If you think caring for your sewer is beyond your skillset, you might be right. That’s why you must be intentional about learning how to care for your sewer. Although sewer maintenance may seem like something that’s a major mystery to most homeowners, understanding basic sewer maintenance can make it easier to identify when it’s time to call your local sewer cleaning service or perform some basic maintenance tasks on your own. From learning how to perform a sewer lateral cleanout to answering the question “How often should sewer lines be cleaned?”, there are many directions you can take your sewer care education. Learning how to care for your sewer can be interesting even if managing sewage backup cleaning and sewer lines doesn’t sound like your favorite way to spend an afternoon.
With perseverance and the right tools, you’ll have all the knowledge you need by the end of this article to feel confident when you’re calling a local sewer cleaning service to perform a sewer lateral cleanout or related task. You might even find some tasks you can do on your own. Once you know how to care for a sewer, you won’t waste money on unnecessary services.
The sewer is one of the most overlooked part of the home maintenance routine. Can you remember the last time you had your sewer cleaned or had it inspected? If your sewer is 40 years or older, you may need to look into sewer line replacement services in the near future. If the sewer line is younger than 40 years, there are a few things to do for your sewer to ensure it keeps working properly over the years.
Having a plumber unclog your drains by using a snake can cost anywhere from $10 to $200, which is much cheaper than an entire sewer replacement. One of the most common causes of sewer backups is tree roots getting into the sewer lines and causing blockages. A tree’s roots system grows 12 to 36 inches below the surface, but can extend horizontally two to three times the diameter of the canopy. These roots can run into underground pipes causing them to break, crack, or otherwise damage them. If you catch these roots early, they cause minimal damage and can easily be repaired.
Sewer Inspections
As a homeowner, by having your sewer line inspected on a regular basis can prevent costly sewer replacement services. Set an appointment with your plumber who will come in with a sewer camera and scope out how open your line is, as well as if there is any obstructions. The plumber will let you know if you need a sewer line cleaning and they can most likely clean any debris out that day.
While having your inspection done, the plumber will look for any signs that you will need a sewer line repair either now, or in the near future. By catching the signs early, you can avoid an entire sewer replacement.
Avoiding Clogs
Besides clearing out tree roots on a regular basis, you can avoid clogs by not flushing items such as maxi pads, diapers, cotton swabs, gauze, paper towels, and heavier materials down the toilet. To further keep you covered, check out insurance policies that cover sewer replacement and repairs in case yours becomes clogged on a regular basis.
