It’s bad enough when your South San Francisco shower or toilet becomes clogged. When they do so at the same time, though, it’s an even bigger recipe for disaster. Let’s explore the reasons this can happen, along with what you can do about it!
Your Sewer Main is Probably Blocked
The most likely culprit of a clogged shower and toilet is a blocked sewer main. Sadly, this isn’t an issue that South San Francisco homeowners can address on their own. Instead, your best bet is to contact a professional plumber. Failure to do so will lead to an even bigger blockage, which will cause water to flood your home.
Your Vent Might Be Blocked
Another unexpected issue that could cause your toilet and shower to become clogged is a blocked vent. Your vent is most likely located on your roof above your bathroom. Even if you can reach the vent to unblock it, this might not be enough to do the trick. It’s still better to have an experienced South San Francisco plumber take a look at your sewer main. After all, you’d hate to think the problem is fixed, only to have to deal with it again in a few days.
Wouldn’t Running the Fixtures Help?
Identifying the source of the problem is critical to fixing it. Unfortunately, pinpointing the issue can be tough for homeowners. While running the fixtures might seem like a good way to spot the leak, it poses a risk to your home’s plumbing and could even make the problem worse. Instead, shut your water off entirely to avoid backed-up drains and flooding.
What is the Root Cause of the Problem?
If you get a clogged drain and have no idea what caused it, you’re not alone. It’s critical to be aware of what you’re putting into your drains, though. Anything that passes through your drains will end up making its way through your sewer line. For instance, you might not even know that one of your children or a guest flushed something odd, but you will soon enough discover the problem when it comes back to haunt you in the form of overflows and flooding.
Improperly flushed items are just one part of the problem: Many other things can cause backups and clogs, too.
Tree Roots
Regardless of whether the tree was planted before or after your home was built, it can be extremely problematic if it’s planted too close to your South San Francisco sewer line. This is something that should have been brought up when your home was first built, but you can’t rely on that. When the tree’s roots grow large enough to force their way into your pipe, they’ll either clog it or cause it to shatter.
‘Flushable’ Wet Wipes
We’ve all seen packages of wet wipes that claim they can be flushed, but it’s simply not true. Any type of wet wipe will eventually cause a blockage. This happens when enough wet wipes have been flushed to create a large fibrous clump. This clump sticks to your sewer line’s internal walls, which can prevent water from running through it.
Garbage Disposal Misuse
If you’ve ever chopped up vegetables near your kitchen sink and ended up with a clogged drain, you’re aware of the damage that overestimating your garbage disposal can do. Many South San Francisco homeowners erroneously believe that their garbage disposal can safely dispose of any type of food. This simply isn’t true, however. Your garbage disposal isn’t the same thing as your garbage can, after all. It should only be used to grind up small bits of food stuck to your plate. Everything else should be thrown away or composted responsibly.
Grease
Grease is one of the worst things you can put in your kitchen sink drain, but this doesn’t prevent lots of people from doing it. Unfortunately, grease is well-known for causing drain clogs. Even if you think you’ve successfully gotten away with it for years, the grease is slowly, silently building up until the clog is large enough to block your drains completely. By avoiding putting grease down your drain, you can keep it from causing a serious backup.
Lots of Hair
The odds are high that if anyone with long hair is living in your South San Francisco home, loose hair will end up causing a drain blockage. A minor clog is easy to remove by hand, but it’s way too late for that if your shower and toilet aren’t working properly. Again, hair tends to clump together, which makes it next to impossible for water to run through your drain. Because your shower and toilet utilize the same sewer line, hair can cause both of them to back up.
Miscellaneous Debris
The list of miscellaneous items washed or flushed down a drain would take you all day to read. What’s important is preventing anyone from putting anything into your San Francisco shower drain or toilet that doesn’t belong, including feminine hygiene products, toys, shampoo lids, etc. Additionally, if an inappropriate item does get into a drain, have a plumber come remove it immediately.
Ways To Prevent This in the Future
After you have a professional plumber address your current issue, you’ll want to prevent it from happening again. Three proven methods can keep your sewer line operating as intended.
Plumbing Inspections
Having a plumber inspect your sewer line is always a good idea. They have the necessary tools to look at what’s happening inside the line, and they can tell you if anything is askew. Additionally, they’ll be able to tell if any of your pipes are in danger of failing. Taking care of any plumbing issues before they can cause a blockage is the best way to reduce your expenses too.
Regular Drain Cleanings
When we say regular drain cleanings, we do not advocate using a chemical drain cleaner, which can damage your pipes even more. Instead, contact an expert plumber to clean them for you. They’ll be able to take care of small clogs before they can cause any issues.
Keep an Eye Out for Clogs
Many signs indicate you’ve got a sewer clog coming, including:
- Multiple drains are backed up
- Sewage clean-out has standing sewage
- Water backups in your drains
Contact South San Francisco’s Premier Plumbers!
In & Out Plumbing & Construction has an expert team of plumbers on staff to handle any plumbing-related issues in the South San Francisco Area! Our plumbing, drains, and sewer services include hydro jetting, leak detection, and water heater installations. Additionally, we offer bathroom and kitchen remodeling. Our family-owned business has received many awards from HomeAdvisor, and everything we do comes from a place of integrity. Turn to us to take care of all your plumbing needs with unwavering transparency and honesty.
Are your South San Francisco toilet and shower clogged at the same time? Contact the area’s leading plumbers since 1999! ‘We’re in, we’re out, and you’re done!’
