Get matched with top sewer cleaners in Thompson, ND

The best drain cleaners are biodegradable ones or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Strong, caustic chemicals may seem appealing with promises of unclogging your drain quickly, but liquid drain cleaners can cause damage to your pipes over time. Consider making your own drain cleaner with baking soda and vinegar.

A two-way cleanout can help if there’s already a clog, but the best strategy to prevent one is by not rinsing grease, oil, or fat down your drains, not flushing or rinsing coffee grounds or egg shells down your drains, flushing only human waste and toilet paper (so no diapers, period products, bathroom wipes, or paper towels), and using drain guards on all of your drains.

It is generally safe to stay in a house that smells like sewage for a short time, but you should get the problem fixed as soon as possible. While the level of sewer gas is usually low enough to only cause minor symptoms, prolonged inhalation can lead to headaches, nausea, or respiratory irritation. High levels of gas exposure can be more dangerous, and high concentrations of methane—a component of sewer gas—can pose an explosion risk in enclosed spaces. If you smell sewer gas in your home, ventilate the area and call a professional to locate, assess, and fix the problem, as it will not go away on its own.

With a one-way cleanout, you can access your sewer line from one direction. Depending on the way it curves, a plumber can either access the side of the pipe that goes into your home or the side that goes to your yard. On the other hand, two-way cleanouts allow pros to access both sides of the sewer line, thanks to their dual-pipe design (they’re usually U-shaped).