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You start a load of laundry, and suddenly water begins backing up into your shower. What’s going on?
If your shower backs up when the washing machine runs, you could be dealing with more than a simple clogged shower drain. This can be a warning sign of a main sewer line clog or blockage that is preventing wastewater from properly leaving your home.
Dillon, a plumbing apprentice with Waldrop Plumbing Air Electric, recently helped inspect a main sewer line after a homeowner experienced this exact problem. Using sewer jetting and a sewer camera inspection, the team was able to uncover the source of the backup: tree roots had entered and damaged the sewer line.
Why Does My Washing Machine Cause My Shower to Back Up?
Your washing machine releases a large amount of water into your home’s drainage system relatively quickly.
Normally, that wastewater travels through your drain pipes and into the main sewer line. But when the main sewer line is clogged, restricted or damaged, all that water may have trouble getting out.
Instead, wastewater can begin backing up through another drain, often a low fixture such as a shower or bathtub.
That’s why the washing machine may appear to be causing the problem even though the actual issue is farther down the plumbing system.
How Can Sewer Jetting Clear a Main Sewer Line?
To investigate the homeowner’s sewer backup, Dillon and the plumbing team started with a sewer jetter.
Sewer jetting uses high-pressure water to help clear blockages and buildup from inside a drain or sewer line. You can think of it somewhat like a powerful pressure washer designed specifically for plumbing pipes.
In this case, the team used the sewer jetter to help restore water flow so they could send a camera through the line and inspect what was happening inside.
However, clearing a blockage is only part of the process. If a drain keeps backing up, it’s important to determine why the clog formed in the first place.
What Does a Sewer Camera Inspection Find?
A sewer camera inspection allows plumbing professionals to visually inspect the inside of a sewer line.
After jetting the line, the Waldrop team ran a camera through the pipe. That’s when they discovered a more serious problem: tree roots had entered the sewer line and caused significant damage.
Tree roots can find their way into cracks, openings and vulnerable connections in underground sewer lines. Once inside, the roots can continue growing and catch toilet paper, waste and other debris.
Over time, this can restrict water flow and lead to recurring sewer backups.
Sewer jetting may help remove certain blockages, but if the actual pipe is damaged, additional sewer line repair or replacement may be necessary.
Signs of a Clogged or Damaged Main Sewer Line
A slow bathroom sink doesn’t necessarily mean your main sewer line has a problem. But when several plumbing fixtures begin behaving strangely at the same time, it may be worth having the sewer line inspected.
Common signs of a main sewer line blockage include:
- Your shower backs up when the washing machine drains
- Multiple drains are slow at the same time
- Toilets bubble or gurgle
- Water backs up into a bathtub or shower
- Drain clogs repeatedly return
- You notice sewage or unusual drain odors
- Flushing a toilet causes water to appear in another fixture
These symptoms can have several causes, so a professional plumbing inspection can help determine exactly what’s happening inside the drainage system.
Can Tree Roots Cause Sewer Backups?
Yes. Tree roots in sewer lines can cause significant drainage problems, particularly when roots enter an already damaged or vulnerable pipe.
As the roots grow, they can reduce the amount of space available for wastewater to pass through. Debris can then collect around the roots, creating increasingly severe blockages.
A sewer camera inspection can help determine whether roots are present and assess the condition of the pipe before the appropriate repair is recommended.
Don’t Ignore Recurring Drain Backups
If your shower backs up every time you do laundry, repeatedly clearing the shower drain may not solve the underlying problem.
The blockage could be located farther downstream in your home’s main sewer line.
At Waldrop Plumbing Air Electric, our plumbing team can investigate recurring drain and sewer backups and determine whether services such as sewer jetting, sewer camera inspection or sewer line repair may be appropriate.
We’ve been serving homeowners throughout Upstate South Carolina since 1970.
If you’re experiencing slow drains, recurring backups or other sewer line problems, Y’all Call Wally.
