Dirty drains are a common plumbing issue. Due to heavy use, some household drains are more prone to build-ups and blockages than others. But when every drain in your home starts moving slowly at once, you may have a far more serious plumbing problem.
Multiple Congested Drains Indicate Sewer Line Trouble
If showering leaves you ankle-deep in water due to a slow-moving shower drain, you may be able to solve the problem by extracting built-up hair. Sometimes, you can clear slow-moving kitchen sink drains by flushing them with hot water or breaking up light buildups with equal parts white vinegar and baking soda. Over time, every home needs professional drain cleaning to break down trapped, greasy deposits. But multi-drain malfunctions are usually caused by obstructions deeper within plumbing systems.
All of your drains converge onto your sewer line. This single pipe carries all your waste to the sewer main. If it has heavy buildups or blockages, every drain will move slowly or stop moving altogether. Continuing to use your plumbing system with an obstructed sewer pipe will eventually lead to a whole-house backup.
Other Signs of Sewer Problems to Watch Out For
If you’ve never scheduled preventative drain cleaning before, having multiple slow-moving drains could simply mean that it’s time to catch up on this important plumbing maintenance. But if you notice other signs of an impending whole-house backup, you probably need sewer line service instead. These include:
- Bubbling or gurgling drains
- Sudden or stubborn pest infestations
- Sewer gas odors inside your home
- Recurring drain clogs
- Water in unexpected fixtures
Intrusive Tree Roots
Intrusive tree roots are a common cause of sewer line blockages. Both tree and weed roots can enter sewer lines via hairline cracks. As they grow and expand to fill sewer pipes, wastewater and solid waste have an increasingly hard time getting past them.
Sewer Bellies
Sewer pipes rely on gravity to move waste. Shifting soil, soil erosion, and soil compression can change their slope and cause water to back up. Soil changes and other factors can even cause sewer pipes to develop U-shaped “bellies.” Water pools in these bellies rather than moving on to the sewer main.
Crushed or Collapsed Pipes
Sometimes sewer line blockages are the result of age and wear-related structural damage. You can stay on top of age and wear-related changes by scheduling regular sewer line inspections.
Multiple slow-moving drains are often a sign of sewer line issues. If you have several slow-moving drains, you can find and resolve the underlying cause with a professional camera inspection, sewer and drain cleaning, or sewer line repairs or replacement. If you live in Ormond Beach, FL or a surrounding area and need drain cleaning services, make your first call to Andy’s Plumbing.
