As a homeowner, periodic maintenance on your sewer lines can save you the headache of some common but expensive pipe problems. Your sewer line, located underground in your yard, connects your home’s drains to the main sewer drain underneath the street. Below are three ways to prevent issues with your lines through sewer cleaning.

How to Take Care of Your Sewer Line

1. Clear Out the Grease in Pipes

People often rinse off plates of food in the kitchen sink, causing grease and oil to accumulate on the inside of your sewer lines with time. Take efforts to pour these fats into a container or wait until they solidify and wipe them with a paper towel to throw away instead.

However, since stopping all greasy waste from going down your plumbing is unlikely, call a drain professional if your sink backs up, makes a gurgling sound, or produces strange odors. They can use a sewer camera to identify how much grease is present in your sewer line.

2. Pay Attention to Flushing

If a large or absorbent item is flushed or washed down the toilet or sinks, it can damage and block your sewer lines and even the public sewer. Homeowners should talk to family members about what can and cannot be flushed down the toilet. Banned items include female hygiene products, paper towels, and clean wipes.

3. Monitor Tree Roots

If trees are planted too close to the sewer line, their roots can break through the pipe and grow within it, creating clogs. Homeowners can prevent this from occurring by calling a drain professional to do regular sewer cleanings. You should consider having your sewer lines cleaned every 18 to 22 months.

Homeowners should also work with drain professionals to keep track of the history of tree roots found in their sewer lines in the past. If roots have gotten in the lines before, they are likely to reappear.

If you’re interested in preventative maintenance for your sewer lines, contact the professionals at Holmes Sewer and Drain in Lincoln, NE. With more than 35 years of experience, this trusted drain and sewer cleaning business will bring you excellent customer service for reasonable prices. They specialize in drain cleaning, sewer inspections, descaling pipes, and emergency services. Call (402) 432-6312 to schedule an appointment or visit their website for more on their offerings.