A nightmare for most homeowners, but an all-too-possible reality, is a clogged sewer line. Let’s face it: the dark water, slow-moving drains, and gurgling sounds are the makings of a nightmare or scary movie!
If you can spot the signs of a sewer line problem, you might be able to resolve the issue in-time with the help of a plumber. Plumbers can not only use a scope to investigate your pipes and determine the source of the clog, they can recommend the best course of action.
Still, you might wonder what causes sewer lines to clog in the first place. (Aside from the obvious, that is!) These are the top three causes of sewer line clogs and why they are a serious matters:
- Baby Wipes & Feminine Products
- Intruding Tree Roots
- Pipe Damage & Other Issues
Contact Green Group for your plumbing problems in Nashville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and surrounding areas. Our team will inspect your sewer lines, septic system, and more to make any needed repairs. Don’t wait until it’s too late!
Baby Wipes & Feminine Products
If you have ever seen this sign posted in a bathroom, “Only flush toilet paper and what nature provides,” then you understand foreign objects are not intended to be flushed into your sewer system. This includes:
- Baby wipes
- Diapers
- Feminine/menstrual products
- Paper towels and other cotton products
- Kleenex, Q-tips, and cotton rounds
- Even some heavy-quilted toilet papers!
The most misunderstood products that tend to be flushed anyway – and cause major problems for sewer lines – are feminine products and baby wipes. Why are they harmful, exactly? They are not biodegradable, meaning that if they are the source of a clog, they won’t dissolve and will have to be dislodged by a plumber. What’s more, they won’t dissolve in your septic tank – ever!
Intruding Tree Roots
Yes, trees can cause sewer clogs! It makes sense when you think about it: Your sewer lines and/or septic tank run underground and through your yard. This is why it is so important to not plant trees too close to septic lines or tanks; their roots can eventually grow around your pipes and even penetrate them!
The problem with tree roots is that you may be unaware of their damage until it’s too late. Some trees may be a few dozen feet from your sewer lines, leading you to assume that roots aren’t the culprit of the clog, but many trees have vast root systems that can stretch far and wide. Once they take over your pipes, you can be facing severe root blockages.
Pipe Damage & Other Issues
No one wants to hear that a sewer pipe is leaking or ruptured, but it does happen and can often first show itself in the form of an immediate or recurring clog, if not something worse. Pipe damage is most commonly caused by corrosion, a rupture due to shifting soil or movement above ground (e.g. construction), or broken pipe seals, among other reasons.
In other cases, human error may be behind a persistent clog. Plumbing connections that are the wrong size, installed incorrectly, or aren’t positioned at the right angle for waste to move with the pull of gravity can also lead to sewer clogs.
Green Group has the best mechanics to solve your plumbing issues along with the best tools and equipment to help us thoroughly inspect and diagnose the cause. Contact us today!
