Sewer mains work as a part of the greater sewer system designed to keep your home free from any sewage-related disasters.
You use the restroom every day, but have you ever wondered what happens after the flush? Here’s everything you need to know about home sewer systems and sewer mains.
Sewer Mains Work Through Gravity
Gravity is a powerful force, and sewer mains work by using gravity to pull the water and waste downwards through the pipes in your home. Your home is full of downward facing pipes that run from each of the water sources in your home to the main sewer line, known as the sewer main or the sewer lateral. The water main is a larger line, roughly 6-12 inches in diameter, that slopes downward away from your home where it meets up with the municipal sewer main line provided by your city or county.
Each municipality has several sewer main lines that run through the city and collect wastewater from the homes and businesses along the way until they all eventually flow into the wastewater treatment plant. These pipes typically run underneath a road or alongside it, and they become progressively larger in diameter as they travel and collect more waste.
Some terrains don’t allow gravity to work as the only driving force for sewer main lines, and in these cases a grinder pump or lift station is used to push the wastewater along the way. These pumps and stations are usually constructed away from homes and businesses because of the fumes and odors that they release.
When Sewer Mains Stop Working
Sewer systems are an essential part of our civilization and they’re important to keeping your home fully functional, so when something goes wrong with your sewer main, you need to get it fixed fast. Some of the most common problems that create trouble in a sewer main are:
- Tree roots growing through your sewer main line
- Broken, cracking, or misaligned pipes from freezing temperatures or shifting soil
- Blockages from flushed items or excessive grease
- Leaking in the joints connecting two pipes
- Old pipes corroding or deteriorating
Sewer lines in a home usually work great until they don’t, and once they start having problems they likely won’t stop until the problem is identified. Sewer main problems are not fun for any homeowner to deal with, but a professional plumbing service can identify the issue and solve it by replacing broken pipes, removing blockages, fixing leaks, or whatever the fix might be.
Quick Quality Plumbing Is Here
At Quick Quality Plumbing, we know how important it is to have your sewer main work flawlessly. That’s why we’re here to help with any of your plumbing needs, including leaky, clogged, or broken sewer main lines. We offer emergency plumbing services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we guarantee quick service with high quality results. We serve clients in American Fork, Lehi, Provo, Orem, and the surrounding areas in Utah. Get your free quote today!
