Everything You Need to Know About the Sewer Main
The sewer main is the pillar of modern plumbing. Buried in the ground underneath your home, you never think about the sewer main until there’s a problem with it. When your home’s toilets, sinks, and tubs won’t drain properly or are frequently backed up, or you notice the strong odor of sewage, you’ll know your main sewer line isn’t functioning properly. And that is a major problem!
What is a Sewer Line?
The main sewer line is the pipe that directs wastewater from sinks, tubs, and toilets to the larger, city sewer line. In modern homes, the main sewer line is made of 4” thin-wall PVC. Smaller waste pipes conduct the waste from the plumbing fixtures inside your home to the sewer main beneath the house.
Your private sewer main sends the waste to the city sewer main, typically buried underneath the street, which then sends it to a wastewater treatment facility. The main sewer line is important because it prevents contaminated wastewater from coming in contact with potable drinking water.
How Will You Know When it’s Time for Sewer Services?
Occasionally, the main sewer line in your home may need servicing. These are symptoms that indicate there’s a problem with your sewer line:
- Plumbing fixtures throughout your home (sinks, tubs, and toilets) are draining slowly or experiencing frequent clogs
- The foul odor of sewage in your yard, or when you flush the toilet
- Bright green patches of lush grass in your yard
- Mold growth on the wall around the sewer line
- Cracked foundation
The problem causing these symptoms could be a clog, a burst or broken pipe, leaking seals, or tree roots interfering with the sewer line. If you notice one or more of these symptoms, it’s time to call a professional plumbing company that offers sewer services to diagnose and repair your main sewer line.
How Should You Care for Your Sewer Line and Prevent Clogs?
Caring for your home’s plumbing system isn’t difficult or expensive. Follow these five steps to prevent problems with your main sewer line:
- Maintain Sewer Lines with Enzymes: Enzymatic cleaners, available online and at home improvement stores, help break down waste that may be lingering in your sewer line. Regular use will keep things moving quickly.
- Get Rid of Roots: Flushing granulated root killer down your toilet will kill and seal off any roots that may have penetrated your sewer line, which is good for routine maintenance. More serious root invasions will require professional intervention.
- Guard Your Drains: Do not send waste down the drain that may cause a clog, such as grease, oil, pasta and flour, eggshells, and other food byproducts, paint, or plaster. Install strainers in your sinks to catch hair, lint, and other clog-causing gunk.
- Replace Old Pipes & Install a Cleanout: New-build homes typically already have a cleanout, a short vertical pipe with a cap that sticks out of the ground and allows direct access to the main sewer line. If your home is older, consider installing one to make solving future problems easier. This is especially easy to do if your pipes are old and need to be replaced.
- Schedule an Annual Checkup: Professional plumbing companies are able to examine your pipes and main sewer line to make sure they’re functioning properly. Some companies even offer a noninvasive camera inspection of your line. Finding and fixing a minor problem now can save you money and heartache later when it becomes a major problem.
Get Help From Swick Home Services 
The service team at Swick Home Services has decades of experience in the plumbing industry, and are constantly learning about new products, technologies, and techniques through weekly training sessions. They are Marquette’s go-to experts for sewer line repair and sewer line camera inspection.
