Preventive Main Line Cleaning in St. Louis Park: What 10 Years of Roots Looks Like
A St. Louis Park homeowner had his sewer line cleaned before winter after 10 years. The camera found roots in the clay joints and an offset worth watching.
A St. Louis Park homeowner called us this fall with no backup, no slow drains, and no emergency. His main sewer line hadn't been cleaned in 10 years, and he wanted it checked and cleaned before winter rather than find out the hard way in January. It was a smart call. Here is what we found, what we did, and what it means if your own line hasn't been looked at in a while.
Camera first, then decide
We started at the front main line cleanout in the basement. We removed the 3½-inch brass cleanout cover and ran a camera down the line with the homeowner watching. On a preventive visit, we don't assume the line needs work. The reason to look first is to find out.
His line runs 96 feet from the house to the city connection. The first 12 feet or so are cast iron, and then the pipe steps up from 4-inch cast iron to 6-inch clay tile. That cast iron to clay transition is common in older St. Louis Park homes, and it is one of the first places we look for trouble.
Ten years of roots in the clay joints
The camera showed root growth in many of the clay joints. Clay tile is laid in short sections, and every joint is an opening roots can work into. Nothing was blocked yet, and the house was draining fine, but roots don't stop growing. Over time they catch toilet paper and debris until the line backs up, and 10 years is plenty of time for that to get started.
What we did
We ran a root-cutting blade out 100 feet, through the connection at the city main, so the cleaning covered all of the clay. One to two passes removed the majority of the root growth. Then we ran the camera again and recorded the footage for our records. The result: the line is clean, draining well, and showing no leaks, backups, or other current issues.
One honest note about roots. A cable cuts them back to the pipe wall, but it doesn't remove the roots outside the pipe, so they will grow back. A clay line with a root history needs periodic cleaning, not a one-time fix. For a line like this one, we recommend a cleaning and camera check once a year, and the footage from this visit gives us a baseline to compare against next time.
The one spot we're watching: an offset at 62 feet
At 62 feet, the camera showed a significant offset, where one section of pipe has shifted out of line with the next, with a raised lip along the bottom of the pipe. Water gets past it fine. The concern is what else doesn't. A ledge on the floor of a sewer line is a natural catch point for toilet paper, wipes, and loose bits of root, and over time it can build into a backup, even in a line that was just cleaned.
There is nothing to fix today, because the line is draining well. But it is the first place we would check if a problem ever shows up, and it shapes how we maintain this line: regular cleanings, plus a camera check to see whether the offset is starting to hold debris. If it ever does, the fix is a spot repair or a liner at that section, and because the footage is recorded, we already know exactly where it is.
Know where your cleanouts are
Most homes have a main line cleanout in the basement, and many also have a cleanout at the base of the main stack, the large vertical drain pipe inside the house. In this home, the main stack is enclosed in a finished wall near the garage, with no access panel. As long as the basement cleanout is usable, that's fine. But if a problem ever turns up on the interior side of the system, that wall will have to be cut open to reach the stack cleanout.
That is worth knowing before an emergency, not during one. If you don't know where your cleanouts are, or yours are behind drywall, ask us to point them out on your next visit. An access panel is usually a much smaller job than opening a wall with water on the floor.
Why fall is the right time
Fall is a good time for a preventive cleaning in Minnesota. A backup in the middle of winter means a closed-up house and a cold basement cleanup. And if the camera does turn up something that needs a dig, it's much easier to schedule before the ground freezes.
Haven't had your line cleaned in a while?
If it's been years, especially on a clay line, a camera inspection is the quickest way to know where you stand. Our main sewer line cleaning is a flat rate, quoted before we start, with the camera included, so you see exactly what we see. If the line looks good, we'll tell you that too.
Own a home in St. Louis Park? Contact Lucky Dog Sewer & Drain to get your main line checked before the ground freezes.
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