Plumbers Plumbing

Causes of Sewer and Drain Blockage

Causes of Sewer and Drain Blockage

Many homeowners have at one time or the other encountered a clogged drain slow running bathtub or sink. Truly, a single drain clog can be stressful, but always easy to fix. But what exactly would happen if the whole sewer and drain get clogged at the same time?

This is known as a sewer drain blockage. When the whole place gets a block and clearing it is not working, the entire system would need to be replaced instead of repairing it. Here are some of the causes of sewer lines clogging and indicators that your sewer lines and drain need a repair or replacement.

1. Severe Pipe Damage

Sewage won’t drain through the system properly when the pipes are ruptured or broken. It can lead to frequent backups. These are some of the common causes of sewer pipe damage:

  • Shifting soil can lead to sewer pipe rupture, settling, heavy traffic on the above ground, heavy construction materials, too, can lead to the ruptured pipe. 
  • Corrosion of old pipes that lead to pipe breakage or collapse
  • Leaking joints, especially where there are deals between two pipes causing sewage and water to leak out

2. Sagging Sewer Line

Sagging pipes happen a lot, though this is beyond the homeowner’s control. This occurs when a part of the pipe has sunk because of the soil condition. The sunk part then starts collecting waste and paper, which can cause the pipes to get clogged.

3. Tree Roof Infiltration

Before, sewer lines were made using clay and other porous materials. Also, the connection between pipes was not as secure as it is with PVC pipes nowadays. As shrub and tree roots shoot up, they locate sources of water. They can locate a pipe, shoot in, and start growing inside the pipe to reach the water. The root will burst to open the sewer line as it expands, causing leakage and blocked sewer line.

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4. Flushing Debris Through the Toilet

For maintenance’s sake, it is good to understand the type of waste to flush down your toilet and what you can’t. Using the toilet as a trashcan will only lead to sewer drain issues. The only things that should be flushed down the toilet are human waste and tissue paper.

5. Dumping Grease Down The Drain

Fats, grease and oil and some of the common causes of clogging lines. It is not advisable to pour any of these down the drain. It will only lead to sewer drain clogging. Hot grease should be poured into a jar or coffee can. As soon as it solidifies, it can be easily thrown away. Washing the drain with hot water after pouring grease would wash the grease away. It doesn’t work that way.

The grease will only get hard and stick to the pipe as soon as it cools off. Automatically, this will lead to sewer blockage.

Conclusion

It is good to ask your plumber about taking good care of your drain and sewer line to avoid unnecessary clogging. Also, make sure you run inspection yearly to detect any sign of clogging on time.