Are you wondering why your bathroom has suddenly started smelling funky?
Funny smells in the bathroom can indicate a much larger and more complex problem with your home’s plumbing systems. To be more precise, it can be a tell-tale symptom of a blocked sewer drain.
Blocked sewer pipes are a serious issue that, if not resolved quickly, can cause significant inconvenience. Therefore, it is in your best interest to identify symptoms of such blockages and address them.
But what exactly are these symptoms? And even if you confirm the presence of blockages in your sewer lines, how do you get rid of them? We have answered all of these questions for you in this article.
So, without any delays, let’s get to it.
Symptoms Of Sewer Line Clogs
Before you learn about the signs of blocked drain lines, it’s essential to understand how sewer lines work.
The main drain is connected to all of the drain water sources in your home, such as shower drains, sinks, tubs, toilet drains, your floor drain, etc. All the water drained from these sources converges into the main sewer drain, which runs below the ground. This sewer line is, in turn, connected to the main sewer system of your town or city.
A main sewer clog drain typically occurs when the main sewer line becomes jammed due to pipe damage, improper maintenance, or an overload in the sewer drainage system. That’s when you will start noticing some signs of drain blockage.
1. Water Backing Up In Different Fixtures
One of the most apparent signs of a blocked sewer pipe is water backing up through different bathroom fixtures, such as sinks and toilets. When the main sewer line gets clogged, all these fixtures will back up simultaneously.
Every household drain connects to septic tanks or the municipal septic tank system. So, if you notice only your bathroom clogging, it’s possibly a localised issue. However, if you flush your toilet and water backs up in your sink and tubs, a sewer blockage is a definite indication.
2. Foul Smells
Another prominent symptom of a blocked sewer pipe is the sudden emergence of foul odours from several bathroom fixtures and floor drains. When not drained, dirty water and sewage accumulate within the main sewer line, giving rise to these odours.
If the smell comes from only one fixture, it is possibly an isolated blockage in its piping. However, if funky smells come from multiple fixtures, it is a symptom of a clog.
3. Slow Drains And Flushes
It is common for drains and flushes to become slow due to a blockage. So, if you suspect a clog in your sewer lines, carefully observe the flow of water when using your toilets and sinks.
In isolated cases, water flow may become slow due to plumbing problems in the piping or the accumulation of hairs and other debris. However, if you notice that sewer water flow has become slow for numerous fixtures simultaneously, your sewer line is clogged.
4. Gurgling Sounds From Toilets And Sinks
Listen carefully for gurgling sounds coming from your sinks or toilets. When you flush the toilet, for example, you hear water gurgling in the sink or shower drain, and when you run your washing machine, you hear water gurgling in the toilet.
This gurgling noise originates from trapped air within your plumbing lines and strongly indicates a blocked sewer pipe, probably on your sink, tub, or washing machine drain system. So, if you hear gurgling noises in the toilet while using your sink, the sewer line is clogged.
5. Flooding In The Yard
When your yard starts to flood, it is a definite sign that you have a main sewer line clogged in your yard. The sewer drain is often located well under the ground.
Most rural areas don’t have a municipal sewer system. Instead, water drains to a septic system and drainage field in your yard, slowly seeping into the soil, and raw sewage decomposes.
If its water reaches the surface, it indicates a severe blockage in your sewer drain that needs immediate attention.
How To Deal With Clogged Sewer Lines?
Once you know your sewer system has become clogged, get it fixed as soon as possible. First, contact a licensed plumber who will inspect your sewer line. After they finish the initial diagnosis, you can proceed with a possible solution based on the cause of the clogging.
If your clogging is due to broken pipes or the accumulation of debris or plant roots, it is a localised problem and, thereby, easier to resolve. In such cases, your local professional plumber will remove all the debris or replace the broken or damaged pipes with new ones.
However, if the cause is not localised, you should immediately notify the relevant authorities. Faults in your entire sewer line or disruptions in your town’s sewer system will often affect several households. So, you should also check with your neighbours in such cases.
Do You Have A Blocked Sewer Line?
A blocked sewer drain can pose severe problems if not dealt with quickly. If you cannot recognise the symptoms on time, you may have more complications.
But even after that, clearing out a clogged drain can be a significant hassle. You also need to ensure that no one uses plumbing fixtures, which can lead to further problems.
We have prepared this brief guide that describes the symptoms and possible solutions to tackle a clogged sewer line. Now that we have reached the end of this article, we hope that it has been able to help you.
You deserve a properly working sewage system. So, if you suspect that your sewer line is clogged, please speak to the Woolf Plumbing & Gas team. Our expert plumbers in Perth will unblock and repair your drains. We also have a same-day emergency response team for urgent plumbing system issues. Call us on {{custom: phone}} today!
Until we meet next time, take care!
