Sewer & Drain Cleaning

If you suspect a sewer backup, the first thing you should do is check your clean outs. A sewer clean out is a white PVC pipe with a cap that provides access to the sewer line so that blockages can be removed. Usually, there is a sewer clean out located somewhere along your main sewer line in your yard.

You may also have clean outs located close to your house to help clean smaller drain lines. If you unscrew the cap on the clean out and see water standing in the pipe, you most certainly have a blocked sewer line.

One sure sign of a sewer issue is when more than one plumbing fixture is backing up at the same time. You’ll often notice a clogged toilet first since they have the most direct path to the main drain. You should then double check the other drains in your house. If you see standing water in your bathtub or shower, this means your sewer line is preventing wastewater from flowing out of your house.

Performing a hydrojetter service on your plumbing system may be the answer to your problem. This service power washes the inside of your pipes restoring them to like new condition again.

Even if you don’t see water standing in your shower or tub, you may notice that water backs up into these fixtures when you use other fixtures in the house. You might even see this happen when you run your washing machine. Even if the water eventually drains back down, this is a sign your sewer is partially blocked and will continue to get worse over time.

You should call a licensed professional plumber right away and try to use the plumbing in your house as little as possible.

You may also start to notice some odd behavior from your fixtures if your sewer drain has a partial blockage. Our Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas homeowners often tell us that they hear a gurgling sound from their toilet or bathtub drain, even when they aren’t using them. This is a telltale sign of a sewer line issue and it is usually caused by air being trapped in your plumbing system.

To help locate the problem, Reliant may suggest utilizing a sewer camera that will be inserted into the pipe all the way down until they see the problem on camera. This service will also tell you the condition of your pipes.

A nasty rotten egg smell in your house could be the sign of many plumbing issues ranging from simple fixes to larger sewer system problems. If you notice a foul odor, you need to call a professional plumber as soon as possible. Beyond being an annoyance, exposure to sewer gas can actually cause health problems for you and your family, so it’s best to have your problem diagnosed right away.

A plumbing professional may suggest performing a smoke test on your sewer lines. This will help find out where the leak is coming from by identifying the smoke that is leaking out of the pipe.