Main sewer line clog
One slow drain is that drain's problem. Several drains backing up at once, starting with the one nearest the ground, is the main line.
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The short version
- The sign
- More than one fixture backing up, with the bottom-most drain first.
- Stop
- Using water in the house until it is cleared.
- Call a plumber
- This is not a plunger job.
Signs of a main line clog
- A toilet gurgles when the washer drains.
- Water comes up in the tub or shower when a toilet is flushed.
- Floor drains back up.
- Several drains are slow at once.
Do now
- Stop running water and flushing.
- Find the sewer cleanout, usually a capped pipe outside.
- Keep people and pets away from any backed-up water.
- Call a plumber and describe which fixtures back up.
What blocks a main line
- RootsTree roots find joints in older pipe and grow into the line.
- Grease and wipesGrease hardens in the pipe, and wipes do not break down, whatever the packet says.
- A broken or sagging pipeA collapsed section or a low spot holds waste until it blocks.
- The city sideSometimes the blockage is in the public sewer. The utility handles its own line.
What a plumber will do
- Open the cleanout and clear the line with a cable or water jet.
- Run a camera through the line to see why it clogged.
- Show you the footage and explain what was found.
- Recommend repair only if the pipe itself is damaged.
Sewage carries bacteria. Keep clear of backed-up water, and have anything it soaked cleaned or removed.
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