Sewer Clearing in Freshwater

Do you notice your sink is taking ages to drain or perhaps you’re perceiving a funny smell oozing from it? You don’t have to panic as this is most definitely a blockage. Unblocking your drain requires just a little effort and chances are, you might not need to reach out to a professional. This blockage may be in your home’s internal or external drains but so far the the drain is within your property, it’s entirely your responsibility to make sure that they are well maintained and repaired (if the need arises).

Generally, outside drain problems are more likely to be harder to fix when compared to your average blocked sink. But it isn’t impossible should you have the relevant tools as well as knowledge. In this post, we’re going to consider a safe and effective approach to unblock a drain outside. Let’s take a look!

1. Pull the cover off the drain. This may require the use of a flat head screwdriver to remove the drain’s cover. If that isn’t working, you can try tying a rope around the cover to give you a good coverage
2. Identify the blockage. This is usually messy, but you simply have to do it if you wish to save some money. Simply reach down to remove as many of the blockage that you can reach as possible. This will make it easier for you to remove the rest with a drain rod
3. Use the drain rod. Simply put the drain rod inside and apply pressure. You’ll have to twist the rod in a clockwise direction to get into the blockage. Depending on how big or stubborn the drain is, it may take a while to get through it.

Sewer is simply a set of pipes or drains that’s usually underground and whose primary function is to remove waste water as well as other waste materials. Generally, there are three main types of modern sewer systems and they include sanitary sewers ( also commonly referred to as foul sewers), storm sewers or surface water sewers as well as combined sewers. Now let’s take a look at each of the sewer types!

• Sanitary sewers or foul sewers. These are the sewer systems that are mainly incorporated to transport waste water and other waste matter from both homes and businesses to waste water treatment plants. Normally, they include pipes, manholes as well as pumping stations. Their function is, however, not only to carry waste water to treatment plants, but also to maintain the water quality as this is essential for public health. Here, gravity is commonly used to remove the waste water. However, in low lying areas, pumps can be incorporated especially when the waste water needs to reach an area that’s at a higher elevation
• Storm sewers or surface water sewers. The primary function of this sewer system is to carry rain water as well as melting snow ( unlike sanitary sewers that are designed to carry waste water) from the roofs and roads and then direct it straight into the streams, rivers and also other water bodies. These sewer systems can get clogged with leaves, litter and other debris which can ultimately lead to flooding.
• Combined sewer. As the name suggests, these sewers are combined. This implies that the make use of a single pipe to carry both waste water and storm runoff water to wastewater treatment plants. These aren’t very common anymore as the sewer can overflow especially when there’s a lot of rain which makes the system incapable to handling both the waste water and surface water.

Depending on the size and location of the blockage, a blocked drain may be fixed by simply removing the build-up. This can be done either by using drain cleaner or physically removing the blockage. If the blockage is very serious or located within the pipes themselves, you will need to contact a plumber.

If you feel your drains are sluggish or perhaps you’re hearing some strange sounds coming from them when you carry out tasks like flushing your toilet, then it’s highly likely that you have tree roots in your sewer line. If left unattended, this may lead to a real problem which will definitely cost a lot of money to fix. Therefore, it’s always smart to take care of this issue before it gets out of hands. In this guide, we’re going to take you through some of the procedures you can implement to get rid of tree roots from your sewer line. Let’s take a look!

• Through the use of rock salt. Rock salt should not be mistaken for table salt or coarse sea salt. These are what people throw at icy side walks and can be gotten at any local hardware store. It can be used for the removal of small tree root. To do this, simply flush some amount of rock salt down your toilet about 1/2 pound at a go. Upon flushing down the last batch, do not turn on the water for at least 12 hours. This will allow the rock salt time to sit in the pipes and make the environment totally harsh to the tree roots.
• Through the use of a foaming root killer. Another effective way to remove a small tree root from sewer pipes is by using an herbicide which doesn’t only kills root but also prevents them from growing back due to the fact that it leaves behind a residue that tree roots don’t like. This can be gotten at a local hardware or home and garden store. To use this, you simply have to follow the instructions on the label.

If you are not sure or if these methods don't help then getting a professional to fix the problem is your next step.