1. [Home](/) 2. [Guides](/guides/) 3. Drains, sewer lines and basement backups # Drains, sewer lines and basement backups Most drain trouble starts small and gets worse slowly. Knowing what causes it, and what the warning signs look like, helps you fix it before sewage or groundwater ends up on your basement floor. ## Key takeaways - Where a slow drain shows up tells you whether the problem is one fixture or the main line. - Grease, wipes and chemical drain cleaners cause more trouble than they solve. - Roots find their way into older clay and cast iron sewer laterals through small joint gaps and cracks. - A camera inspection shows the actual condition of the pipe, so repairs are based on what is there. - A tested sump pump, a working backup, and a clear discharge line matter most when spring storms and thaws arrive. ## What causes clogs and slow drains A clog is almost never a single event. Pipes narrow over months as grease, soap, hair and paper settle on the walls, and a slow drain is usually the first sign that the opening is getting smaller. Where the slowdown shows up tells you a lot. If one sink, tub or toilet is slow and the rest of the house drains fine, the problem is in that fixture or the short branch pipe behind it. If several fixtures are slow at once, or the ones on the lowest level are the worst, the blockage is likely farther down in the main drain or in the sewer line that leaves the house. A simple check: run a sink upstairs and flush a toilet. If the basement floor drain gurgles, or water rises in a shower or tub on the lowest level, the main line is struggling. That is a different job from clearing a trap under a sink. Repeated plunging or store-bought fixes will not reach it, and it is worth having a plumber look. The everyday causes are covered in [why drains keep clogging](/guides/drains-and-sewer-guide/why-drains-clog/). Older sewer laterals and basements bring their own problems, which are covered below. ## Grease, wipes and what should stay out of drains Kitchen grease is the classic problem. Cooking fat is liquid when it goes down the drain and solid a few feet later. It coats the pipe wall, catches food particles, and builds a layer that gets thicker every week. Running hot water afterward only moves it farther down the line, where it cools and sets again. Wipes are the other big one. A label that says flushable describes whether a wipe fits through the toilet, not whether it breaks down like toilet paper. Wipes hold together, snag on rough joints and roots, and gather into mats that catch everything else. Paper towels, feminine products, cotton swabs, dental floss and cat litter cause the same trouble. Only toilet paper and human waste belong in a toilet. A garbage disposal handles small scraps, but it does not turn the drain into a trash can. Coffee grounds, eggshells, pasta, rice, potato peels and fibrous vegetables pack together in the trap and the pipe beyond it. A few habits make a real difference: - Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel and throw it away. - Keep a strainer in the kitchen sink and in the shower. - Pour cooled grease into a can for the trash. Chemical drain cleaners are a poor fix. They can sit in a pipe that has not cleared, they can damage old fittings, and they leave a plumber working around caustic water. Never mix them. If one has not worked, tell the plumber what you used. [Drain cleaning](/services/drain-cleaning/) with a cable or a water jet removes the buildup instead of opening a narrow channel through it. ## Tree roots and older clay sewer laterals Many Ohio neighborhoods have homes that are decades old, and the sewer lateral, the pipe from the house to the connection at the street, may be clay tile or cast iron. Clay tile comes in short sections with a joint every few feet. Over time, soil movement, freezing and thawing, and settling can shift those joints slightly. Roots follow the moisture and warmth of a sewer line and slip in through even a hairline gap. Once inside, they grow into a mass that catches paper and waste. Cast iron has a different weakness. It rusts and flakes from the inside, which roughens the interior and narrows the pipe. Rough surfaces hold debris and give roots a place to start, and sections can eventually crack or collapse. Signs to watch for: - Gurgling in a drain when another fixture runs - Slow drains in more than one place - A toilet that bubbles when the washing machine drains - A sewage smell in the basement or the yard - Backups that come back after being cleared Cutting roots clears the pipe for a while, but they grow back unless the opening they used is repaired. More detail is in [tree roots in sewer lines](/guides/drains-and-sewer-guide/tree-roots-sewer-line/), and sewer line repair covers the options once the problem is confirmed. ## What a camera inspection shows A camera inspection uses a small waterproof camera on a flexible cable. A plumber feeds it into the line through a cleanout, or through a toilet opening or a vent if there is no cleanout, and watches the pipe on a screen as it travels toward the street. The camera shows what the pipe is made of and what shape it is in. Roots, cracked or offset joints, scale on cast iron, grease, debris, and low spots where water sits (often called bellies) all show up. A locating tool can mark the position and depth of a problem on the surface, which matters when you are deciding between spot repair and a longer replacement. A camera is worth considering after repeated backups, before buying an older house, and before agreeing to a major repair. It shows the condition of the pipe on the day it is run, not what will happen next year, but it replaces guesses with a picture. Ask the plumber to show you the footage or give you a copy, and to explain what they saw and where it is in relation to your house and yard. ## Sump pumps and spring storms Many Ohio basements have a sump pit, a hole in the floor that collects groundwater from drain tile around the foundation. A pump in the pit turns on when the water rises and sends it outside. In clay-heavy soil that drains slowly, and after a hard rain or a spring thaw, the pit can fill quickly, and the pump may run for hours. Storms also bring power outages, which is exactly when the pump is needed most. A battery backup keeps a pump working when the power is out, and a plumber can tell you what size and type suits your pit and your home. Test your pump a few times a year, and before spring. Pour water into the pit until the float lifts, and check that the pump starts, empties the pit, and shuts off. Listen for grinding, rattling or a motor that runs without moving water. Check that the discharge line drains well away from the foundation and is not frozen or blocked. The details are in [sump pump basics for Ohio basements](/guides/drains-and-sewer-guide/sump-pump-basics/), and [sump pump service](/services/sump-pumps/) covers replacement and backup systems. ## Preventing basement backups Water in a basement comes from two different places, and the fix depends on which one it is. Groundwater seeps up through the floor or walls and is a sump pump and drainage problem. Sewage backs up through floor drains, tubs and toilets when the sewer line is blocked or overloaded, and that is a drain and sewer problem. In some older Ohio neighborhoods, the municipal sewer carries both sewage and storm runoff, and heavy rain can overload it. What helps: - Find your sewer cleanout and keep it accessible. - Keep grease, wipes and other non-flushables out of drains. - Have a plumber clean and inspect the line if your home is older, has big trees, or has had backups before. - Keep gutters clear and downspouts discharging away from the house. - Pour water into seldom-used floor drains now and then so the trap does not dry out. - Ask a plumber whether a backwater valve makes sense for your home and your local rules. If a backup happens, stop using water in the house. Sewage carries bacteria, so keep children and pets away and avoid touching it. Do not use electrical equipment in or near standing water, and shut off power at the panel only if you can reach it without stepping into water. Call a plumber, and check your homeowner's policy, since sewer backup coverage is often a separate add-on. ## When to call a plumber Some drain problems are fine to try yourself, like plunging a toilet or cleaning a sink trap. Others are not. Call a plumber if several fixtures are slow at once, if drains gurgle or bubble, if sewage smells persist, if a backup returns after you clear it, or if your sump pump will not start or keeps running without lowering the water. Sewer lines are underground, often under a yard, a driveway or a tree, and repair work may need permits or utility locating. A plumber can find the cause, show you the pipe, and explain the options so you can decide what to do. You can start at [drain cleaning](/services/drain-cleaning/), look at the [FAQ](/faq/), or [get in touch](/contact/) to describe what you are seeing. ## Frequently asked questions Is it safe to use chemical drain cleaner? Chemical cleaners can burn skin and eyes, damage older pipes and fittings, and leave caustic water in the drain that a plumber then has to work around. They should never be mixed. If a drain is slow or blocked, a plunger or a plumber's cable is usually the safer way to clear it. Why does my basement floor drain gurgle when I run water upstairs? Gurgling usually means air is being pushed through water in a pipe that is partly blocked, often the main drain or sewer line. It can also mean a dried-out trap or a venting problem. If it happens regularly or with several fixtures, have a plumber check the main line. Do flushable wipes break down in the sewer? Not like toilet paper. Wipes stay intact, catch on rough joints and roots, and form clogs in house drains and municipal lines. Throw them in the trash, even if the package says flushable. How do I know if the problem is the sewer line and not a single drain? If only one fixture is slow, the problem is probably local to that fixture. If several drains are slow, the lowest drains back up first, or the toilet bubbles when another fixture drains, the main line is the likely cause. A camera inspection can confirm it. 7 min read. ### Want us to handle it? Pembroke Plumbing works in Cincinnati, Norwood, Deer Park, Reading, Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sharonville, Springdale. [Get a quote](/contact/)[Call (513) 916-0123](tel:+15139160123) ### In this guide - [Why drains keep clogging (and what actually helps)](/guides/drains-and-sewer-guide/why-drains-clog/) - [Tree roots in sewer lines: signs and fixes](/guides/drains-and-sewer-guide/tree-roots-sewer-line/) - [Sump pump basics for Ohio basements](/guides/drains-and-sewer-guide/sump-pump-basics/) ### Related services - [Drain Cleaning](/services/drain-cleaning/) - [Sump Pumps](/services/sump-pumps/) ### Service areas - [Cincinnati](/areas/cincinnati/) - [Norwood](/areas/norwood/) - [Deer Park](/areas/deer-park/) - [Reading](/areas/reading/) - [Blue Ash](/areas/blue-ash/) - [Montgomery](/areas/montgomery/) - [Sharonville](/areas/sharonville/) - [Springdale](/areas/springdale/) ### Other guides - [Water Heaters in Ohio Homes](/guides/water-heater-guide/) - [Leaks, frozen pipes and water pressure](/guides/leaks-and-pipes-guide/) ## Call (513) 916-0123 or send a quote request and tell us what needs fixing. [Get a quote](/contact/) [Call (513) 916-0123](tel:+15139160123) --- **Pembroke Plumbing** · Cincinnati, OH · (513) 916-0123 [Get a quote](/contact/) · [Services](/services/) · [Guides](/guides/) · [FAQ](/faq/)