Tree root obstruction common cause of drain line clog

A customer called, noticing that water was backing up into his shower drains and toilets, and thought it was a backup in his main sewer drain. If left unattended, this could cause a lot of damage and headaches so it’s always good to call on it right away.

But how does it even happen? Of course, common causes of clogs are hair, food, toys, and toilet paper clogging up the drains. Sometimes, though, the reason is even bigger than that – literally.

A common cause of main sewer drain clogs is the invasion of tree roots. Roots look for moisture anywhere they can get it and if they find a crack in a line they’re going to weasel their way in. Roots can get into the smallest breaches and when they grow, so does the breach. If enough of them get in there, or it gets too big, it will cause a clog in the sewer line.

When you call a plumber to rid it for you, they’ll probably use a process called “water-jetting.” What that does is send water through the pipes at 3,500 psi to get rid of all the obstructions, tree roots included.

Call Essig Plumbing and Heating today if you think you have a problem with your sewer line.