If your home's sewer lines seem to always become sluggish and require unclogging, you may be unknowingly contributing to the problem. Avoid the following mistakes when you are trying to keep your main sewer drain from backing up.

Planting Trees or Bushes Too Close to the Drain

When you go to plant new trees or bushes in your yard, you may only consider choosing a location where they will look good. However, before you start digging a hole, carefully consider whether or not you are within a few feet of the sewer drain. If you plant trees or bushes too close to the drain, the roots may eventually make their way into the drain. If this happens, the fine tendrils of the roots will build up inside the drain, catching anything that goes through it. Eventually, these balled-up roots may completely break the pipe, causing massive leakage.

If you already have trees or bushes planted near the sewer drain, consider moving them to another part of your yard if they are small enough to transplant. Also, open the main sewer cleanout to see if any roots have already made their way into the system. If so, these will need to be cleaned out by a professional to make sure no further damage is done to the plumbing.

Flushing Anything Besides Waste and Toilet Paper

Another thing to avoid when trying to prevent your sewer drain from clogging up is flushing anything besides waste and toilet paper down the toilet. Even though some feminine hygiene products and wipes claim to be flushable, they do not break down as quickly as toilet paper. Because these products do not break down quickly, they can easily become caught inside the drain and remain there. While in the drain, these items will attract other things and build up a blockage over time.

Even if you only flush toilet paper down your toilet, you still need to be careful about the amount of toilet paper you use. If you use large wads, these wads can also get caught in the drain. Try to only use as much as you need to keep from clogging up the sewer drain.

Even if you are careful about what goes in and around your sewage pipes, you may still end up with a blocked drain. If you suspect this is the case, contact a septic company that provides sewer drain cleaning services to have them diagnose the issue and clear out your drains.