How to Tell if a Sewer Line is Clogged in Your Home: 10 Signs

September 10, 2024


When a sewer line is backed up, it can quickly go from being a minor annoyance to a plumbing emergency. Since the water has no place to go, it will back up into the household plumbing one way or another. 

Fortunately, you can avoid this nightmare if you know the signs to watch for. As professionals who understand the damage sewer line backup can do to your home, we aim to empower you with the awareness required to prevent the worst from happening. 

Below, we discuss how to tell if your sewer line is clogged, what causes these clogs, and what you should do about them.

10 Signs Your Sewer Line Is Clogged

You'll want to take action immediately if you have a clogged sewer line. So, how can you tell if your sewer line is backed up? 

The following are signs to watch for that can help you detect a sewer blockage in your home. 

1. Multiple Fixtures Are Clogged 

Multiple backed-up drains strongly indicate a clogged main sewer line. While a clogged toilet is a common plumbing issue, if you notice that your bathtubs, showers, and sinks are also draining slowly or backing up, it’s likely a more significant problem.

2. Flushing the Toilet Causes Water to Come Up Elsewhere 

If you flush the toilet and water comes up into your bathtub or shower, it’s a sign of a possible sewer line clog.

3. Water Draining From Your Washing Machine Causes an Overflow in Other Locations

Another sign is if water overflows from your toilet or other locations when the water drains from your washing machine.

4. Drainage at the Cleanout 

If you have a main line cleanout, you can verify a sewer drain clog. If water is flowing up and out of the cleanout or standing in the pipe, then you definitely have a main line sewer stoppage. 

5. Slow-Draining Sinks or Toilets

If your plumbing fixtures still drain but take a long time, that’s a sign that the sewer line could be the problem.

6. Frequent Plunging

If you find you have to use a plunger increasingly more often for standing water to go down, the issue may be stoppage in the main sewer line.

7. Bubbles in Your Toilet Water

If you see bubbles coming up from your toilet when it hasn’t been flushed, the sewer line could be to blame.

8. Dark Water

Dark water can back up into your fixtures from stagnant sewage water that is full of bacteria or rust from pipes.

9. Noises from Multiple Drains

You may hear gurgling sounds coming from multiple fixtures, suggesting the problem isn’t localized to one drain.

10. Unpleasant Smells from Drains

When the sewer line is backed up, gas with a strong, off-putting smell can be trapped in the pipes.

Can a Clogged Drain Cause a Sewer Smell?

If your main sewer line is clogged, standing water full of bacteria, wastewater, rust, sewage, and solid waste can back up and cause some gross smells.

If you notice any of these signs in your home, call us immediately at (901) 248-1961.

What Causes a Main Sewer Line to Clog?

Understanding how blockages occur is helpful for maintaining a healthy plumbing system in your home. Here are some of the most common reasons a main sewer line gets clogged.

Unflushables

Often, people ignore warning labels or don’t realize the potential for costly problems when flushing items that won’t properly break down. This is especially true for paper products and similar items that many assume will be safe. Flushing items like feminine products, paper towels, napkins, or baby wipes may seem fine, but these items don’t dissolve properly and can cause a costly blockage.

Excess Flushables

Even flushables designed to safely biodegrade can lead to a clogged sewer line if flushed in excess. Too much bulk can slow a material’s natural process of breaking down, and once it starts causing a blockage, other items can get caught in the way as well.

Even though toilet paper is made to biodegrade and is safe to flush, using too much all at once or using thick multi-ply versions can cause clog your sewer line. This is especially true if you have a low-flow toilet that produces less pressure when flushing, making it likelier for a larger wad of toilet paper to settle into place in the line.

Fats, Oil, and Grease

When cooking products like fats, oil, and grease are poured down the drain, they cool and harden. They also combine with unflushable toilet items.

Tree Roots

Trees grow an incredible network of roots that stretch deep and wide. When they get too close to your wastewater pipes, they are strong enough to break through them and continue to grow. Eventually, they can cause a complete blockage. 

Improper Garbage Disposal Use

Garbage disposals are great for breaking down scraps, but many people don’t realize that too many ground-up potato peels, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other food waste can clog up the sewer line.

Aging Sewer Lines

Sewer lines can eventually become blocked by a combination of seemingly insignificant build-up. If the line is never inspected or cleaned by a professional, even the smallest amounts of debris, grease, or unflushable items can build up.

Who is Responsible for a Blocked Sewer Drain? 

Homeowners usually have to cover the costs of sewer lines from their house to the street up to the point where their line connects to the main sewer line. The city is usually responsible for the sewer line beyond an owner’s property.

Is a Clogged Sewer Line an Emergency?

Yes, a clogged sewer line is considered a plumbing emergency. Depending on the cause and severity of a clog, the remedy may be relatively inexpensive or easy for a professional to resolve. However, more extensive damage can be costly, lead to interior water damage, and pose a health issue. 

Don’t let an emergency turn into a disaster! Call us right away at (901) 248-1961 if you are experiencing a clogged sewer line.

Sewer Clog Future Prevention: What You Can Do

Before a sewer blockage becomes a plumbing issue, you can take the following preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of a clog occurring.

  • Use a sink strainer to trap food waste in your sink.

  • Don’t pour oily products or excess food scraps down the drain. Instead, throw them away in sealed containers.

  • Know where your pipes are and avoid planting trees nearby so roots cannot grow in their path. 

  • Don’t flush anything down the toilet except toilet paper, and avoid using large amounts of toilet paper—especially with low-flow toilets.

  • Remove aggressive weeds growing near your sewer line.

Having a professional inspect and clean your sewer line is an affordable way to prevent more costly problems later on. Request an inspection for peace of mind.

DIY Inspection Tips and Solutions: How to Clear a Clogged Sewer Line

To see if your sewer line is clogged, locate the cleanout pipe—an access point that allows you to perform maintenance on the main sewer line—and look for any waste or water that may be backing up there. You should not be able to see the water coming up the cleanout pipe. You can try the following remedies to help the clog:

  • Baking soda: You can pour one cup of baking soda down a drain, followed by a half a cup of salt, and let it sit for a few hours up to overnight, followed by two cups of boiling water.

  • Plunger: Use a plunger on a clogged drain, plunging vigorously multiple times until you see the water level go down.

  • Drain snake: If you can't unclog your sewer without an auger or a drain snake, try using one of these long, flexible cables. Insert it into the clogged drain and rotate it to break up and remove the obstruction.

Choosing a Reputable Sewer Line Service in Memphis, TN

The simple remedies above may help resolve your sewer line’s blockage issue but don't wait to take action if there is a more serious problem with your main sewer line. Call us right away at (901) 248-1961 or fill out our form so one of our expert plumbers can contact you immediately.

Conway Services provides the following plumbing solutions:

We use high-quality PVC pipes with a 50-year life expectancy and provide a lifetime warranty on our work.

We offer several service plans to suit your needs and often even offer service specials to help you save money on our drain cleaning services.

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Experts are standing by to help you. We’re available 7 days a week.

Last Updated: September 30, 2024