You may not be able to see a clogged sewer line, however they tend to cause an extensive amount of damage inside your property. The average real estate owner is typically aware of the fact that sewer lines are used to transport waste and wastewater from the property to underground sewer mains or septic tanks that are buried underground. Other than that, most people give little to zero thought about their sewer system until the toilets stop flushing properly and or the drains no longer work. The bad news is that a clogged sewer line can actually lead to raw sewage backup that enters into the building from the toilets, sinks, and other type of drains.
If you are unfortunate enough for that to happen it will cause a significant amount of damage to the interior of your property. In addition, it can be incredibly expensive to have the sewer line repaired or replaced. The good news is that property owners who both recognize and respond to the early warning signs of a clogged sewer line can prevent this from occurring. The first red flag is if you hear a gurgling sound coming from the toilets and sinks. In essence, your property is going to start talking to you when there is a problem.
If you notice that a toilet starts to percolate after someone uses water in another part of the building, chances are high that you are experiencing a clogged sewer line. It will sound just like the percolating sound from a coffee maker. Another tell tale sign is when you start to get water around the floor drain in the basement of the building. Clogs can actually happen in the main sewer line or one of the secondary sewer lines. In essence, the plumbing and drainage system is set up just like a tree. There is one main pipeline that runs out of the property, and there are a bunch of smaller pipes that run off of that.
If the mainline is clogged, any water that is run in the building will cause issues. However, if a secondary line is clogged, the problems will be isolated to that area. For example, if a bathroom sink refuses to drain, but the toilet flushes perfectly fine, it is an issue within the secondary line. However, if the main sewer line is clogged, and you run the water on the first floor, it may very well cause a toilet to back up on the second floor. Tree roots are the main cause of a clogged sewer line. This holds especially true in older properties.
If you own a newer property and are experiencing issues, the typical culprits are paper towels, feminine hygiene products, and even certain types of thick toilet paper. The bottom line is that anyone that uses the facilities inside the property must be aware of the fact that they should not flush these items down the toilet.
If you have any questions about a clogged sewer line at your commercial or industrial property, or would like to schedule service we are happy to help. Jolin Paving & Excavating, Inc. is your New England connection for a vast variety of environmentally related services. Our company has been serving Boston Massachusetts, Southern NH, VT & ME as well as Northern CT & RI since 1952. Please Contact us to learn more today.
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