There’s nothing worse than sewer clogs for homeowners: they’re an unsanitary, smelly, inconvenient, and expensive mess, and they’re difficult to see coming. Clogs can happen to just about anyone regardless of home good or bad you are to your drains. Forming healthy drain habits — such as not flushing absorptive materials or pouring grease down your kitchen sink — can certainly expand the lifespan of your plumbing systems, but at the end of the day it’s a sad fact that sewer problems happen in almost every household.
But, as a homeowner, you can catch the problems early on, possibly saving you hundreds on repairs. You just need to know the warning signs. Here at Feehan Plumbing & Heating, we want you to make smart choices about your plumbing, and we want to help! Just look for the following signs that your sewer is on the verge of failing. If you notice any of these, you need to give Feehan a call right away!
- Noise– Drains may make some noise when they have large quantities of water rushing down them, but they are NOT supposed to make long, extending gurgling sounds. If you hear bubbling after you flush, that means there’s air trapped in your pipes.
- Bad Odor– Sewer issues are almost always accompanied by an unpleasant smell. If there’s a sewer odor in your kitchen, it could be a problem with your garbage disposal: that’s a sanitation system that you need to check out! You might also experience sewer odor in your basement where the access ports to your plumbing are. Don’t live with sewer odors, as they can be signs that disease-carrying bacteria are entering your home.
- Frequent Backups-Before you break out the plunger, consider calling Feehan Plumbing & Heating. If you’ve had several back-ups in the last month, that’s a sign that you’ve got more than just a toilet problem: all of your toilets connect to your sewer mainline, and when that’s backed-up you need professional help to fix the source of your issues.
- Water in the Clean-Out- Your sewer clean-out is the capped pipe that is generally located in your front yard (though a Feehan expert can easily help you find it if you don’t see it there. You can check to see if your sewer is clogged by carefully opening/unscrewing the cap. If there is standing water or if water pours over at you, you have a clog.
In the case of a sewer drain emergency, call the 24/7 Feehan Plumbing & Heating team! We work around the clock to make sure that all of your plumbing needs are met, so no matter the time or day, call now to be connected to a live assistant.