Signs it is the main line
- Several fixtures drain slowly or back up at once
- Toilets gurgle when the washer or a sink drains
- Water comes up in the lowest tub, shower or basement floor drain
- Flushing a toilet makes water rise somewhere else
- A sewage smell inside or around the yard
The lowest fixtures back up first. Water follows gravity, so a blocked main pushes it out of the lowest opening, usually a basement floor drain, a lower-level tub or a shower.
What to do right now
- Stop using water. No flushing, laundry, dishwasher or showers. Every gallon you send down has nowhere to go.
- Keep people and pets away from sewage. It carries bacteria and viruses. Wear gloves and boots if you have to walk through it.
- Do not use chemical drain cleaner. It rarely moves a main line clog, and it makes the job riskier for the plumber.
- Find your cleanout. It is usually a capped pipe near the house, in the basement or in the crawlspace. If you know where it is, tell the plumber.
- Call. Say which fixtures are backing up and how far the water has spread.
- Photograph the damage before cleanup if sewage reached floors or belongings.
Is it your line or the city's?
Johnson City's code makes the property owner responsible for maintaining the building sewer on private property. The public main in the street is the city's. The way to tell them apart is a camera or a cleanout test. If every house on the street is backing up, call Johnson City Water & Sewer Services. If it is only yours, the plumber can usually tell you where the blockage is.
What the plumber does
The plumber opens the cleanout, runs a cable or a hydro jetting hose to break the blockage, and then runs a camera to see what caused it. If the cause is roots, grease or debris, the line can be cleaned. If it is a broken or collapsed pipe, the next step is sewer line repair. For smaller clogs, see drain cleaning.
Keeping it from happening again
Most main line clogs have a cause you can reduce. Keep grease out of the kitchen sink. Flush only toilet paper, because wipes sold as flushable do not break down like paper. If roots were the cause, schedule a cleaning before they close the line again. After any main line clog, ask for a camera look so you know whether the pipe itself is sound.
Common causes
- Roots entering at joints and cracks
- Grease that cooled and hardened in the pipe
- Wipes and paper products that do not break down
- A broken, shifted or collapsed section that catches waste
- A belly where solids settle
General mechanics, not a diagnosis. Only a camera shows which one you have.
If you are on septic
Not every house is on city sewer. If you are on a septic tank, a full tank or a failing drain field can look like a main line clog. Read about septic services instead, and about drain field repair if the yard over the field is wet.
If sewage has reached the house
Sewage on floors and walls is a health hazard. EPA advises calling a professional who has experience with buildings damaged by contaminated water. Emergency plumber service can stop the source, and cleanup follows.
What affects the price
No number here is a quote. The price depends on whether the cleanout is easy to reach, how far the blockage is, what type of cleaning is needed, whether a camera inspection is included, whether it is after hours, and whether the cause turns out to be a broken pipe.
Johnson City and East Tennessee specifics
- Owner responsibility. The code puts maintenance of the building sewer on private property on the owner.
- Backflow protection. Johnson City's code says that where a basement or floor level is lower than the sewer connection, the owner must provide check valves or other backflow prevention devices. Ask the plumber whether you have one and whether it works.
- City main. Report a blockage in the street or the city's main to Johnson City Water & Sewer Services.
Before you call
- Know where the cleanout and the main shutoff are.
- Note which fixture backed up first.
- Do not dig near the line without calling 811 first. Tennessee requires notice before digging.