As a homeowner, one of the least favorite issues to deal with involves plumbing. Whether big or small, plumbing issues are not exactly the glamorous part of owning a home. However, the plumbing of a house or even business is an essential part of a dwelling. Whether you are a new homeowner or an experienced one, you will face a plumbing issue that needs to be resolved at one point or another.

A building or home’s plumbing system can be pretty intricate. Your plumbing system includes fixtures and pipes that help distribute water in and out of your home. It allows for water to enter your home for use. The system helps distribute the clean water throughout the house and helps remove wastewater from the home. The system consists of various types of pipes in the home as well as outside of the home to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The pipes that run inside your home are referred to as drain lines. The ones outside of your home are the sewer lines. All these lines are connected and risk creating anything from minor issues that you can handle yourself to more significant problems that call for a professional.

The problems with your drain line may include minor clogs or slow drains. You can address some of these things without having to involve a plumber. More significant issues like those related to your outside sewer line may require more work. In these cases, professional plumbing companies such as Omaha Drain can help get your system back in working order.

Your Main Sewer Line and How You Care For It

The sewer line may be an essential part of your plumbing system, yet many people hardly give it a second thought until they encounter issues. Your main sewer line is what connects you to the city’s sewer line. This part of the plumbing system is one of the most important. Not only does a properly running sewer line help with the overall running of your home, but it is also essential in regard to sanitation and hygiene. One of the main sewer line’s primary jobs is to carry waste from your home to a city’s mainline to rid it of smells, germs, and illness.

Maintenance of the main sewer line is key to protecting your plumbing system. Upkeep is an integral part of maintaining a healthy sewer line. Upkeep or maintenance can include small things that you can do yourself to other things that you may need the assistance of a professional.

Maintaining Your Main Sewer Line

The maintenance of the main sewer line is a crucial part of owning or caring for your home and your family. You can do many things to help ensure that your main sewer line remains healthy. One of the first things that you need to be aware of is that the main sewer line does not only remove waste from your bathroom; it handles waste from all of your indoor plumbing. This includes waste from both your bathroom and kitchen, for example. To help with the upkeep of your main sewer line, you must be conscious of what you are allowing through your pipes.  

Kitchen waste is a big part of the amount of waste removed from a home. Being mindful of what you put down your pipes can help you keep a smoothly running system. Many foods do not easily flow downpipes. Bulky foods and grease are a nightmare for your system and can cause you unnecessary headaches. Ensuring that the items going down the drain from your kitchen sink will not cause blockage is a step everyone can take to ensure that your drains steer free of any clogs.

It is essential to know that everything is not flushable. With that said, even flushable things can still cause havoc to a plumbing system. Bulky items such as large amounts of toilet paper and other personal hygiene products can cause blocked pipes and plumbing issues. In that same sense, making sure that everyone in your family knows not to throw bulky items in the toilet can also help prevent future problems with your system.  

Being aware of how you can maintain your sewer line yourself is being proactive as a homeowner. For example, you may want your pipes and drains cleaned by a professional.

However, there are some maintenance issues that you may not be able to handle on your own and may need to leave it up to the professionals. Although there are some methods in which you can do a minor cleaning of your pipes yourself, if you want a thorough cleaning that will rid your pipes and lines of debris, including tree roots, you may want to contact a reputable company.

When looking for a company to do a sewer line cleaning, you will want to make sure that the company has the technical ability to clean your pipes in a manner that is not only thorough but also in a way that will not damage your pipes. Furthermore, you want to ensure that the company has the right professional tools to get the job done. You will want to ensure that a professional plumber and his team take the time to identify the type of pipes that you have and the best method to use.

Today, hydro jetting is a common way of cleaning your mainline. A hydro-jet machine is used to spray high-pressure water into the line. The pressure is so intense it can unclog any blockage that you may have in your sewer pipes. The intense pressure can eliminate almost anything, including rocks and tree roots. This method is very popular as a form of complete cleaning as it will usually remain clear of debris for an extended period.

Taking some preventive measures as a family and regularly cleaning your plumbing system can give you as a homeowner peace of mind and help prevent graver issues ahead.

How Do You Know If Your Sewer Line Needs Repair?

Unfortunately, even if you have tried to maintain your sewer line correctly, you may come to a point where the line may need repair nonetheless. For example, in the case of your outside mainline, mother nature or animals may wreak havoc on your pipes. In these cases, preventive measures may be limited or even nonexistent. Regardless of whether the cause of the problem is man-made or nature-made, you should never ignore it.

Due to the fact that the sewer line plays such a critical role in the running of your plumbing system and the overall health of you and your family, knowing when an issue arises is essential. Quickly identifying a problem will prevent more severe issues down the line. There are issues that only a professional plumber can assess, but there are many things that you can identify as well.

Signs in Your Home to Look Out For

There are many ways and clues that you, as a homeowner, can tell if you are encountering or about to encounter an issue with the main sewer line of your home. These signs may seem simple, but ignoring them can be catastrophic to your plumbing system.

1. Slow Drainage

One of the first things you may see if there is an issue with your home’s line is slow drainage. This slow drainage may happen gradually over time and become clogged entirely if not resolved right away. A sewer line may require repair if your start noticing that the drains in the various areas of your home are slow to drain.

2.     Foul Odor

Another tell-tale sign that your sewer line may need repair is the smell of an awful odor. Many people describe this odor to smell like rotten eggs. The odor can mean different things. The smell you are experiencing may come from old dried debris in your pipes. It may also be due to gases contained in your pipes. This odor, which comes from toxic gases that are being backed up into your home, is a sure sign that something is awry. If you smell any odor coming from your line, it may mean that a seal or a pipe is cracked.

3.     Back up

One sign that is proof that something is wrong with their sewer line is if you experience any backup. Waste backup can occur in anywhere where the water is intended to drain out. Back-ups can occur in a sink or a toilet bowl and can present themselves simultaneously with odor and clogging. Backed-up drains are not only unsightly, but they are also unsanitary. Having sewer wastewater come back up and spill into your home can lead to disease and illness.

4.     Strange Sounds

If you hear strange sounds such as the gurgling of water either in your toilet or in a sink, your plumbing system contains a clog and may need to be checked out. Ignoring this sign just because water is flowing or draining is a colossal mistake that can lead to further problems down the line.  

5.     Excess Water in Your Yard

Another sure sign that your main sewer line has issues is if you start seeing signs of excess water in your yard. Signs that you have excess water include seeing pools of water in an area of your yard or if your lawn is greener than usual. Waste is a fertilizer for your lawn. So although you may think that your grass looks luscious, if you did not do anything to improve the lawn, it may mean that there is a leakage somewhere in your line.

Another sign of leakage is excess moisture. Excess moisture can display itself as mold on your home’s walls. Mold on the wall can look yellowish or brown, and even small patches of mold can be a sign of a big problem.

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