If you live in a home that is on a municipal or city sewer system, your house and plumbing has a sewer main line that crosses your property and connects to the sewer pipes. This allows all of the waste to be removed from your property, but if a sewer main line is not properly maintained you can end up having a nasty sewage back up in your home. Use the following tips to prevent problems with your home's sewer main line:

Be Mindful of What is Flushed

To keep your sewer main line in good repair, it is best to only flush waste and toilet paper down the toilet. Other items, such as wipes, paper towels, and feminine hygiene products can create a big clog in your sewer main line, which can eventually lead to a back up.

Keep Grease Out of the Kitchen Sink

When draining grease off of cooked meats or using grease to sauté or fry food, avoid pouring the grease down the kitchen sink drain. If you pour grease down the kitchen drain on a regular basis, the grease can congeal in the sewer main line which can make it difficult for waste to flow into the city sewer.

Pay Attention to Trees and Shrubs

Most people don't think about their sewer main line when landscaping their yard, but the position of large trees and shrubs can make a big impact on your pipes. Tree roots tend to be attracted to sewer main lines because they are a source of water, and the waste products serve as a fertilizer. If a tree is planted too close to the location of the sewer main line, a small root can make its way into the sewer main line through little cracks. As the root continues to grow inside the sewer main it can create a complete blockage, which will result in sewage not being able to pass. It is also possible for a tree root to grow large enough inside a sewer main line to crack the pipe.

Schedule Preventative Rooting Service

A rooting service involves a plumber placing a special tool inside your sewer main line and pushing it through. The rooting tool will remove clogs and any debris that did not make it to the sewer system. Doing a preventative rooting service once every 18-22 months can go a long way in preventing major sewer main line problems in the future. 

If you have any plumbing problems, contact a company like Lewis Plumbing to help you out.