How Often Should You Clean Your Sewer Lateral?
Picture this. Your home’s bathroom is getting backed up more often than before. Maybe once or twice every week. You worry that one day you’d have to take the day off and call a sewer technician to have it fixed. What’s the problem here? Why maybe your sewer lateral is long due for a good cleaning!
Your property’s sewer lateral starts from your home and ends at the St. Louis municipal’s main wastewater collection. It’s a private segment because it is on private property, and thus it is up to the property owner to have it maintained, cleaned, repaired or replaced whenever a problem occurs.
How Often Should My Lateral Be Cleaned?
There are quite a few several problems when your lateral lines act up. There’s the issue of health, with you and your family’s safety, and the possible weakening and damage to your property. The question is not just a matter of why but as a matter of when. Sewer laterals need to be regularly cleaned.
It all depends on how old your house is, how many trees or bushes are on your property and the types of items that are flushed down the drain and the toilet. Regular checkups and lateral cleaning should be done at least once every 2 years.
Call us if you notice any of the usual warning signs. We’ll do a CCTV examination to see the overall condition of your sewer lateral. A small, high-tech camera is inserted down the pipe length and check to see what and where the problem is.
Common Sewer Lateral Problems in St. Louis
Sewer laterals are just like any other sewer pipe in the house. They can back up, clog and get invaded by tree roots. It could be affected by the items and materials that go down the drain or the toilet- things like bones, cooking grease, hair, personal and baby essentials. More often than not, you have a sewer line that’s either clogged or broken down at the roadway leading to the house trap. 4″ or lesser diameter sewer pipes have a greater chance of getting clogged by sewage materials from your sink, toilet, drains, etc.
The most obvious warning sign is when you witness raw sewage going back up your bathtubs, your toilet or your drain. Warning bells should go off when you see flooding in the basement, hear a weird gurgling noise emanating from the pipes, or if you experience more clogging than normal.
Sewer Lateral Cleaning Methods
Hydro-jetting is one of the most advanced sewer lateral cleaning procedures used by technicians today. A hydro jet is a powerful equipment that streams out concentrated jets of water to free your laterals of any calcified matter and blockages.
Another way is snaking. This method helps eliminate sewer line blockages. It works by inserting a metal device is pushed down into the problem pipe to break up to restore the flow of sewage to normal. Older sewer lines made of traditional materials can be cleaned out this way, as too much pressure by hydro-jetting can cause leaks or cracks to develop along the sewer line.
NuFlow St. Louis can help you clear and clean any sewer lateral acting up. Our phone number is (314) 856-3262.