Did you know your sewer drain can get backed up by roots? If all drains seem to be working fine and the toilet still doesn’t flush, the issue could be with the main sewer outside of the home.

Although temporary drain repairs can be carried out with the help of a plumbers tape (a 50-100 feet long steel strip around 0.125 inches thick and one inch wide, having a pointed end), you must call a plumber immediately if the clogs seem too stubborn to clear.

To begin, locate a cleanout plug in your home’s basement, close to the wall on the outside where the drain moves out to a street sewer or into a septic tank. With the help of a large wrench, remove the brass plug and push the pointed tape down into the drain. Ram the tape back and forth with mild force in case it hits an obstacle.

Keep doing this until you clear the blockage. You will clearly hear the water gurgle when the clog gets cleared and the pipe emptied. Flush the pipe well with a hose and replace the plug after that.

In the event that the blockage appears to be some type of roots, you will have frequently recurring stoppages and slow water drainage. In this case, you will have to use copper sulphate to get rid of the roots. Follow the steps mentioned below to do so:

• If the stoppage is recurring and serious, apply copper sulphate crystals (5%), at least once a month until the time the drainage improves. You can obtain these crystals from the nearest chemical supply or drug store.
• Thereafter, follow the above-mentioned step with one pound dosage every year. Make sure you keep track on your calendar.
• Never allow the copper sulphate crystals to stand in your fixture traps, as it may result in metal corrosion. Flush these crystals well through either the basement cleanout or the toilet bowl. Follow it up with enough water flow to make sure their exit through the soil pipe, well beyond the cellar wall and for their application on the root obstructions. Please keep in mind that the cleanout is not the drain where the laundry water of your home gets dumped. It is basically a place from where you can gain entrance into the drain after removing a cap.
• Don’t expect miraculous, immediate results with copper sulphate – it only takes the life out of the roots. You will have to wait until the roots decay naturally and get carried out into the main drain.

Clearview Plumbing and Heating is a well-experienced plumbing company based in Calgary, Alberta since 1996.

Feel free to reach us anytime at 587-741-1562. We’ll be happy to assist you with any kind of plumbing issue.