1)  A toilet, sink or tub clog should take less than an hour to un-clog.

2)  A main line sewer should take no more than an hour to un-clog.  If there is a blockage (the tech will know this pretty quickly) they should recommend having the sewer line televised with a drain camera.  This is an added expense but will let you know exactly what is going on.

3) Ask questions, If there is breakage in your sewer line you will be able to see it clearly.  And always ask the tech to explain things to you if you don’t understand, this is why we are there.

4) Root infiltration into your sewer main line is a common thing and is easily remedied with high pressure jetting or with a root cutter, yearly maintenance with root-ex will take care of the problem. Root-ex is not expensive

5) If you do have a broken sewer line, make sure the company is reputable, call your local municipality to find out who the city may recommend and always get a couple of prices. Check the BBB or Angie’s list for ratings or just ask around.

Lastly if they are charging you by the hour and it’s taking hours, you can bet your getting taken advantage of.

Every year the city of Portland Maine sends out notices for street paving.  Why, you ask am I posting this on Northeast Sewer’s blog?  Because if your street is selected for paving (which some of you have been waiting 20+ years…..Yeah for you!!) After paving is done your street is under “Moritorium” for 5 years, meaning if you have to dig or open up the street for any reason the permit price has an additional fee usually $5000.00 (that is not a typo) Five thousand dollars!!

So before the city tells you this……first: If you know your street is going to be paved, I would recommend having your main line sewer televised with a plumbing camera.  A quick and easy way to make sure your sewer line is in good working condition…….Second: If your sewer line is broken, there are other alteratives such as pipe bursting or pipe lining, less invasive than conventianal sewer excavation.

And this moritorium is not just for Portland Maine it’s for most Southern Maine cities and towns.

Sewer line televising is quick and easy, and the homeowner can see any issues right on the screen, no more guess work……

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My Reply with a big smile on my face is “Oh….I’m in the sewer and drain business” and that’s the end of our conversation:)

I could write about the benefits of having your sewer lines Televised or Camerad when buying a home (oh wait…..I already did that) or maybe the environmental benefits of High Pressure jetting vs. chemical drain cleaning…………..have your eye’s glazed over yet? Drain cleaning is a necessity, sewer replacement is a necessity, but makes for crappy dinner conversation………….. (admit it, you laughed)

Every mother in America has a funny clogged toilet story. Every kid has a story about the time their dad tried to unclog the toilet himself…….3 hours later mom had to call a plumber

My story……………Thanksgiving in 1976, my sister dropped a butter knife in the garbage disposal while it was running and there were 15 place settings, pots, pans,silverware and gravy boats that had to be washed in the bath tub by hand, and I was the dishwasher.

What’s your funny story????

Being a country girl, I knew nothing of main sewer lines, we had outhouses………………………..(just kidding)

His response: “Most people will call either-or. Plumbers don’t have “excavator licenses” so they can’t pull a permit to dig in the street for exterior main line sewer excavation. And drain cleaners can’t pull interior permits to run new plumbing”

The long and the short of it. Drain cleaners clean and maintain all your interior and exterior drains, so do plumbers.

So over the years we have developed a great working relationship with Portland Maine’s area plumbers for clogged toilets and drains, high pressure jetting, televising and sewer line excavating. And in turn we pass on the new water heater hook ups, boiler installs and frozen pipes to them.

Portland Maine has plumbing harmony~

Toilets are my specialty……I wield a pretty mean plunger. I’ve had it for years, it’s like a glove, I don’t bother to put it away anymore it sits right next to the toilet ready for service at least once a day.

I have snaked, plunged, augured and jetted. Pulled out Lego’s, Matchbox cars, toy carpentry equipment and Barbies from every toilet drain in my home.

Kids are crafty……they wait. They wait until you’ve sat down long enough to get through the second page of People Magazine from January of 2010.

Then you hear it…..silence (a forgien sound to mothers). Then the patter of little feet……splashing water. And then…………..”MOM! Cori put something down the toilet again!!!”

I can take a set of stairs 3 at a time, I kid you not!

After a wonderful lunch I ask her if she’s had her sewer line inspected? She had no idea what this is, so I explain it to her.

A camera is run through the sewer pipe and records any breakages, blockages, root infiltration etc. She asked her broker if she should have it done? He said it’s really not necessary but go ahead if it makes you feel better about the purchase. It cost her $250.00……..

The camera revealed a collapsed sewer pipe……….a $10000.00 fix out of her pocket had she not caught it. Sellers had to install a new line:(

If you are buying a home have your lines “Televised” it could save you thousands of dollars

~Northeast Sewer & Drain Service