Tips on How to Maintain a Sewer Line

Knowing how to maintain a clean sewer line is an important part of owning any household or business. If you maintain your sewer line correctly by following these tips, you should almost never run into any clogged sewer lines or blockages. 

The conditions of your sewer pipe play a big role in how you can clear your sewer line. The 3 most common sewer pipe conditions are:

• Sewer line bellies
• Buildup
• Tree Roots  

Any of these conditions of a sewer line can cause clogs and blockages. Clearing these clogs will have to take place as soon as possible. Hydro jetting can be a solution to buildup and tree roots, but sewer line bellies will need a complete sewer line repair. Both of these services can be expensive, but are necessary to fix these types of issues. 

Let’s dive in and take a look at some of these tips so you don’t have to worry about issues with your sewer line. 

Tip 1 – Limit Food Down the Kitchen Drain

Whether or not you put food down the drain, it is a good habit to get into limiting the amount of food you put down the drain. Scraping all of your extra food waste into the garbage can is best. It can help prevent future issues with your drain. Small food material is best to be sent down the drain while running cold water with the garbage disposal on. This would be the best circumstances for your drain when trying to keep it clean and maintain its efficiency. 

There are many types of foods that you should avoid putting down the drain. Each one can cause different problems in your drain line. Learn more about the foods that you should avoid down the drain here.

Tip 2 – Properly Dispose of Non-Food Items 

Small items including but not limited to dental floss, rubber bands, cigarette butts, hair, pull tabs, and plant clippings should not be going down toilets or drains. This is because these items are not able to break down in your plumbing system. It could cause various problems like clogging more often. 

Another tip that you should heavily follow is to not flush any items other than toilet paper. Pads, tampons, wipes (even if they say flushable), and paper towels are terrible for your drains. These items cause severe blockages and clogging in your plumbing system. More so, they turn out to be a bigger problem to fix than you think. 

Tip 3 – Use One-Ply Toilet Paper

This is one of the easiest tips on how to maintain a sewer line. Using one-ply toilet paper is the best for your plumbing system because it dissolves the fastest and won’t cause blockages. Although it might not be as appealing as other brands of toilet paper, it will be the best for your system in the long run and you won’t have much to worry about as this will reduce the risk of blockages. 

Tip 4 – Flush the Plumbing System

About once a month, you can go around your home and fill up all the bathtubs, sinks, and even the washing machine with cold water. Once you fill them, you need to let everything drain at the same time. While these are draining, you also need to flush all of the toilets in your home as fast as you can.

This is a simple, no-cost solution. It can be very beneficial to your drains if you do this on a regular basis, like once a month. Although this is not a permanent solution, it could definitely help clear any blockages that could be in any of your pipes. 

Tip 5 – Set Toilets to High Volume Flush 

A lot of the time, a negative slope in a sewer system can be identified by a camera inspection. Newer low-volume toilets are not as effective. If the slope is either too steep or too level, the waste won’t fully make it to the sewer. The flow is not good enough. This could eventually cause clogs. The slope needs to be between ⅛ in. to ¼ in. per foot for the water to be able to carry solid waste to the sewer. 

Tip 6 – Tend to Your Roots

Believe it or not, tree roots are a common reason why sewer lines clog. If they are left long enough, they can take over an entire sewer line. Roots create an issue that will need to be taken care of.

There are two different options. One option is by hydro jetting. A sewer repair or replacement could take place if severe damage is done. Clearing out your roots in your sewer line will require a professional. 

Tip 7 – Naturally Clean Your Plumbing System

Harsh chemical clog removers can be so bad for your pipes. Also, they are not environmentally friendly and will only solve your problem in the short-term. Instead, finding ways to naturally clean your plumbing system can benefit the environment and not be so harsh on your pipes.

For example, baking soda and vinegar is a great alternative to chemical clog removers. It can clean your drains and deodorize them and can be used for any drain in your house. Make sure to follow that baking soda and vinegar mixture up with hot water afterwards. 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, use these tips on how to maintain a sewer line! These will help prevent sewer line issues. Being mindful of these tips can save you from having any type of plumbing issues interfering with your everyday life. With these tips, your plumbing system should continue to run smoothly with minimal work needed. 

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need a drain cleaning service. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem.

We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.