Sewer clogging is a nightmare for owners. Especially when they have an old house with complex plumbing or the absence of a sewer line cleanout, it is not guaranteed that if you get state of the art plumbing, then it won’t clog. The problem becomes worse when guests are staying in the house. It is both embarrassing and disrespectful. Other situations include when the water comes out and damages the surroundings like furniture, carpets, etc.
The question is, What are the ways to unclog a sewer line? Here are some of the time and tested ways to unclog a sewer line.
#1. Look out for sewer line cleanout
In the event of a clog, it is crucial to release the pressure that is causing the clog. Almost in every household, there is a pipe coming out from the side or underground, which is called a sewer line cleanout. The job of that pipe is to drain any backup water that is accumulated due to clogging. Most of the time, the sewer line cleanout does the job. However, sometimes it is difficult to find. In some cases, you will have to dig a hole to find it. Then, when you find it, just remove the cap, and you are good to go.
#2. Use Chemicals
Sometimes a clog is very resilient and does not go away through the sewer line cleanout. The next thing you go through at that clog is corrosive chemicals that break down the thing that is causing the clog. Copper sulfate is famous for these types of tasks. On the contrary, it has to be used in a substantial quantity in several rounds.
Similarly, caustic soda is also very instrumental in this situation. Before using it, keep in mind that it should be handled carefully. For better results, flush boiling water after pouring the soda.
If you do not want to use chemicals that can harm the environment, then you can use natural substitutes. The best natural substitute can be vinegar and baking soda. Any kind of dirt or grease will be taken care of by baking soda. On the other hand, vinegar will fight off the odour.
#3. Use tools
When a sewer line cleanout and chemicals prove effective, it’s time for some action. First, try a heavy-duty plunger pump to push pressure on the clog and force it to move down. If it does not work, use a closet auger. It is long, thin. Flexible metal object that is poked into the clog to disperse it. Push the auger down and once you reach the clog, do some hard push and pull. After that, just flush the remains down and out.
Usually, this whole process takes time and requires some hard work. However, you can avoid the hard work by using a power auger. Here, a motor will do the job for you. You can get all these tools from any hardware store. It is a smart investment because it will save you money that you will have to give to the plumber. Other than that, you can also rent these tools.
#4. Get Professional Help
Although it is very tempting to solve these problems on your own, sometimes some things should be left out for experts to do. This is because they have all the necessary tools and experience to get the job done.
If you’re looking to save some bucks by doing it yourself, this can cost you a lot as you may not have the required tools and buying or hiring costs can be a lot. In addition, plumber work is not like running house errands. The lines can get damaged by your random poking and dangerous chemicals. Sometimes there is some kind of damage that is causing the water to accumulate. You can waste your chemicals and efforts if you start without diagnosing the cause.
In contrast, hiring a professional can make work much easier for you. Not only the professional plumbers will do the task professionally, but they also do it quicker. Nowadays, the contractors have all the latest equipment, from cameras for inspection to advance plumbing tools.
For example, a professional plumber will first insert a camera in the line to detect what is causing the whole issue. After that, he will deal with the situation accordingly.
How can you find a reliable plumber?
Finding a contractor or professional plumber has never been easier. Now you can search for a plumber with just a single click. Simply search the phrase “Plumbers near me” on Google, and a list of professional plumber sites and their contacts will appear on your screen. Call them and make an appointment.
Conclusion
You should not wait for the sewer to clog to take action. Instead, you should take proactive measures to stop them from happening in the first place. One of those is to have a dedicated, adequate and correctly placed sewer line cleanout. Second, put in drain cleaning enzymes regularly. Last but not least, Avoid hard flushing objects, large quantities of tissue and things like that.