Time to give a little thought to your hardworking sewer drain
Sewer drains might not be glamorous, but let's face it—they are one of the unsung heroes of our homes.
Your sewer line is the single pipe through which all plumbing waste passes from your home to your septic tank or the city sewer, and its importance cannot be understated. You might wonder how often sewer lines should be cleaned to keep yours in prime condition.
We broke down everything you need to know about sewer drain cleaning, including the answer to how often should you clean your sewer line, to help you make an informed decision.
Every 18 to 22 months is the most effective time for a plumber to clean your sewer drain. While many items around your home require regularly scheduled inspections and cleaning, your sewer drain is significantly lower maintenance. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay to leave it alone for decades.
When deciding how often to clean your sewer line, you want to do it often enough to prevent clogs from forming.
Cleaning your sewer drain at least every two years can help you avoid clogs. This task could also help you avoid pipe breakages that may lead to your sewer line backing into the home or creating other major and expensive problems.
While the goal is to keep your sewer drain clean to avoid clogs altogether, sometimes they happen anyway. Here are the most common signs that your sewer drain is clogged and in need of clearing:
Backup in the toilet, bathtub, or shower
Bad smell coming from drains
Pipes making gurgling sounds
Clogged drains occur frequently
Drains emptying slowly
Water pooling in basement drains
Washing machine is causing a backup
While cleaning sewer drains is a key part of routine sewer maintenance, this service alone doesn’t provide a deep look at your plumbing’s condition like an inspection does.
The age of your plumbing, the landscaping around your home, and your plumbing’s history of repairs all affect how often you should have your sewer drain inspected.
Here are a few other situations when you should consider getting one:
When you purchase a home: Most lenders don’t require a sewer line inspection as part of the home-buying process, but the peace of mind it may be worth the price if you have the cash on hand.
If your home is at least 40 years old: Over time, most pipes will crack. While PVC, cast iron, and cement pipes can last up to 100 years, they can still break and leak. An inspection can help catch a small issue before it becomes more expensive.
If you have a lot of trees: Tree roots grow toward sewer pipes because they enjoy the hot water and nutrients. But the pressure and weight of those roots can be devastating to your sewer lines. If you have a lot of trees, consider getting a sewer line inspection more often.
Before getting a sewer line replaced: Getting a plumbing inspection is one the most important things to consider before a sewer line replacement so you know what issues you’re facing. It’ll help set some expectations for cost and repair timelines.
If you suspect a problem with your home’s plumbing, hire a drain cleaner in your area to do an inspection. A plumber can advise you on the next steps, like future cleanings. During a plumbing inspection, expect the pro to thoroughly examine every pipe in your home through which water and waste travel.
If your sewer line smells or is draining slowly, you may have a clog. Clearing that clog can help clear your sewer line and get it flowing freely again.
Luckily, a basic clog is usually something that most handy homeowners can tackle with a little bit of elbow grease and a drain snake, which will run you about $5. To snake a drain, simply push the tool through the clog to loosen it. But be warned: This process isn’t for those with weak stomachs. For more stubborn issues or ones that can’t be reached by a snake, you’ll need to hire a professional to get the job done.
If you don’t have a clog, you can flush your sewer line to remove or prevent any bacteria or buildup. Just be aware that if you do have a clog, flushing the line won’t help (and may actually cause more issues). To flush your sewer line, mix a ratio of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part baking soda into 60 gallons of water and pour it down your drain.
The best thing you can do for your sewer line is to be careful about what goes down the plumbing in the first place.
Use items like shower drains or food catchers in your kitchen to keep your sewer line clear. And in the bathroom, keep a trash can nearby for hygiene products or wipes, even if labeled “flushable.”
Other popular sewer line maintenance tips include:
Tackling slow drains as soon as you notice them
Descaling your sewer line if you have hot water
Snaking your sewer line once a year
Don’t be afraid to get professional help
Plumbing professionals traditionally use high-pressure water jetters to clean sewer drains in a process called hydro jetting. These machines can easily blast away hard-to-remove muck like grease, hair, and even food.
While drain snakes and augers have their place in removing clogs from pipes, they don’t actually clean the pipe itself. That makes high-pressure water jetters an effective and relatively eco-friendly method of having your sewer drain cleaned.
The average drain cleaning cost is $220 and may be charged hourly or as a flat fee, depending on the pro.
If you suspect your sewer drain has passed the point of cleaning and needs a clog cleared, don’t worry. Most professional plumbers can come to your home and clear the sewer line for an average cost of $100 to $400, but your all-in cost depends on the severity of the issue and what tools are required.
For simpler issues where a drain snake is all that’s needed, the cost typically falls between $100 and $250—or about the cost of a service call. Fixing mainline clogs with the drain snake can run twice as much.
High-pressure water jetting costs between $350 and $600. It clears more debris than a snake, but if work gets complicated, the price tag could reach $1,000 or more as other costs start adding up, like repairing landscaping or digging a trench.
While cleaning or clearing clogs may seem expensive, it’s important to remember that sewer line replacement costs are much higher—around $3,070. So it’s important to keep it clean and clear before issues become more costly.
Becca Stokes contributed to this piece.
An active cleaning agent and a drain snake is the best way to clean a main sewer line. You can purchase a regular or enzyme drain cleaner or make a DIY drain cleaner with baking soda. Use your chosen solution at least once a month or as needed to keep your sewer line clear.
Your sewer line can get grimy quickly. To prevent sludge buildup in your sewer line, pour a mixture of 1/3 cup of vinegar and 1/3 cup of baking soda down each drain in your home once a month. After about 30 minutes, flush the drain with hot water.
Some plumbers recommend 3/4 cup of bleach instead to clean any germs and bacteria that may build up in your sewer line. But this won’t break down any active clogs, and it cannot be combined with vinegar, as the mixture will create a toxic, hazardous gas.
It’ll take 20 to 30 minutes to unclog a sewer line using a drain snake or drain cleaner. If you hire a professional, you should expect them to be on-site for three hours or less. In addition to clearing the clog, they’ll do other routine inspections, which adds to the overall time (and cost) required.
Unlike regular cleanings, snaking your sewer line should be done as needed. There’s no reason to snake your sewer line if you don’t have any noticeable issues, like slow drainage or plugged drains. You can add it to your regular sewer cleaning checklist as a prevention method (on the same 18- to 22-month schedule), but it’s not always necessary.
