How to tell it is the main line
Every drain in your home runs to one pipe, the main sewer line, which carries everything out to the sewer in the street. A clog in one sink affects that sink. A clog in the main line affects the whole house, starting at the lowest point.
- Flushing a toilet makes water come up in the tub or shower.
- The toilet bubbles when the washing machine drains.
- Several drains are slow at the same time.
- Sewage shows at a floor drain or the lowest shower.
- Water or sewage comes out of the cleanout outside.
- There is a sewer smell in the house or yard.
If you see any of these, call. A blocked main line gets worse with every flush.
What blocks a main line
- Tree roots. The most common cause in older neighborhoods. Roots enter at pipe joints and grow into a net that catches paper.
- Grease and sludge built up over years.
- Wipes, paper towels and other things that do not break down.
- A damaged pipe: cracked, sagging, shifted at a joint or collapsed.
How we clear it
We work through the sewer cleanout, the access point to the line. A cable with a cutting head opens the blockage and cuts through roots. For heavy roots, grease or sludge, hydro jetting cleans the full width of the pipe. If your home has no cleanout, we can still reach the line another way, and we will tell you what adding one would involve.
Then we find out why
Once it is flowing, a camera inspection shows what caused the blockage and what shape the pipe is in. If it was roots through one joint, you know to expect them back and can plan for it. If the pipe is broken, you see it on the screen, and we price repair or trenchless replacement.
Hayward main lines
Much of Hayward was built between 1940 and 1960 on clay and cast iron sewer pipe. Those laterals are now sixty to eighty years old, and root intrusion is routine. In Hayward the owner is responsible for the lateral all the way to the public sewer. We clear main lines in every Hayward ZIP code (94541, 94542, 94544, 94545) and across the East Bay.
About Friendly Services
Family-owned, with over 20 years in Hayward. License CSLB #1156315 (C-36 plumbing). $1M general liability cover and workers' comp. Five-year workmanship warranty on our own work. 100+ five-star reviews online. Se habla español.