Main Sewer Line Cleaning

Signs the Main Sewer Line Is Clogged

A main line clog doesn't stay in one room. Because every drain in the house empties into the same pipe, the first sign is usually water showing up somewhere it shouldn't, like the basement floor drain or the lowest shower.

• Several drains backing up at once
• Water coming up in a floor drain or tub when you flush
• Gurgling toilets
• Sewage odors

Where to Find Your Sewer Cleanout

A cleanout is a capped pipe, usually 3 or 4 inches across, that gives access to the main sewer line. Having one makes a main line clog faster to clear. Look outside near the foundation on the side where the sewer leaves the house, in the front yard between the house and the street, or in a basement or crawl space near the main drain stack. If there isn't one, the plumber may go in through a toilet or roof vent, or install a cleanout so the next clog is easier.

How a Main Line Clog Is Cleared

Clearing a main line is done from a cleanout, a capped access point on the sewer line, using a cable machine sized for 3- or 4-inch pipe. The plumber runs the cable until the blockage breaks up, then runs water to confirm the line is flowing.

1. Find the main cleanout (outside, in the basement, or in a crawl space).
2. Clear the blockage with a sewer machine or hydro jetter.
3. Run water through the fixtures to confirm full flow.
4. Recommend a camera inspection if roots or damage are suspected.

What Affects the Cost of Main Line Cleaning

2 things move the price of main line cleaning most: how easy the line is to get into, and what's causing the clog.

• Whether there's an accessible cleanout, or the plumber has to go in through a toilet or roof vent.
• How far out the blockage is and how big the line is.
• Snaking versus hydro jetting.
• Whether a camera inspection is needed to find roots or damage.

When a Main Line Clog Is an Emergency

• Sewage is coming up through a floor drain, tub or toilet.
• No drain in the house will drain.

Main Line Clogs in Cities With Older Sewer Pipe

In cities where the median home dates to the 1940s, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Detroit, many main lines are original clay or cast iron. Clay joints let roots in, and cast iron roughens as it corrodes, so main line clogs tend to come back. After clearing, a camera inspection shows whether the line needs repair rather than repeated cleaning.

Local plumbing details: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit

Sewer Backups by City

What our city pages say about sewer backups:

• Livonia, MI: Roots, grease or heavy rain send water up through the floor drain.
• Inglewood, CA: Older clay and cast iron laterals crack and fill with roots.
• Newton, MA: Roots from large old trees enter clay laterals.
• Decatur, IL: Old clay laterals fill with roots and back up at the floor drain.
• Erie, PA: Heavy rain, snowmelt and old laterals push sewage up through floor drains.
• Gary, IN: Old sewers and clay laterals back up in heavy rain.
• Parma, OH: Heavy rain overloads older sewers and pushes water up through floor drains.
• Mableton, GA: Roots and age block the laterals of older houses.

Before the Plumber Arrives

• Find the cleanout cap if you know where it is.
• Stop using water until the line is cleared.

Other Drain Cleaning Services

• Hydro Jetting
• Kitchen Sink Clog Repair

Main Line Cleaning Questions