Sewer cleaning: frequently asked questions

As often as its condition requires. Modern plastic lines with no trees or history may need cleaning only when a problem appears. Clay lines with roots commonly need cleaning every one to two years. Lines with repeated backups may need cleaning every six to twelve months until repaired.

Several slow drains at once, gurgling toilets when other fixtures drain, water appearing at the basement floor drain, and sewer odours in the basement. A single slow sink usually points to a branch line instead.

A cable is fastest for opening a blocked line and cutting roots. Hydro jetting cleans the full pipe wall and is better for grease, sludge and fine roots. Many jobs use both, with a camera check to decide.

A main line cable cleaning from an accessible cleanout is commonly quoted around $200 to $450 in Canadian cities in 2026, and hydro jetting around $400 to $900. These are planning estimates; access, time of day and condition change the price.

No, but you should have one the first time a line blocks, after repeat blockages, before buying a home, after repairs, and every few years on an older line.

It can if the pipe is already failing. Deteriorated clay, Orangeburg and thin cast iron can be damaged by aggressive cutters or high-pressure jetting. A camera inspection first reduces the risk.

Stay out of water near electrical equipment, stop all water use, keep people and pets away, and call a sewer cleaner. Photograph the damage before cleanup and notify your insurer.

If only your home is affected and the backup rises when you use water, it is likely your line. If neighbours are affected too, or it happens during heavy rain with your water off, the municipal system may be surcharged. Call your city, for example 311 in Calgary.

Often only with a sewer backup endorsement, which has its own limits and deductible. Some insurers require or reward a backwater valve. Routine cleaning is not covered.

It is a one-way valve on the building sewer with a flap that lets wastewater leave and closes when sewage flows back from the main. It only protects fixtures upstream of it and needs regular cleaning.

At least once a year, ideally in spring, and again after any storm in which it closed. Homes with heavy grease or wipes may need more frequent checks.

No. When the valve is closed, your own wastewater cannot leave the house and will back up into the basement. Wait until the municipal system drains.

Usually in the basement floor near the foundation wall facing the street or lane, on the building drain before the sewer leaves the house, under a round or square plastic access cover. It is often close to the main cleanout or floor drain.

Usually not. Water that comes up through drains is generally treated as sewer backup, while water entering over the ground surface is overland flooding. They are often separate endorsements with their own limits and deductibles.

It can be. Sewage can carry bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause stomach illness and skin or eye infections. Wear waterproof gloves, boots and eye protection, keep vulnerable people away, and use a restoration company for large backups.

No. Wipes do not break down quickly like toilet paper and catch on roots, joints, scale and grease, forming blockages. Only toilet paper and human waste belong in a toilet.

Hot water only moves grease further along. It cools, congeals and sticks to the pipe wall downstream, where it is harder and more expensive to remove.

Rarely. They seldom reach a main-line blockage in useful strength, can damage older pipe, and create a burn hazard for the technician who opens the line. Mechanical cleaning is the reliable option.

Not always. Roots at a few joints can be managed with scheduled cleaning, or fixed by repairing or lining those joints. Roots throughout a failing line, or structural damage, make replacement more likely. A camera inspection decides.

Confirm liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, get a written scope that states method, access, distance and camera verification, compare quotes on scope as well as price, and insist on a video and written findings.

It can be for lines with a known recurring cause. Compare the annual price with the visits you would realistically need, and check whether each visit includes a camera run and what emergency response is included.

It is uncommon because lines are laid below frost depth, but shallow sections, lines under cleared driveways, and lines in vacant homes can freeze in severe cold. Frozen lines are usually thawed with steam or hot-water jetting.

Many do, especially older buildings where kitchen stacks collect grease from every unit above. A camera baseline sets the schedule, and the program should be part of the maintenance plan and reserve fund study.

Most municipalities require food service businesses to install and maintain grease interceptors, keep service records, and follow sewer use bylaws. Kitchen lines also need periodic jetting. Confirm local requirements with your municipality.

Generally, landlords maintain the building's plumbing and sewer lines, while tenants are responsible for damage they cause through misuse. Provincial tenancy law sets the details, so confirm with your provincial residential tenancy office.