Sewer cleaning
Sewer line cleaning in Omaha
A blocked main line stops every drain in the house. We clear blockages and build-up from the sewer line so the whole house drains again, day or night.
Your main line, from the house to the curb
Unlike the drains inside your home, the main line runs underground from the curb to the house, so there’s little you can do to protect it. Tree roots are the most common cause of damage, and animals can harm it too. If you see signs of a backup, call us before trying anything yourself.
How it works
How we clear a sewer line
Inspect
We start by inspecting the drain, with a camera where it helps, to find exactly what the blockage is and where it sits.
Clear
A drain snake or a hydro-jetter, whichever suits the clog, removes the obstruction.
Check
A final inspection makes sure the drain is completely clear and working properly before we leave.
Know the signs
Signs of a sewer problem
Sewage in the basement
Water or sewage coming up through a basement drain.
The tub fills when you flush
Water backing up into the bathtub when the toilet is flushed.
Water pooling in the yard
Wet or soggy patches over the line.
More bugs or rodents
More pests than usual around the house.
A jump in the water bill
A sudden rise with no other explanation.
Slow drains everywhere
More than one drain slowing down at once.
Sometimes it’s the city’s sewer
Not every backup starts in your line. It’s also wise to check with the city before any repair work on the main line starts. One customer’s basement flooded because the city’s sewer had backed up; their review below tells what happened.
My basement flooded after hours and I called Bill who came out quickly. He did what he could & confirmed the real issue was the city’s sewer was backed up which caused our basement to flood.
Bill said we needed to call the city and was 100% correct. The city came out had to drain/snake the manholes in our neighborhood and Bill stayed with us until the City arrived and helped explain our issue! Bill knew exactly what to do and what needed to be done and even followed up with us the next day to confirm our issue was resolved. He also gave helpful tips to us when dealing with the City. I HIGHLY recommend Bill because he is truly an expert in the work he does!
Related services
Related to sewer cleaning
Hydro jetting
High-pressure water that scours grease, sludge and roots off the pipe walls.Learn more
Sewer camera inspection
A waterproof camera shows cracks, roots and blockages inside the line, recorded for you.Learn more
Sewer replacement
Collapsed, root-choked or worn-out sewer lines dug up and replaced.Learn more
Floor drains
Basement and floor drains cleared so water goes down, not across the floor.Learn more
Questions
Good to know
How do I tell a main sewer problem from a regular clogged drain?
Multiple fixtures acting up at once is the tell. Flush a toilet and watch the tub or the basement floor drain. If water rises or gurgles somewhere else, waste cannot get out of the house and the main is the issue. A single slow sink with everything else fine is a branch line.
Why is my basement floor drain the first thing to back up?
It sits at the lowest point in the system, so it is where sewage finds its way out when the main cannot carry flow. That makes it a useful early warning. Water appearing there during heavy rain, with no fixtures running, points at a different problem than water appearing there when you do laundry.
Who pays for the sewer line, me or the city?
In most of the metro the property owner is responsible for the lateral running from the house out to the public main, and the city handles the main itself. Where that responsibility ends varies by municipality, so confirm with your city before assuming anything. If the blockage turns out to be in the public main, that call needs to go to the city rather than to a plumber.
How often does a main line actually need cleaning?
A sound line with no roots and no sag can go many years untouched. A line with a known root intrusion often settles into a predictable rhythm, and cleaning it on that schedule costs far less than an emergency call plus clean-up. The camera tells you which situation you are in.
The line cleared, but it backed up again a month later. What went wrong?
Usually nothing was wrong with the cleaning. Clearing restores flow but does not fix a defect, so a line with a crack, an offset joint, or a belly will reload. A fast repeat is a strong signal to stop paying for cleanings and find out what is holding material.
Water backing up? Call any hour. We answer.
Call (402) 981-3075“We called Bill at Affordable Plumbing at 11 pm thinking we would leave a message, but to our surprise he answered the phone.”
Free quote
Tell us what’s going on
Send the form and Bill will get back to you with a free quote. If water is backing up right now, don’t wait on a form. Call.
(402) 981-3075- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- affordableplumbingm@gmail.com
- 15944 Gold Cir, Omaha, NE 68130