One of the most important pieces of home maintenance to be aware of is your side sewer. While it’s a big responsibility and problems can be costly, there is a local team of experts that is here to help if anything comes up. Let’s take a look at the basics of your sewer and some common issues to be aware of.

What Seattle Homeowners Need to Know

The city of Seattle manages the main sewer line, it is up to every homeowner to maintain and repair the individual line that connects to your home. These pipes are typically under the yard and set up to promote easy flow to the main sewer line, but the pipes themselves aren’t very wide. This means that depending on how you treat your pipes inside your home, you could end up with a blockage that is your duty to fix. For example, hygienic wipes that are flushed down a toilet can easily get stuck on the way to the sewer line and begin blocking the pipe. Small clogs will create problems like slow drainage but larger issues can actually cause wastewater to come back up the pipes into your sinks, showers, or tubs.

Assessing Issues

When buying a home, be sure to have a professional inspection of the pipes and side sewer to know if there are any hidden issues that might reveal themselves with time. Cracked, broken, or clogged pipes should be fixed immediately as the development of the problem is more costly than fixing it from the get-go.

Common Fixes

Hydro-jetting

Clogged drains that haven’t caused major backups can be fixed by a process of hydro-jetting. A hydro-jet uses water pressure to break up obstructions and clears the pipe.

Rooter Service

From the kitchen drain to the sewer line, keeping drains clean is incredibly important. Best Plumbing rooter services are an easy way to maintain the health of your pipes and clear out any clogs

Trenchless sewer repair

If the issue in your sewer has caused your pipe to burst or leak, it’s time for a complete repair. Luckily, we have trenchless repair options to minimize the impact on your home and yard. Our main methods are to pull a brand-new pipe through the existing one, use epoxy to line the damaged section of pipe, or use a PipePatch to repair short sections of pipe that are difficult to dig up. During a sewer inspection, our expert can let you know which is the best for your situation.

Ready to get started? Call Best Plumbing today at 206-633-1700. We proudly serve the greater Seattle area.

While it’s not the most glamorous part of homeownership, maintaining your side sewer is a crucial responsibility that you don’t want to let fall under your radar. Many homeowners, especially first-time homeowners, may not know all that is involved in keeping your side sewer functioning properly. Luckily, the team here at Best Plumbing can help. We’ve put together a list of some to-dos as well as recommended best practices when it comes to your side sewer.  

New homeowner inspection

First and foremost, be sure your new home has had a proper inspection and that there are no red flags that could leave you with an unwanted mess inside your home. If there are issues to fix, trust the team here at Best Plumbing to get the job done right. We are experts in the field and depending on the type of issue, can work with minimal disruption to your life. Take a look at how Best Plumbing completes a trenchless sewer repair.

Simple drain maintenance

Our kitchens work overtime in family homes, especially now when we home more than ever. Be careful with what you put down the grain and avoid grease, oil, or material that would potentially create a blockage. If you don’t have a garbage disposal, be sure to use drain strainers to avoid anything falling down the drain.

In commercial spaces, maintaining a grease trap is important as the quantity of fat, oil, and grease generated by a kitchen can be substantial enough to cause problems. Best Plumbing services both Seattle homes and businesses, so call us for all your needs!

Research before landscaping

Summer is the perfect time to spruce up the yard and do a bit of landscaping. However, keep in mind that certain types of plants, mainly trees, can have complex root systems that could damage your pipes. Before you start, know where your sewer lies and make sure not to dig near it in case you damage the pipes in the process. Map out the route of your side sewer and avoid planting trees near those lines.

When homeowners are experiencing drainage issues, they often jump to think about what they put down the drain as the culprit. However, the root of the problem may well be caused by the roots in your backyard. Don’t distress! With the help of a professional team, roots can be removed and pipes can be repaired.

Invest in professional clean-outs

Instead of pouring harmful chemicals like Drano down the sink every time the water is slow to drain, invest in a professional cleaning to make sure your issues are fixed before they accumulate. Regular drain maintenance will save you a lot of money and pain down the road.

Best Plumbing proudly serves the greater Seattle area. Contact us today for an inspection, repair, or replacement!

Have you ever heard of a side sewer? If you own property in the greater Seattle area, it’s important to be knowledgeable about the plumbing on your land as you are legally obligated to maintain the pipes that connect to the public sewer main. Join Best Plumbing as we discuss side sewers and some of the best ways to take care of them. 

What is a Side Sewer?

In every city, there is a sewer line that is run and paid for by the city itself. But leading to these sewer lines are a series of smaller side sewers that reside on the property of homeowners and businesses. These side sewers transfer water and waste from the home or business out to the city-run sewer line. Side sewers are the responsibility of whoever owns the land they are located on, and therefore cannot be simply dismissed as someone else’s problem.

How to Take Care of Your Side Sewer

In order to properly take care of your side sewer, you need to know what you’re working with. Finding out the placement of your sewer and the material it is made of is an important first step. By knowing the placement of your sewer you can avoid planting any trees or bushes that may root into the sewer line. You can also avoid other types of landscaping projects that might accidentally disturb the sewer line and cause an issue. 

Learning what material your side sewer is constructed from will help you to determine a replacement timeline and what types of warning to be on the lookout for. For example, if you have an older home you may have a side sewer that is made out of concrete, which tend to last about eighty years. If you don’t know if your side sewer has ever been changed, be sure to schedule an appointment to have the line evaluated for any signs of potential problems.

Contact Best Plumbing and we’ll help you get a handle on your side sewer. By running a video camera throughout the length of the line we’ll be able to check for any damages, or other points of concern, to prevent the risk of a costly sewer back up on your property.

Best Plumbing has been serving residents in the Puget Sound area since 1968. If you need help identifying your side sewer, maintaining it, or repairing it, then give us a call. In addition to our normal hours, we are available 24/7 for emergency services. We’re here to help you with all of your plumbing needs!