Sewer Line Care Checklist
Sewer line trouble often shows warning signs before a backup. Checking a few things each season can catch them. None of these steps involves digging or opening a cleanout, and none replaces a camera inspection.
Keep the wrong things out of drains
Put wipes, grease, paper towels, and hygiene products in the trash.
Notice how drains behave
Note slow drains in several rooms, gurgling toilets, sewage odors, or a tub filling when the washer drains.
Find and protect the cleanout
Find the sewer cleanout, often a capped pipe near the foundation. Nampa averages about 132 days a year with a freezing low, so keep it protected.
Keep clear water out
Sump pump and downspout water should drain outdoors, not into the sanitary sewer, where extra water can overload the line.
Watch the yard over the line
Lawn that stays wet in dry weather, settling ground, or a greener grass stripe can mark a leaking line. If a sign keeps returning, call to ask about a camera inspection.
Keep the wrong things out of drains
Put wipes, grease, paper towels, and hygiene products in the trash.
Notice how drains behave
Note slow drains in several rooms, gurgling toilets, sewage odors, or a tub filling when the washer drains.
Find and protect the cleanout
Find the sewer cleanout, often a capped pipe near the foundation. Nampa averages about 132 days a year with a freezing low, so keep it protected.
Keep clear water out
Sump pump and downspout water should drain outdoors, not into the sanitary sewer, where extra water can overload the line.
Watch the yard over the line
Lawn that stays wet in dry weather, settling ground, or a greener grass stripe can mark a leaking line. If a sign keeps returning, call to ask about a camera inspection.