6 Warning Signs of a Sewer Line Problem

A single slow drain is a clog. Several at once is a different animal — it points at the main sewer line, and that's the kind of problem you want to catch before it ends up on your bathroom floor.

The 6 signs

1. Multiple drains slow or backing up at once — tubs, toilets, and sinks together. The clearest red flag.
2. Gurgling sounds from drains or toilets, or a toilet that bubbles when you run the sink or washing machine.
3. Sewage smell indoors or around the yard.
4. Water backing up in odd places — the tub fills when you flush, or the floor drain backs up.
5. Unusually green, soggy patches over the sewer line in the yard (a cracked line "fertilizing" the lawn).
6. Sewage backup into the lowest drains in the house — the emergency version; stop using water and call right away.

What causes it

• Tree roots growing into the line through tiny gaps (the #1 cause in older neighborhoods)
• Grease and buildup over years
• Collapsed, cracked, or bellied sections in aging pipe
• "Flushable" wipes and other things that shouldn't be flushed

Why a camera beats guessing

A sewer camera inspection shows exactly what's wrong and where — roots, a crack, a clog, a collapse — so you fix the actual problem instead of paying for repeated snaking. It also tells you whether a spot repair will do or the line needs more.