When a toilet gets clogged or a sink won’t drain, the common cause is usually solid debris stuck in your plumbing. Plumbers will use tools such as plungers, “snakes” or chemicals to remove the debris when it is at or near the toilet or drain. Just as your interior plumbing might become clogged, so does your sewer line from the house to the property line or street. Many of the same items which clog indoor plumbing can clog your main sewer lateral. In addition, the roots to your trees and shrubs can infiltrate the pipe, creating a screen which can catch all kinds of solids between your home and the street. When this happens, a plumbers sewer snake and drain cleaning chemicals are of no use.
Reaming involves using a “sewer machine”, a machine that resembles a snake with a spinning saw-like head. This machine is fed through the lateral from your clean-out (which is located close to or at the edge of your home) until the head cuts through and breaks up whatever is blocking your sewer line. Many times, reaming is simply a preliminary step to a permanent solution. The sewer machine simply clears the way for a CIPP (link to the trenchless technologies page) to be installed. Different sized sewer machines are used for different size applications. A small machine may be used for residential laterals whereas a much larger machine may be used for a large commercial connection.
Jetting is used in similar application, but instead of using a saw-cutting head, a “Jetter” has a head with water jets which propel it forward in the pipe, the head acting much like a battering ram.
A jetter and sewer machine may be used in conjunction with each other to create the desired result, a sewer line clear of intrusion or blockage.
Common Causes of Sewer Blockage
- Grease
- Roots
- Tampons
- Diapers
- Corroded Cast Iron Pipe
- Pipe Failure (Deformed, Collapsed, Severed Sewer Pipes)