, there are steps homeowners can take to help reduce the risk of a costly and disruptive sewer backup.

Sewer Backup Prevention Tips

When it comes to preventing a costly sewer backup, the best defense begins at home. Here are some tips for avoiding a costly sewer backup in Chicago:

• Inspect your home’s sewer lines with a plumber and ensure any damaged or deteriorated pipes are replaced or repaired.

• If you have sump pump, inspect and maintain it regularly. Clean the filter screens and check the float switch to ensure the pump is operational.

• Avoid disposing of items that should not be flushed down the toilet such as sanitary wipes, sanitary napkins, diapers, grease, oil, or other oily products.

• Install a backwater valve sewer line. This will help protect against sewer line backups by automatically closing off the sewer line if the pressure of the water exceeds a certain level.

• Consider installing a sump pump basement watchdog, which alerts homeowners of any water intrusion in their home.

By taking a proactive approach and following these prevention tips, Chicago homeowners can reduce the risk of a costly and disruptive sewer backup.

Sewer Backup Prevention Chicago

In addition to the above-mentioned measures, there are several actions the City of Chicago is currently taking to prevent sewer backups in Chicago homes. The City of Chicago is investing in infrastructure improvements, such as installing new sewer lines, replacing lead water lines, regrades, and spot repairs, to its sewer system to reduce infiltration, inflow, and illegal connections. The City is also investing in green infrastructure projects to improve the stormwater drainage and reduce flooding, which can cause sewer backups.

The City of Chicago has also partnered with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) to reduce combined sewer overflows that contribute to sewer backups in homes. The MWRD has designed the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), which will reduce the amount of combined sewage overflows and prevent sewer backups in Chicago homes.

Finally, the City of Chicago has launched an incentive program to assist homeowners in offsetting the costs associated with sump pump installation and maintenance. The Sump Pump Incentive Program offers discounts of up to 50 percent on the cost of sump pumps and any associated labor and materials.

By taking proactive measures to prevent sewer backups and providing cost-effective solutions to homeowners, the City of Chicago is promoting a safe and healthy environment for all of its residents.

By following these simple tips and using the City’s resources, Chicago homeowners can take proactive steps to prevent costly and disruptive sewer backups. Doing so will not only help to protect the home, but it will also reduce the risk of costly repairs and clean-up associated with a sewer backup.

How to Auger your Sewer Line

a sewer line being augered in chicago

Your home’s main sewer lines transport all the wastewater from the plumbing fixtures in your home to the main sewer lines in the street, explains Keyrenter Management Austin. Sewer lines sometimes get clogged with tree roots, FOGs (fats, oils, and grease), soil, food waste, and other debris.

When this happens, one way to solve the problem is to auger the sewer line. This method is safe, low-cost, and effective for most blockages. It doesn’t take a lot of time to auger your sewer line. Although you can do it yourself, it is best to hire a plumber to perform a drain rodding service.

How to auger a sewer line

Step one 

Rent a power or motorized auger from a local tool rental shop. They typically have a 100-foot+ cable attached to a heavy-duty electric motor that feeds the cable onto the sewer line. Power augers are used for cleaning 3-inch – 4-inch sewer pipes.

Step two 

Locate the main cleanout access. You can find this in the basement, bathroom, utility area, or outside, depending on the age of your house. You can identify it by the cleanout cap on top of it. Loosen the cap with a wrench. You will need plastic gloves for this job. Make sure there are no clothes around or long hair that can get into the cable guide and cause problems.

Step three 

Open the cleanout access and gently insert the cable guide and cutter head into the hole. A power auger comes with various sizes of cutter heads. If your sewer line has not been cleaned in a long time or is completely blocked, you may want to start with a smaller cutter head. That will let you poke holes in whatever clogs are inside the line. You may then use the larger cutter heads to remove the clog. If you use the larger cutter heads at first, you will struggle to get the job done.

Step four 

Before you power on the auger, check the switch that controls the drum rotation and direction of the cutter head. It will show three options; off, reverse, and forward. You want to make sure the switch is set forward. Check the auto-feed control for the machine. It controls the direction of the cable (whether it is going into or out of the pipe). Make sure the cable is set to go into the sewer line and not out of it.

Step five 

To power on the machine, you either kneel or step on the foot switch (an air-activated switch with a large bulb used in place of an electric control to prevent electric shocks on wet floors). Before you start the machine, it is a good idea to lay rags around the cleanout and remove any objects in the area that you don’t want to get splashed with sewage.

Step six 

As the cable starts to feed into the sewer line, keep an eye on the rate at which it enters the pipe. If there is a massive obstruction in the pipe, the cable may start to slow down. If this happens, slow or stop the cable completely. Let the cutter head rotate in that spot until it clears the blockage.

Step seven 

Keep feeding the cable into the line until you reach the end of the service line. The length of the sewer line in most homes is around 85 – 90 feet. If you rented a power auger with a 100 feet cable, that is more than enough to go through your entire sewer line to the main sewer line in the street. When the cable reaches the end of the line, it might skip a bit or make a louder noise. Let it rotate for a while before you stop it.

Step eight 

Allow the cable to run all the way out until there is no cable left on the drum. Once this happens, you may switch off the machine. Put the auto-feed control into reverse and start the motor again. This time the cable will retract from the sewer line; move in the reverse direction.

Step nine 

Watch the cable as it returns. Listen for when you can hear the cutter-head spinning inside the line; this means you are almost at the end of the line. You want to turn off the machine as soon as you see tree roots or debris stuck to the cable. Gently pull the rest of the cable out of the pipe to see if you have anything caught on the cutter head.

That is how to auger your sewer line to rid clogs and blockages within the pipes. Note that you do not have to wait until you have a clog to do this. You can do this periodically as preventative maintenance for the main sewer line; as a matter of fact, it is recommended.

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