A clogged sewer drain is one of the very worst plumbing problems to have in your home. Just imagine the spectacle of wastewater with human waste and all kinds of filth bubbling up from a drain and flooding your home. This problem is better imagined than experienced.
A clogged sewer drain will not only cause flooding in your home, but it will also expose everyone in the house to significant health risks, warns IPM Management. Preventing sewer drain clogs is the best way to deal with them. But to prevent a sewer drain clog, you must know the signs of problems with your sewer drains.
How sewer drains work
All homes that are connected to the city sewer service have a single underground sewer drainpipe that runs from the home to the city’s systems. This pipe collects wastewater from all the drainpipes inside the home and channels it to the city sewers.
This main pipe is usually 3 or 4”in diameter and hooked to the home’s main drain. Other drainpipes that run from the home’s main drain to its various plumbing fixtures (sinks, showers, or toilets) often have a smaller diameter of 1 ¼ to 2 ½”.
If the main sewer drainpipe which connects the home to the city systems is blocked, wastewater from the home will not pass through. Instead of going to the underground city sewer lines in the street, it will build inside the pipes until it eventually backs up into your home.
Signs that your main sewer drain is clogged
Here are the signs you will see in your home when there is a clog in your main sewer line.
Plumbing fixtures are clogged at the same time
Depending on how you manage your home’s plumbing, you may experience clogged drains from time to time. But when this happens, it is either the toilet, sink, or shower drain is clogged.
You usually shouldn’t have multiple fixtures clogged at the same time. If you find that two or more of the drains in the main level of your home are clogged, you may want to inspect your main sewer lines.
Toilets that won’t flush
This is one of the clearest signals that your main sewer line is in trouble. Toilet drains can get clogged as a result of flushing non-flushable items down the toilet. If you hear a gurgling sound from a toilet whenever you use a sink, bathtub or washing machine, it’s a sign that your main drain may have problems.
Blocked tubs and showers
A clog in the main sewer drain will show up in the shower and tub before you see signs of it in the sinks. That’s because shower and tub drains sit at a lower level than sink drains.
As a result, issues with the main drain will become evident in those lower drain openings first. If shower and tub drains are filling with wastewater or draining slowly, you could have a clog in your main drain.
Strange reactions when using a sink
Typically, you will not experience backflow of wastewater at the sink because sinks are at a higher level than toilets and showers. But you may have trapped air in the sink drain if your main sewer line is clogged.
Another sign to look for is gurgling sounds from the toilet closest to the sink or a change in water level inside the toilet bowl whenever you run water in the sink.
Overflow/backup when using the washing machine
If your main sewer drain is clogged, one of the signs is when draining water out of your washing machine, the toilet to overflow or results in backflow inside a tub or shower drain. If this problem is also accompanied by toilets that do not flush properly, you can be sure that your main sewer line is blocked.
What to do if your main sewer drain is clogged
Follow these steps if you think the main sewer drain in your home is blocked:
- This is not a problem you can solve by yourself. Get a drain specialist to inspect the main sewer lines; they have the tools to correctly diagnose and quickly solve the problem.
- Do not run the water in your home or flush any toilet. As long as you do not send more wastewater into your sewer drains, the problem will not get worse. Wait for the specialist to arrive.
- To make sure a faucet in the home is not accidentally opened, shut off the water supply to the entire home from the main shut-off valve (not the shut off valve for individual fixtures).
What if after the drain cleaning specialist has camera inspected your main sewer drain, they determine that the problem is from the city sewer lines? What can you do in this situation? For issues with the city sewers, talk to city officials. The city sewer line is outside your line of authority.