When your pipes get clogged, it is always a problem and a reason to worry. Sudden water backups in your bath or shower can result in a flood, causing severe damage to the neighbors below! But even if you live on the first floor or in your own house, flooding it always means extra expenses on repair.
Luckily, there is a way to avoid this scenario. We mean sewer rodding. Today, we will explain what it is and how this method works.
Also, you will learn what benefits sewer rodding brings and why it is essential to ask a professional plumber to come and do the job for you rather than trying any DIY plumbing projects.
What Is Sewer Line Rodding?
Sewer rodding is a specific method that professional plumbers use when they need to remove clogs and other water flow restrictions from water pipes.
Now, some of you may have a question: is there a difference between a drain snake and sewer rodding?
In fact, yes, there is.
Unlike a drain snake, a sewer rodding machine works on stubborn and hard-to-access clogs that are stuck deep inside the pipes. To get rid of those clogs, professional sewer rodding will guide flexible rods into a pipe or drain to remove a blockage.
If the clog is stuck very deeply, these rods can be connected to get further into the pipe and reach the blockage.
Sewer rodding is a good clog-removing solution because it works both on small and large pipes. This method can be used for cleaning different pipes, from sink pipes and showers to mainline sewer pipes.
However, no matter how small the clog is, it is always best to call a professional plumber to diagnose the issue and determine if you need a simple drain cleaning or a more substantial sewer rodding. Industrial sewer rodding services are also available.
How to Tell If Your Sewer Line Needs Power Rodding?
Since most homeowners are not professional plumbers, it is pretty difficult for them to tell when exactly their sewer lines require cleaning. This is why it’s essential to be aware of the key signs that can tell you your pipes need proper rodding!
Your sewer lines can get blocked and clogged by many different objects that will later cause obstructions and blockages. Those things can be food grease and hair that accumulates over time, making the openings in your pipes more and more narrow.
Those can also be various items that we send down the drain that should not go there, such as baby wipes, sanitary pads, or food debris, which can cause immediate clogs. Even tree and plant roots can compromise the sewer line, making mud and clay accumulate in the pipe, resulting in a clog.
When a blockage is present, it can prevent your sewer line from flowing correctly. As a result, you may often see how water drains away slowly when you are running your sink, standing in the shower, or flushing a toilet. In severe cases, water may not drain at all or may come back up.
When this happens, you may try to plunge or snake the drain. But if plunging doesn’t help and water continues to drain slowly, it means that the clog down there is quite big, and you need power rodding to fix it.
Now you know what sewer rodding is and how you can tell that your pipes need it. So if you notice your pipes don’t run water correctly, and there is water standing in your sink or shower, or if there are recurrent water backups, it is definitely time for your pipes to be rodded!
When Do I Need Rodding Sewer Lines?
We often pay little or no attention to standing water problems, thinking it’s just a temporary inconvenience and we will manage it with a plunger. It’s good if mere plunging will help. But what if it won’t? How do you know that your pipes require close attention and help from a professional plumber?
A professionally done sewer rodding might be needed if you have certain kinds of pipe problems:
- frequent sink backups
- backups in your toilets, showers, or tubs
- when flushing a toilet, running the dishwasher, or using the shower cause unexpected reactions elsewhere (like toilet water levels rising or falling, water backing up into sinks, or gurgling water in showers)
If you have any of these, there could be a sewer line blockage somewhere in your pipes that requires rodding to fix the problem. Depending on the location of the sewer line blockage, it can lead to wastewater backing up into your home.
As a result, there will be an accumulation of unsanitary, smelly black water that can put your health at huge risk!
Besides, sewer rodding can also cope with another common issue homeowners often face. Sewer rodding can remove tree and bush roots that have grown into your sewer line. It will allow water to flow normally through the pipes again.
And please keep in mind that these types of blockages should be fixed as soon as you notice the first signs of the problem!
If they are not taken care of in time, the damage they cause can compound. If you choose to ignore such problems, you may need to completely remove your sewer lines and replace them later, which is a much more costly fix.
What Benefits Does Sewer Rodding Have?
As you can already see, sewer rodding is a beneficial and helpful way of unclogging and cleaning your water pipes. However, clog removal is not the only perk you get when opting for this method. There are a few more positive effects sewer rodding may have, and below, you can learn more about each of them.
Sewer Rodding Removes Blockages Accurately
Your water pipes are rather delicate, which is why it is not recommended to use harsh chemicals to clean or unclog them. However, some homeowners still choose to use chemical cleaners and other procedures to remove the blockages.
However, it’s difficult to remove a clog with these methods accurately and safely for the pipes. For the best results (and for healthy pipes), you need a sewer rod.
The tool is designed to locate and remove clogs with absolute accuracy that won’t cause any harm to the pipes’ insides. After the job is done, your pipes should be completely free of blockages.
Sewer Rodding Saves You Money
If you notice the problem with your pipes in time and invite a plumber to do sewer rodding, you can save a lot of cash on repair! When done correctly, rodding allows you to keep your bank account safe and untouched.
See, unrepaired clogs tend to cause leaks in your pipes after a while. Although those leaks are tiny, they are multiple, which means that the water lost from those tiny leaks costs you money. And of course, let’s not forget about the cost of the repair for the leaks!
But you will save money on future repairs by removing the clog with the sewer rodding even before a leak develops! Besides, the rodding process is simple, quick, and affordable.
It Makes Mold Less Possible to Develop
As you know, mold and bacteria love moisture and they spread in a moist environment extremely fast. And since clogged pipes result in slow-draining sinks and water collecting in your pipes, chances of mold growth also increase.
Unfortunately, mold and bacteria can make you and your family sick.
Besides, it is much more difficult to get rid of old mold. As time passes, the mold will grow and spread, and in the end, you will need the costly process of mold remediation. But with the help of sewer rodding, you can clear your pipes before mold and bacteria take over.
Sewer Rodding Can Stop Strange Noises and Bad Smells
Have you ever heard cracking and squeaking noises coming from the walls of your home? If you have, then the culprit is usually a clog in the pipes. These noises are often loud and distracting enough, which is why they prevent residents from sleeping or relaxing at home.
By hiring a professional plumber for sewer rodding, you can eliminate those noises significantly. As soon as the clog is removed and the pipes are clean, the pipes will stop annoying you with weird sounds.
The same is true of foul smells. Clogs usually result in stagnant water, which comes with a strong and unpleasant smell. Taking care of your blockage with the sewer rodding will eliminate the smell too.
It Helps to Increase the Life of Your Pipes
Everyone knows that pipes don’t last forever, no matter what material they are made of. Fortunately, by removing the clogs in time, you can make your pipes last longer. When you remove clogs as soon as they occur, you help your pipes stay clean longer, plus, they will not suffer from dirt and grease buildup on their inner walls.
Now you see why you should consider sewer rodding as a pipe-cleaning method for your plumbing system. It is better to pay once and get the job done thoroughly than neglect the need of unclogging your pipes, which will later result in a way more costly fix!
Why Shall I Hire a Professional to Perform Sewer Rodding Service?
These days, many homeowners are obsessed with the DIY trend. And in general, it’s not bad to repair things in your home with your own hands. But while you can do some home maintenance yourself, there are certain kinds of jobs that only professionals should do. And power rodding service is one of the. It is not something the average homeowner can cope with correctly. Well, not unless you are a professional plumber!
One of the reasons why you should hire a professional plumber for power rodding services is that you can’t determine the best rodding approach for your plumbing. Whilst a professional plumber can do that for you based on the problems you are experiencing.
Power rodding is an excellent choice for many plumbing clogs, but it doesn’t mean it is always the ideal choice for any issue you have with your pipes.
There is another reason why you should leave power rodding to the professional plumbers. See, the professionals have specialized equipment, and they know how to use it safely.
When using power rodding equipment for a DIY unclogging, you will most likely make a mistake and cause damage to your plumbing fixtures or pipes. A professional can safely remove debris causing clogs without causing more damage.
So, now you know what sewer rodding is and what benefits this pipe-cleaning method brings. Now you know how it is done and why you should only hire a professional plumber for this kind of job.
Also, we explained why sewer rodding should be done each time you deal with a pipe clog. It is a money-saving solution that can keep your pipes clean and clogs-free, thus extending their service life.
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