The sewer line is the packhorse of your home’s plumbing system. It does all the dirty work of moving and disposing of the used-up water and raw sewage from your plumbing fixtures and appliances. Yet the sewer line is the least-understood part of your home’s plumbing, says Atlas Property Management team.
Sewer lines are often overlooked when homeowners do plumbing maintenance for their homes. The reason is that the sewer line is underground and out of the homeowner’s view. Also, homeowners think their sewer lines are almost indestructible and therefore, don’t need much care.
For these reasons, most sewer line problems in homes are discovered too late. Either the signs of the problem are ignored, or they are misdiagnosed. The result is that sewer line issues are allowed to go on for a long time until they cause a costly disaster in the home.
But you can avoid all that by learning about your sewer line, how it works, and how to look after it.
What is the sewer line, and how does it work?
The sewer system is an underground infrastructure that connects the plumbing in your home to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The sewer system, through its connected drain lines, collects greywater and blackwater from the plumbing fixtures inside your home.
All that wastewater eventually finds its way into the main sewer line, a large pipe that runs between your house and the city sewer line in the streets. From your main sewer line, all the wastewater is pushed into the city sewer system for onward transportation to the treatment plant.
A common problem in sewer lines
Problems you may see in your home’s sewer system include:
- Clogs and blockages: Because wastewater contains several solid and semi-solid materials, the sewer line can become clogged with buildup.
- Pipe corrosion: As a result of aging and also because of the chemical action of the substances inside wastewater, sewer lines are subject to a lot of corrosion.
- Tree roots intrusion: In their attempt to access the nutrient-rich water inside the pipes, the roots of nearby shrubs and trees can penetrate and damage your sewer line.
- Leaks and fractures: Sewer lines can leak and fracture for a wide number of reasons, such as aging, clogging, corrosion, and tree root intrusion, to name a few.
- Sewer line bellies: If the soil around a sewer line becomes unstable due to erosion or too much water, the sewer line may collapse, blocking the passage.
- Sewer line collapse: A sewer pipe can lose its structural integrity for many different reasons, causing the line to cave in on itself. This will block the sewer line.
- Human error: Human actions can also damage a sewer line, improper installation, poor maintenance, and parking heavy vehicles or excavating above the location of the line.
What not to do to your sewer line
Contrary to what you may think, sewer systems are very sensitive. The sewer pipes themselves may be hardy, but the operation of the sewer system itself relies on a delicate balance between diverse factors. To maintain the function of your sewer line, avoid doing these things:
- Do not pour fats, oils, or grease, also known as FOG, into the drains in your home. They will congeal into a solid, sticky mass that will clog the sewer line.
- Do not pour starchy foods (rice, mashed potatoes, and pasta), eggshells, potato peels, coffee grinds, stringy veggies, corn husks, etc. into your drains.
- Do not flush so-called “flushable” items into the toilet, wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, cat litter, diapers, etc.
- Do not use chemical drain cleaners in your home. They contain harsh corrosives that can weaken and damage your sewer line over time.
- Do not let shrubs and trees with invasive roots grow in areas near your sewer line.
What to do to your sewer line
- Only allow water, human waste, and toilet paper to enter your toilet.
- Install strainers on all drain openings to help catch hair, soap scum, and food scraps.
- Use natural drain cleaners, such as enzymatic cleaners, baking soda, and vinegar.
- Inspect your sewer line using a sewer camera inspection once a year. This is the most effective way to detect and stay ahead of all the developing issues within the sewer line.
- Schedule professional sewer line cleaning services. Hydrojetting or sewer rodding the line once a year will remove any buildup inside the pipes. Doing this will prevent clogs, blockages, and all associated problems.
- Fix the problems in your sewer line promptly. Delays only give the issue time to grow and become worse. You will eventually spend more money to fix those same issues.
Lastly, you want to find a competent local plumber with proven expertise in sewer line maintenance and repair. The plumber should understand common sewer line problems in your locality. They should also be able to advise you on ways to make your sewer line more resilient.