A Silver Spring caller asked whether we could snake a main sewer drain and put a camera on it. The answer depends on how we get into the line, so we quoted two options.
The question
The caller wanted the main sewer drain snaked and asked whether we had a camera to inspect the line as well.
What's going on
To clear a main sewer line, the snake has to get into the pipe. The easiest way in is a sewer cleanout, a capped pipe fitting built for this. If there's no cleanout we can reach, the usual alternative is to pull a toilet and run the snake through the toilet drain. A sewer camera run after clearing shows whether the clog was a one-time blockage or a sign of something bigger, like roots, a sag in the pipe or a broken section.
What we recommended
- Confirmed that the caller wanted both snaking and a camera inspection.
- Option 1: go in through a cleanout, snake the main line, clear the blockage, then run a sewer camera through the line.
- Option 2: if a cleanout isn't usable, pull a toilet, snake the main line through the toilet drain, clear it, run the sewer camera, then reinstall the toilet on a new wax ring.
- Sent both options to the caller.
What the estimate covers
- Toilet wax ring (toilet option only)
Tips for Silver Spring homeowners
- Find your sewer cleanout before you need it. It's often a capped pipe in the basement floor or wall, or outside near the foundation.
- Several drains backing up at once, especially in the lowest part of the house, usually points to the main line rather than one fixture.
- Ask for a camera inspection after a main line clog. It shows whether there's a problem that will keep causing backups.
Seeing something similar in Silver Spring?Call or text for a written price before any work.