If a toilet gurgles when the shower runs, or the basement floor drain is filling with dirty water, the main sewer line is probably blocked. Our line is open 24/7, and same-day appointments are offered when available. Stop using water now and call (860) 397-8103.
Sewer line cleaning clears the large pipe that carries all of your household waste out to the public sewer. It needs heavier equipment than a sink clog, and a plumber who reads what comes back on the cable.
Signs of a main line backup emergency
A single slow drain is a branch problem. A main line blockage shows in the lowest fixtures first and then spreads. The basement floor drain, the lowest tub or the toilet closest to the main usually give up first.
Another clue is cross-talk between fixtures. Flush a toilet and a nearby tub bubbles. Run the washer and a floor drain overflows. The water has nowhere to go but up the first open path.
While you wait for the plumber
- Do not flush, run the dishwasher or start the washer. Every gallon adds to the overflow.
- Find the cleanout if you can: a capped pipe near the foundation, in the basement or in the yard. Tell the dispatcher where it is, but leave the cap on.
- Move stored items and rugs away from floor drains and low walls.
- Wear gloves and boots if you must handle anything wet, and wash well afterward. Keep children and pets away.
- Skip chemical drain products. They do little to a packed main and make the job riskier for whoever opens it.
Overflowing sewage is a health risk
Backed-up sewage carries germs. Porous items such as carpet and cardboard that sit in it for long are often beyond saving. If anyone smells sewer gas strongly and feels ill or dizzy, go outside for fresh air and call 911 before anything else.
What blocks a main line
| Cause | How it shows | Usual approach |
|---|---|---|
| Tree roots | Backups recur every few months, cable returns with root fibers | Cutting head on a cable machine, then a camera look at the entry point |
| Grease and soap buildup | Slow drains over weeks, greasy residue on the cable | Cable pass, then hydro jetting if the pipe is sound |
| Flushed wipes and paper | Sudden backup, often after a heavy-use day | Cable machine with a retrieving head |
| Foreign objects | Sudden backup, cable stops short | Retrieving head, camera to confirm |
| Damaged or sagging pipe | Cable stops at the same spot, backups return fast | Camera inspection, then repair |
How the cable machine works
A sewer cable machine drives a long steel cable with a cutting or retrieving head through the main. The head chews through roots, breaks up paper and grease, or hooks an object so it can be pulled out. The plumber feels the cable change as it meets the blockage and tracks how far down the line it sits.
Access comes from a cleanout when there is one. Without a cleanout, the plumber may have to remove a toilet to reach the line, which adds time. Clearing the line is step one. If the cable returns with roots or runs into resistance, the plumber will recommend a camera inspection to look at the pipe.
What the plumber is checking on site
Which fixtures
The pattern of which drains are slow or full tells whether the block is on the main or on a branch.
Where it sits
Cable length at the blockage hints at whether it is near the house, mid-yard or close to the street.
What came back
Roots, grease and paper each point to a different cause and a different plan to keep the line clear.
Flow after clearing
Water is run through every level of the house to confirm the line drains and does not hold.
Condition signs
A cable that catches at one spot each time suggests a crack, belly or collapse rather than a plain clog.
Next step
You are told whether clearing is enough, or whether jetting, a camera or a repair should follow.
Rocky Hill homes and the public sewer
The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) provides sewer service in Rocky Hill, and sewer costs are covered in the town tax levy instead of a separate sewer bill. If several neighbors have backups at once, call MDC, because the blockage may be in the public main.
About 39 percent of Rocky Hill housing units were multi-family at the 2010 count, mostly built in the 1970s. In a condo or apartment building, a shared stack and main serve several units. A backup in the lowest unit can start with a blockage upstream, so tell the dispatcher if you share a line.
What sewer line cleaning costs
The plumber gives a clear price before work starts. These factors decide where it lands.
What moves the price
- Access: a cleanout is quick, while pulling a toilet to reach the line takes longer.
- Length and depth of the line the cable has to travel.
- The blockage: packed roots take more time than a loose paper clog.
- Equipment: a cable machine, jetting or a camera add different costs.
- Time of the call: nights, weekends and holidays are usually priced differently from a weekday visit.
Call (860) 397-8103 and describe which fixtures are backing up for a clear price.
Keeping the main line from backing up again
Flush only toilet paper and human waste, including products labeled flushable. Keep cooking fat out of the sink, and collect it in a can instead. If roots caused the stoppage, expect them back, and schedule cleaning on a regular basis before the next backup.
A line that keeps blocking after cleaning may need repair. See sewer line repair for cracked, bellied and collapsed pipe. For heavy grease or scale on a sound pipe, hydro jetting cleans the pipe wall more fully than a cable.
Questions homeowners ask
Do you handle sewer backup emergencies at night or on weekends in Rocky Hill?
Yes. The dispatch line answers 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. Tell us which fixtures are backing up and we send the first licensed plumber who can reach your address. After-hours visits are priced differently from weekday ones, and you get the price before work starts.
How can I tell if it is the main line or just one drain?
One slow fixture points to its own branch line. Several fixtures slow together, or a basement floor drain filling when you flush or run the washer, point to the main line. Tell the dispatcher what you see and we plan from there.
What is a sewer cleanout and where is it?
A cleanout is a capped pipe giving direct access to the main line. It is often near the foundation, in the basement floor or in the yard. If you find it, tell us where. Do not open it yourself, since sewage can rush out.
Will the blockage come back after cleaning?
It depends on the cause. Paper or an object usually will not return. Roots and grease do unless the pipe is treated. If the line backs up again soon, ask us for a camera inspection to check for damage.
Should I call MDC or a plumber first?
Call a plumber if the backup is inside your house, since the blockage is often on your run. Also call MDC if neighbors are affected, because MDC provides sewer service in Rocky Hill and handles the public main.
Do you serve Wethersfield, Newington and Cromwell?
Yes. We serve those towns from our Rocky Hill dispatch address, and the dispatcher confirms availability for your street when you call. See the Newington page for how we cover the northwest side.
Call the 24/7 line, describe the problem, and we confirm what it will cost before any work starts.