How To Clear A Main Sewer Line Clog

Let’s say you discover that you flush the toilet and notice it’s not draining as it should, and it’s making some gurgling sounds. Then, you try to fix it, noticing that it’s only getting worse, as you find out that your kitchen sink and your bathtub are also clogged.

You’re probably thinking this is a nightmare. If this is the case, you might already know the problem goes beyond your toilet, since the root cause is a clog in your main sewer line.

This scenario is not frequent. If it does happen to you, you may need the assistance of a professional and the right equipment. Nonetheless, there are ways you can attempt to solve it by yourself.

Keep reading to find out how to clear a main sewer line clog effectively.

What Is The Main Sewer Line?

Before heading directly to the process, you should know some plumbing basics, like the definition of the main sewer line, its functions, and the maintenance process.

In your home, you have an entire drainage system. This drain line’s primary purpose is to carry all the wastewater from your toilet, sink, shower, washing machine, and more to your home’s main sewer line.  Consequently, your home’s main sewer line leads all the wastewater it’s received to the sewer or septic system.

Now that you know how it works, you can probably tell how chaotic it would be if your main sewer line gets clogged, causing all the wastewater to go back to your sink and toilet and eventually all over your house.

How To Unclog The Main Sewer Line: Step By Step

Dealing with these scenarios is extremely risky since your lack of experience might cause things to go even worse. For that reason, we always recommend calling a professional plumber that ensures the proper solution.

Nonetheless, it’s usual for homeowners to try to solve the problem by themselves. If this is your case, read the following steps. Keep in mind that it is vital to keep sewer lines clean.

First measures

There are some basic measures you could try before heading directly to the usual plumber methods:

• As a first attempt, try pouring hot water into your sink. This action could help soften or loosen part of the debris.
• Try a more elaborate option, such as a combination of baking soda and vinegar.
• Another common option is using chemical drain cleaners, typically called caustic soda or acid. It is not generally recommended to do this since it could harm you and your pipes, as their primary purpose is to produce heat and dissolve the material blocking the sewer.

It is likely that the previous measures will not be enough to handle a problem as major as a clogged sewer. If this is your case, continue with the next steps.

Turn Your Water Off

To prevent the sewage from backing up and even more significant issues, you better turn your water off. That way, you’ll avoid the clog from causing more flooding.

Make Sure You Have The Necessary Equipment

• A pipe wrench.
• A hose.
• A plumbing or drain snake. If you don’t have one, consider renting or buying one.
• A pair of work gloves. You may want to protect your hands, as you can harm yourself with the plumbing snake.
• Waterproof boots or shoes.

First, we must warn you: it could get messy and disgusting.

Find Your Main Sewer Line

The first thing you’ll have to do is find your main sewer line. Typically, it’s located outside your home, near the foundation, or even a little further.  It usually looks like a pipe barely above ground.

Carefully Remove The Cap And Step Back

Use the pipe wrench to loosen the sewer cap and then remove it slowly. Immediately after, step back because it will probably spill out some waste.

Insert The Plumbing Snake

When the water stops draining, you can insert the plumbing snake gently until you feel resistance, and you’ll know you found the blockage.

Move The Snake To Clear The Clog

Move the snake back and forth and slowly rotate it without forcing it too much. This action will help clear the clog. You’ll know this by observing the water go down and feeling the plumbing snake moving more freely.

Use the hose to spray water down the pipe while the plumbing snake is inside. The water will clean the rest of the debris in the sewer. Then pull the snake out.

Ensure Everything Is Running Smoothly

Ensure the problem is already solved while the sewer cap is still off, so you might be able to try it again if you failed the first time.

Prevent Your Main Sewer Line From Clogging Again

You need to understand the causes of this situation, so it never happens again. A clogged main sewer line could occur due to the following reasons:

• Inappropriate or lack of maintenance
• Excess of debris. The most common waste is fat coming from greasy food.
• Other objects that aren’t supposed to be there. A toy, for example.

Prevent a clog in your main sewer line by not throwing greasy food into the kitchen drain, avoiding hair from going through the shower drain, and most importantly, cleaning your drain lines regularly.

Get Professional And Effective Assistance

Now that you have some basic idea on how to clear a main sewer line clog, you can choose whether it’s worth trying or not. If you decide to go for it and still don’t succeed in clearing the sewer, you have to call a plumber.

Discover Plumbing is here to offer you a more practical yet affordable solution. We’ve been helping homeowners in San Francisco with all kinds of plumbing problems for many years. Our professionals will find the issue and solve it while answering your questions.

Get in contact with our expert team of plumbers.