Blocked Drains & Backed Up Drains

 Foreign Objects

Blocked drains resulting from foreign objects is exactly what it sounds like – items not intended for disposal via your sewer system are flushed down the toilet and become lodged in the sewer line. Not surprisingly, issues arising from foreign objects in the sewer line are most common in homes with young children or high volume public restrooms.

Roots In The Sewer Line

Tree roots by their very nature search out moisture underground and are attracted to the limitless moisture in your sewer line. Roots access your sewer line by growing between pipe joints. Over time, these roots grow, expand, and multiply within the line causing decreasing flow and eventually a collapsed line.

Sewer Line Bellies

Leaking wastewater due to improperly fitted joints or gaps caused by root intrusion will erode the soil around the pipe. Over time, the impact of this erosion causes the sewer line to sag or “belly” which traps standing wastewater which slows the drain and eventually leads to a collapsed or offset pipe resulting in a permanent blockage.

Collapsed or Offset Pipes

Collapsed and offset pipes can be a result of ground shifting or poor installation. However, the majority of collapsed pipes are the consequence of untreated bellies in the line or tree root incursion. As roots degrade the pipe structure or soil erosion around the joints of the pipe progress, sewer lines eventually loose structural integrity and become permanently disabled.

Another cause of catastrophic failure are sewer lines made of Orangeberg pipe. Orangeberg pipe is essentially compressed tar paper which eventually loses integrity with constant exposure to moisture and collapses.