Emergency Water Heater Repair
Repairs for leaking tanks, cold showers and heaters that have failed without warning.
Read about Emergency Water Heater Repair
Emergency Sewer Line Repair
A sewer backup is unpleasant and unsafe. Here is how to recognize a main line problem, protect your home and understand what repair involves.
When this problem needs urgent attention
Your home drains into a single main line that carries everything out to the sewer or septic system. When that line is blocked or broken, wastewater has nowhere to go but back up into the lowest drains in the house, often a floor drain, shower or ground level toilet.
Common causes include tree roots that enter joints, grease and wipes that collect into a plug, pipes that have shifted or collapsed, and old materials that have cracked. If several fixtures drain slowly or gurgle at once, the problem is probably in the main line rather than in one fixture.
What the Emergency Sewer Line Repair work covers
Each situation below falls inside this service. Your problem may touch more than one, and the plumber will sort out which part must be handled first.
Main line blockages
Clearing stoppages that back up toilets, tubs and floor drains.
Root intrusion
Dealing with roots that have grown into joints and restrict flow.
Cracked or collapsed pipe
Repairing damaged sections of the line beneath yards and driveways.
Cleanout access
Locating and using cleanouts to reach and inspect the line.
Camera inspection
Looking inside the pipe to confirm the cause before repair begins.
How the repair unfolds
The exact work depends on what is found, but an emergency visit generally follows this order.
- 1
Stop adding water
Everyone in the home stops using sinks, showers and toilets until the line is cleared.
- 2
Inspect the line
A camera or cleanout inspection shows where the line is blocked or damaged.
- 3
Clear or repair
Blockages are cleared, and damaged pipe is repaired or replaced as needed.
- 4
Confirm flow
Water is run through the system to check that it drains freely again.
What to do while you arrange help
- Stop using water, including flushing and running the dishwasher.
- Keep children and pets out of any area where sewage has surfaced.
- Wear gloves and boots if you must handle affected items.
- Open windows for ventilation and avoid mixing cleaning chemicals.
Sewage is a health matter as well as a plumbing matter. Do not pour chemical drain cleaners into a backed up main line, because they sit in the pipe and endanger anyone who works on it afterward. If sewage has reached carpet or drywall, tell the plumber so the repair and the cleanup can be planned together.
Questions about Emergency Sewer Line Repair
When more than one fixture is slow or backing up, especially the lowest drains in the house, the main line is the likely cause.
Chemical cleaners are not recommended for a main line backup, since they can remain in the pipe and harm people working on it.
Roots, grease buildup, shifting ground and aging pipe are the usual causes.
Related emergency services
Problems often overlap. These pages cover neighboring situations that homeowners in Contra Costa County run into.
Emergency Plumbing Fixture Repair
Fixes for toilets, faucets, sinks and tubs that overflow, leak or stop working.
Read about Emergency Plumbing Fixture Repair
Emergency Shutoff Valve Repair
Repair for stuck, leaking or broken valves that you need in order to control your water.
Read about Emergency Shutoff Valve RepairNeed Emergency Sewer Line Repair? Go to Contact.
Tell Emergency Repair Plumbers what is happening in your Contra Costa County home.