High-Tech Sewer Cleaning

The beautiful trees in Cleveland’s eastside suburbs are hard at work underground destroying your sewer lines. Here’s how Sewer Cleaning Company can keep your drains flowing freely—starting with a free video drain inspection. 

When it comes to beautiful neighborhoods, nothing is more iconic than suburban streets of older, well maintained homes shaded by large, ancient oaks, elms, and maples. This describes many gorgeous neighborhoods on Cleveland’s Eastside. And while it’s a perfect picture postcard above ground, below the surface, something more sinister is going on.

The roots of these beautiful, old trees are growing, searching for water, which they often find—in your sewer lines. 

“Most homes built in the 20th century, from 1900 to 1970, feature terracotta pipes,” explains Anthony Peto, founder of Northeast Ohio’s Sewer Cleaning Company. “Unlike today’s PVC, terracotta sections are joined with gaskets that disintegrate over time, giving tree roots a wide-open door into your sewer lines and storm drains. This results in clogs that create sewage backups or, worse, complete collapse of your pipes.”

April Showers Bring Sewer Problems

With spring’s warmer soil and lengthening daylight hours, disingenuous trees are coming back to life with green buds above ground and merciless active roots below ground. “That’s why we see so many sewer backups in the spring,” Anthony says. “A backed-up sewer line is nasty business, but so are clogged storm drains.”

In addition to sewer lines, Anthony explains, homes feature storm lines, footer drains and drain tiles, a system designed to take water away from your foundation. These can crack or clog with debris, sending rainwater right into your basement. In fact, before you spend thousands on basement waterproofing, you can get peace of mind by spending just a few hundred with Sewer Cleaning Company.  “It might be a simple fix,” Anthony advises. “Plus, partially clogged drains that can handle the trickling of melting snow may not be able to handle thousands of gallons of April rains.”

Growing and Growing

When Anthony founded Sewer Cleaning Company, he started with one employee and a single truck. Now, less than three years later, the company has grown to seven employees and a fleet of trucks, outfitted with leading-edge, hydro-jet technology that can clear sewer lines efficiently and completely.

The growth, Anthony says, is due to referrals from hundreds of clients—that and the company’s core values of transparency and “doing what you say you’re going to do.” “If someone is having issues with their sewer, all they want is for someone to be straight with them,” Anthony explains. “They don’t want you guessing and they don’t want you doing work that is not required. That’s why we start almost every job with a videoscoping.”

For almost three years now, Sewer Cleaning Company has offered a free video sewer line inspection to Northeast Ohio homeowners, a service that has become extremely popular.

“Videoscoping is like a colonoscopy for your sewer line,” Anthony says. “It allows us—and the homeowner—to see exactly what the problem is so we can determine the best way to resolve it. Sometimes there’s a problem, sometimes there’s not. Sometimes there is an easy fix, sometimes it’s more complicated.  But knowing for certain what the underlying problem is means we don’t have to guess or perform unnecessary services.”

Advanced Water Jet Equipment

Although Sewer Cleaning Company utilizes traditional snakes and cutter heads, they specialize in clearing lines with today’s leading-edge, high-pressure water jets designed to tackle different types of clogs, including brand-new equipment added over the winter to increase capacity this spring. “When your toilet is gurgling, you don’t want to hear that you have to wait,” Anthony says. “That’s why we have increased our capacity. We want to be available when our clients need us.”

The company’s water jet system can completely clear up to an 8-inch commercial sanitary line, a small, 1.25-inch vanity drain line, and your storm lines.

“Our hydro-jet technology flushes the entire pipe clean and doesn’t leave a debris field like a traditional snake. Plus, older terracotta pipes were installed in two-foot sections without smooth joints, so things like baby wipes and feminine hygiene products—which should never be put in a toilet—can become trapped.” 

Regular Maintenance 

Sewer and drain lines are obviously hidden below ground, so many homeowners go with an “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy, but that can be a recipe for disaster. “Sewer lines, like almost every other part of your home, require regular maintenance,” Anthony says. “You don’t have to do it. You can wait until sewage backs up into your basement and you’re calling in a home restoration company and filing an insurance claim. But it’s far better to keep all your drains free flowing all the time. And with our free videoscoping, you can get peace of mind at no cost, especially if you live in an older home.”

What If It’s Too Late?

If tree roots have destroyed or collapsed your sewer line and it’s just too far gone, Sewer Cleaning Company can also handle the excavation to replace the line. They have all the equipment needed—Bobcats, excavators, even drones—to replace your old sewer line professionally. “Excavation is a last resort,” Anthony assures. “But if it has to be done, people are relieved that we have the experience, skill, and equipment to do it ourselves and do it right.”