How to Clean Sewer Lines
Sewer drains can become clogged for any number of reasons, such as items that are not biodegradable making their way into the sewer by way of the toilet, or tree roots. The only way to fix the situation is to flush out the blockage, or use an auger to break through the blockage. This is not an enjoyable job, but you can do it yourself as long as there is not a more extensive problem, such as a collapsed sewer line. Flushing the sewer line is a trial-and-error process until you find the blockage. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Wrenches
- 75 to 100-foot power auger
- Philips head screwdriver
- Work gloves
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Instructions
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1
Locate the main sewer drain on the exterior side of the house. The soil stack is a 3- or 4-inch wide pvc pipe sticking up out of the ground. This pipe has a curve at the end that is connected to a straight pipe. Sometimes a blockage can occur at the curve.
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2
Remove the cap from the main drain, and set it aside. Place the cutting blade on the end of the auger line. There is a groove in the end of the auger line that the head of the cutter blade fits into. Two holes are on the auger line, and one hole is on the head of the auger bit. Insert the retaining screw through the holes, and tighten the screw. Place the tip of the auger into the main drain. Turn the auger directional button to feed the line out, and turn on the power. Clear instructions on how to use a power auger re printed on the machine.
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3
Keep hold of the auger line as you feed it into the main drain so that you can feel when the end hits something. Continue to feed the line until the auger breaks through the clog. Stop the line if the auger line feels like it has hit something hard. The line has reached another pipe.
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4
Remove the toilet nearest to where it appears the clog is located. The sewer line from the toilet connects the soil stack. At the bottom of the soil stack is a clean-out cap that you must access by digging under the house if the house does not have a crawl space. It is easier to remove the toilet and run the auger down through the toilet drain. Before you remove the toilet, turn off the water supply and drain the water from the toilet. Feed the auger down the drain in the same manner that you did in step 2.
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5
Look under the kitchen sink for a clean-out, and you'll see a pipe with a cap on it. Shut off the water supply valves, and remove the clean-out cap. Insert the auger into the clean-out, and slowly feed it in until the auger breaks through the clog.
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Tips & Warnings
Flush water down each line that you run the auger through, which will let you know that the sewer line has been cleaned.
Be very careful when using a power auger. Work the line slowly, and let the auger do the job.
References
- Photo Credit sewer lid image by 2roxfox from Fotolia.com
