It's easy to tell when a sewer line is totally blocked. Nothing will go down your drains, and your toilets start backing up! Ideally, however, you would recognize that your sewer line needs cleaning long before it became totally blocked. This way, you don't have to live with non-flushing toilets and sewage in your tub while you wait for the sewer cleaning company to arrive. So, what are the signs that your sewer line has started to accumulate grime and needs a clean-out? Take a look.

Slower Drains

Your drains do drain, but they seem to be taking a while. Does this sound familiar? You might find yourself standing in an inch or two of water when you shower because the shower drain can't keep up with the flow of water from the showerhead. When you wash dishes, you might have to pause to let the water go down the kitchen sink drain. If all of your drains slow down, that often means you have grime in your main sewer line that's narrowing the opening and slowing things down. Have the pipe cleared out, and you'll be amazed how fast your sinks and tubs empty.

Sewage Odors

Do you notice sewage odors coming up from your drains? You might have a difficult time "placing" the odor or telling exactly where it is coming from. It may be most prominent right after someone flushes the toilet or sends a lot of water down the drain. You might be smelling the grime in the sewer pipe itself. Or, the grime may have built up to the point of blocking the sewer vents, which means the smelly air has nowhere to go but into your home. In either case, a sewer cleanout is in order.

Reluctant Flushing

When your sewer line is dirty but not blocked, you may feel like your toilet is reluctant to flush completely. It may gurgle a little before the water goes down, or the water may swirl in the bowl slowly before eventually going down the drain. This happens because the grime in the sewer pipe keeps all of that water from going down at once. The pipe needs to be cleaned out to it can handle that volume again.

If you notice any of the issues above, then your sewer line almost certainly needs cleaning out. Contact a sewer cleaning company such as American Rooter Sewer & Drain Service LLC.