Sewer Line Backups

Sewer line backups can be awful to deal with, but there are ways to make this problem better while you wait for a plumber. If you’re having issues with your plumbing, start by learning about your sewage system.

What are sewer lines? 

Clean water comes into your house through water lines, and dirty water is carried away by the sewer lines. These lines usually connect under the house; dirty water is gravity-fed into the pipes. Sewer lines will then connect into one main pipe that will connect to the sewer line in the street. These municipal sewer lines will take the dirty water to a wastewater treatment plant.

How to Notice Sewer Line Back ups

If something impedes the flow of the wastewater, however, the water in the pipes can back up. For many homeowners, their first indication that something is wrong is when wastewater will not drain or bubbles up from the pipe. A sewer line back up San Diego is usually hard to detect until the homeowner sees these signs.

How My Emory Plumbing Can Help with Sewer Lines in San Diego

If you have noticed that your pipes won’t drain or that wastewater is coming up from your pipes, call My Emory right away. Our plumbers can diagnose the cause of your blocked drain and work to remove the blockage. In extreme cases, our plumbers can even replace sewer pipes and grinder pumps.

Inspecting Your Pipes & Sewer Lines

When you call My Emory, the first part of a home visit will be an inspection of your pipes.

How to Inspect Your Own Sewer Lines 

Sewer lines can be difficult to access, but it is possible. Within your house, you can visually inspect the sewer or drain lines going from an outlet. Use a flashlight to investigate the drain and search for blockages. Once the pipes go into the wall, however, it’s time to call a professional.

Outside of the house, you may be able to find a sewer pipe if your house is elevated. If your house is built on a slab on the ground (that is, it doesn’t have a crawlspace under the home) the pipes will usually be buried under the ground. Locating where the sewer blockage has occurred in outdoor pipes is next to impossible, unless the pipe has ruptured, and raw sewage is bubbling up from the ground.

When to call a plumber for Sewer Line Repair in San Diego

If you only have one sink, toilet, or bathtub backing up in your home and you suspect a drain is simply blocked, try using a few home remedies first. Start with a half cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar. This will bubble a lot, but it can break up small clogs. If this doesn’t work, you may also want to try commercial drain cleaners such as Drano.

If home remedies don’t work, it’s time to call a plumber. The clog is likely a solid object that is located further down the sewage pipe. My Emory Plumbing will be able to remove the blockage by disassembling the pipes.

If you see raw sewage seeping up from the ground, call My Emory right away. This is the sign of major sewer pipe rupture, and it can become a health and safety issue for your family.

Repair Your Sewer Lines in San Diego with Emory Plumbing

If you need a plumber to inspect your sewer lines, call Emory Plumbing today. Make an appointment over the phone, or get a quote on our website. Sewer line repair is a specialty of ours, and we can get your clogged drains in  San Diego repaired in no time.