How Do You Know If Your Sewer Line is Clogged?

Are you concerned your sewer line might be clogged? From disintegrating pipes to invading tree roots, sewer lines become blocked for several reasons. If you suspect your sewer line is clogged, you should contact a licensed plumbing technician immediately. Leaving the issue unresolved could cause costly complications, including cracked sewer lines and mold growth.  If you suspect your sewer line might be blocked, look for these five signs of a clogged sewer line:

Backed-Up Drains

Your home’s sewer system comprises a series of pipes that flow to your main sewer line. The main sewer line connects to your municipal sewer system or septic tank. Depending on the blockage’s location, you might experience an isolated clog or multiple drainage issues throughout the home. For this reason, backed-up toilets and sinks are common signs of a clogged sewer line. A single clogged fixture — like a kitchen sink — might mean you’ve dropped one too many vegetable clippings down the drain and need to clear your kitchen pipes. If all your drains are backing up, you might have a main sewer line issue.

Slow Drains

Whenever you wash your hands or flush the toilet, pay attention to how quickly the water drains. Observe which drains are slow-draining in your home. One slow-moving drain might indicate an isolated blockage. However, a more significant issue might be at hand if you notice that multiple drains throughout your home are slow to drain.

Strange Smells and Noises

Sewage smells. Unfortunately, that odor can sneak into your home if there’s a block in your main sewer line. Foul smells emanating from your sink, bathtub or floor drain indicate a main sewer line blockage. The clog leaves nowhere else for the waste causing the smell to go, leaving a lingering odor.  In addition to strange smells, you might also notice a gurgling noise coming from your drains. This sound occurs because water, air and waste cannot flush through your sewer line. The trapped air bubbles — and waste — float back up the drain, resulting in that telltale gurgling noise.

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Standing Sewage in Your Basement

Your main sewage line has an access point located somewhere on your property that you or a plumbing professional can use to clear sewage backups. These access points are usually located in your yard or basement. However, floor drains are often situated in lower-level bathrooms and laundry rooms.  If the blockage is significant enough, a clogged sewer line could cause backed-up sewage to overflow your floor drain, resulting in standing sewage in your basement.

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Sewage in Your Sewer Cleanout Pipe

If you can’t locate a floor drain in your home, your sewer line’s access point might be in your front or back yard. This external access point is called a sewer cleanout pipe and connects to your main sewer line as a floor drain would. Look for a capped PVC or cast iron pipe that sticks out of or lays flat against the ground in your yard. Depending on how your plumbing system is set up and the severity of the problem, accessing the sewer line may require excavation.  You might notice standing waste in your yard if your property has a severely clogged sewer line. However, you can also uncap the sewer cleanout pipe and look inside. You’ll need to contact a plumbing professional for sewer line maintenance if there’s standing sewage in the cleanout pipe.