reprinted courtesy of ServiceMagic.com
More Plumbing Tips
The main sewer line out of your
home is an extension of your main stack line inside the house.
It leaves near the foundation and connects up to the municipal
sewer line near the street or into a septic system. When water
backs up onto a basement floor, there is either a clog in the
sewer service line, floor drain line or drain trap. Your service
professional can do the work that will determine where the clog
is.
If the clog is located in the sewer service line, the plumber may use a hand auger to clean it out. If the auger meets solid resistance, it could mean that the line is clogged with tree roots. In that case a power auger is the tool used.
-- Tips courtesy of ServiceMagic.com