A home or business utilizing the city sewer is responsible for maintaining the pipe that connects their building to the city’s sewer system.  The cleaning of this pipe is known as Main Line Service and it involves an inspection a cleaning by an experienced professional.

Blockage of Main Line sewer pipes that connect to the city’s sewer system is most often caused by tree roots.  Tree roots can be invasive, but they do not typically break through a sound pipe, but rather they find their way through older pipes that have cracked or broken.  This breakage occurs over time as the soil around the pipe shifts, particularly from freeze and thaw cycles.  Since a sewer pipe is required to be at least two metres deep, there is little danger of actual freeze damage; however, the ground shifts significantly over time, which can lead to damage.

A tree growing near a Main Line is not usually a problem.  Anchor roots do not have any effect on a sewer line that is sound and unbroken, but these anchor roots produce small feeder roots that penetrate soil in search of moisture and nutrients.  When a crack or leak occurs in a Main Line, those feeder roots become activated as air, water and nutrients escape into the soil.  As time passes, these feeder roots can infiltrate a Main Line, and eventually cause a complete blockage.

If you have trees in your neighborhood or yard, it is important to get a Main Line service and cleaning every one to two years.  This will ensure that any feeder roots that do find their way into your Main Line are eliminated.

For more tips from the home maintenance experts, contact On Time Group today at 204 774 1474.