When things are functioning properly, plumbing, drains, and sewers never get a second thought. Only when things go wrong or when you get a clogged sewer line do you ever think about them. And when that happens, it’s intrusive, annoying, and causes emergency service.

One of the things that can go wrong is a sewer backup. Most frequently, a clogged sewer drain causes water to back up into the drain pan. It is a typical issue that can be remedied by drain maintenance and/or professional cleaning.

A sewer line becomes clogged when silt or debris accumulates and obstructs the free movement of water.

Over time, they can build up to the point where they begin to limit water flow. Unchecked, a clogged sewer drain can cause more damage than just a mess. Here are the do’s and don’ts when you are experiencing problematic drains:

Do’s and Don’ts When You Need to Unclog The Main Sewer Line

You may have a clogged or backed-up drain. And you’re asking how to unclog this thing?

DON’T Pour Chemicals Down The Drain

Never pour chemicals down your sewage line, as this can cause harm to the drain or the technician when one eventually has to come out. Also, if it splashes, chemicals can cause burns. Also, many of them are acidic, and your drains are metal. So just be cautious of that.

DO Figure Out What Kind Of Clog It Is

If you have sewer drain pains in your home, the number one thing you can try to do is figure out if this is going to be a main sewer line clog or a secondary clog.

The main sewer clog is when anything in your home causes the situation to be worse. So, for example, if your kitchen drains back up into your tub or flushes the toilet, which makes it all worse, that will be the main drain.

A secondary clog would be considered if you only have one drain or multiple drains in the home that back up but do not cause the other drains that are backing up to have a problem. So you could check and see if it is a visible hair clog, and you can just untwist the top of the drain and potentially pull the clock out from there. Another thing you could try to do would be to isolate this. Again, we want to know if it’s the main drain or not.

DON’T Use Drain Snakes

So the number one thing that we’d recommend that you don’t ever try to do, if it is something besides a simple hair clog or a simple fix, would be to attempt to snake the drain yourself to clean out your sewer line.

Now they make it very easy for you to go out and rent a snake and attempt to do a drain cleaning. But snakes can cause more damage than they remedy if you don’t know how to use them correctly.

That’s why specialists do extensive training regarding how to operate the equipment safely throughout your home and to ensure they only unclog the drain and don’t break it.

DO Take Pictures And Videos

Another thing that we recommend is to take pictures. Pictures and videos. Even if it backs up and goes away. Any sort of picture that you can get that shows where it backed up and what potentially caused it will help our guys tremendously.

I’m sure we’ve all had that experience. When you go to the mechanic, it never does what you said it was doing. So the same thing happens with plumbers all the time. That’s why any video proof or pictures you have helps out tremendously. Often times we can diagnose the sewer or plumbing issue and resolve it even if the issue subsides. This way, you won’t have to explain a mysterious issue, “I swear it was just backed up before you got here!!”.

DON’T Keep Using The Drain

What could also happen is you can stop using that sewage line. I know it’s super unfortunate to have to deal with this situation. However, the longer the water does not go through the sewer drain, the better. It could be easier for the technician to get that drain line open and going for you.

DO Limit The Amount Of Junk

One more thing you can try to do would be to limit the amount of junk that goes down there — garbage disposal. Try not to use your sewer line for a while to limit the amount of hair that gets down the drain.

DO Call A Professional Cleaner

And of course, I’m going to highly recommend that you always call a professional company, like Smith Pink Trucks, when you have any backup. We’re trained, and we’re here to help.

You can set up drain maintenance so you don’t have any sort of worry or stress with your busy schedule on how you will fit that in. We can automate all of it for you.

Importance Of A Scheduled Sewer Line Cleaning

Regardless of how efficient a drainage system initially appears to be, it will eventually require maintenance. Similar to many other systems, drains endure problems and wear and tear over time. Both outdoor and indoor sewer drains are equally susceptible to issues.

Smith Pink Trucks has expertly trained staff who can handle any sewer line cleanout. We have a whole division dedicated to cleaning out your lines with equipment and a strategy that works. Whether it means a camera inspection service to identify blockages, sewer line cleaning, snaking out lines, or getting into the cleanout… We’ve got you covered.

Maintaining and cleaning your drainage system on a regular basis can assist keep it in functioning order and good condition.

If you do find yourself with a clogged line, observe the do’s and don’ts mentioned above to avoid worsening the problem. You may contact Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical in Colorado Springs to set an appointment for drain and sewer maintenance. Visit our homepage for more information!