# Istanbul Sewer Cleaning

Source: https://cantleyvidanjoraltyapi.com/en/sewer-cleaning/

When Cantley carries out sewer cleaning, we flush your building's main waste line from start to finish with a high-pressure water jet. It strips away the sludge that has settled on the bottom of the pipe, the grease stuck to the inner wall and the roots that have worked in through the joints. This is different from clearing a single blockage. The aim is to restore the pipe's internal diameter before the line closes up completely, and to prevent the next overflow in the basement or at a shop's floor drain grate. A line that is flushed regularly cuts down, from the start, the cost and disruption caused by sudden blockages and by sewage backing up into the basement.

Building and site management, restaurants, cafés and multi-storey workplaces usually book this maintenance at set intervals, because sediment building up in a shared line affects every flat at the same time. We work 24/7 in all 39 districts of Istanbul. Our team comes to the address, opens the manhole covers, looks inside the line with a camera if needed, and explains the work to you before starting the cleaning. No tiles are broken and no walls are opened; the work is done through the manholes and cleanout access points. While we work, we take care to disturb the daily routine of the residents as little as possible.

## How do you know your line needs cleaning?

A sewer line rarely closes up overnight. As sediment builds up, the building gives small signs, and spotting them early is far easier than dealing with an overflow in the middle of the night.

### Ground-floor drains are slow

If everything looks normal on the upper floors but the washbasin, shower or floor drain on the entrance level swallows water slowly, the last section of the shared line may have narrowed. Waste water starts to hold back at the lowest point, so the ground floor is always the first to be affected.

### Smell in the basement or stairwell

A heavy smell rising around the manhole, in the corners of the car park or from basement floor drains points to rotting organic sediment and standing water, even a little of it. The smell comes back within a few days even after you ventilate. Very often the source of the smell is the line itself.

### Water is sitting under the manhole cover

If you lift the manhole cover and the water sits there instead of flowing, or you see a grey layer of grease on the sides of the channel, the outlet pipe has narrowed. On rainy days this level rises quickly and the risk of overflow grows. It is a clear sign that the line needs flushing.

### The grease trap in a restaurant kitchen fills quickly

If the grease trap fills up again soon after being emptied and the kitchen drains gurgle as they run, the grease has been carried further down the line and has hardened on the pipe wall. This layer does not melt with hot water and needs mechanical cleaning. Emptying the trap alone does not solve the problem.

### Repeated blockages near a tree

If the line runs through a garden or under trees at the edge of the pavement, roots enter through the joints and weave a fine mesh. If a blockage you cleared comes back at the same spot a few weeks later, roots are very likely the cause.

## Why does sediment build up in a sewer line?

The waste water that flows down into a building's line is not just water. Grease from the kitchen, detergent residue, food scraps and toilet paper settle on the bottom in the slowest-flowing parts of the pipe. On long horizontal runs, at bends and at junctions, the flow slows down and the settled sludge gets a little thicker every day. Over time the internal diameter of the pipe shrinks, and water that normally flows freely begins to fill the line at busy hours. This narrowing usually advances unnoticed, and the first sign is often an overflow.

In businesses such as restaurants, cafés and hotels, the main problem is grease. Grease that is liquid when hot sticks to the pipe wall and hardens once it reaches the cold part of the line, and new sediment then clings to it. If the grease trap is the wrong size or is not emptied regularly, this layer can narrow the line seriously within a few months. Hot water or chemical openers only push the grease a little further along and do not solve the problem. To strip grease from a line, the pipe wall has to be scraped with a water jet.

In older buildings, roots and sand come into play as well. The joints of concrete or old-type pipes loosen over time, and tree roots follow the moisture and reach in through these gaps. Sand, soil and leaves from garden and car park drains are also carried into the line. So in buildings with a shared line, having it cleaned regularly instead of waiting for a blockage is the smarter route, for the safety of both the flats and the basement. Cleaning early also stops roots from growing to the point where they crack the pipe.

## In what order do we do the cleaning?

Every building is laid out differently, so we begin by getting to know the line. These are the steps the team follows on site.

1. **Surveying the line and checking the manholes**: The team first locates the building's manholes and inspection chambers, the cleanout covers and the point where the line joins the main sewer. The covers are opened, and the water level and flow direction are checked. Cleaning done without knowing where the line runs from and to does no more than move sediment from one spot to another.
2. **A camera look first, when needed**: If there are repeated blockages, a suspicion of roots or a turn nobody knows about, a camera is sent into the line. The footage shows how thick the sediment is, where the roots are and whether the pipe is sound. The choice of nozzle and pressure is made by looking at this footage, which also keeps the risk of damaging the pipe to a minimum.
3. **Flushing with a high-pressure water jet**: A hose with a special nozzle is fed in from the lowest point of the line towards the sewer. The water, which sprays backwards, scrapes the grease and sludge off the pipe wall and carries it along the flow. If there are roots, cutting heads or a motorised drain snake come into play, and the cleaning is done section by section along the length of the line.
4. **Flow test and explaining the result**: After cleaning, plenty of water is run through the line and the flow is watched at the manholes. If needed, the camera is sent in again and the cleaned pipe is shown to you. Finally we explain plainly the condition of the line, any broken or collapsed section, and the maintenance interval that suits your building. We also leave a short note for the management.

## What can you do until the team arrives?

- Tell the flats and shops on the ground floor; if drains are backing up, they should not run the washing machine or dishwasher.
- In a restaurant kitchen, stop pouring greasy water down the drain, keep the grease trap lid closed and leave the area around it dry.
- If you have opened the manhole cover, have someone stay next to it; do not lean in or climb down, because sewer gas is dangerous.
- Do not pour chemical drain opener down the drain; chemicals that splash while the team works on the line can cause burns. If you have already poured some, be sure to tell us.
- If there are belongings in the basement, lift them off the floor, and if water is collecting near sockets, switch off the fuse for that area.

## Frequently asked questions

### How often should a sewer line be cleaned?

It depends on how the building is used, and there is no fixed schedule that suits everyone. In homes, sediment builds up slowly, so the maintenance interval can be longer; in restaurants and businesses with a busy kitchen, grease builds up much faster, so cleaning is needed more often. At the first cleaning we look at the condition of the line with a camera and work out together the interval that suits your building.

### Will the floor be broken for sewer cleaning?

No, the floor is not broken in a normal cleaning. The water jet and drain snakes are fed into the line through the manholes, inspection chambers and cleanout covers, and the work is done through these openings. Breaking only comes up when the camera shows a broken or collapsed section of pipe, and in that case we first show you the footage and explain the options.

### Can high-pressure water damage old pipes?

Used with the right nozzle and a suitable pressure, it does not damage a sound pipe. On lines we suspect are old or cracked, we look with the camera first and set the pressure according to the condition of the pipe. If the camera shows serious damage, we do not force the flushing; we first talk with you about how that section should be repaired.

### Who orders sewer cleaning in an apartment building?

For shared lines, this decision usually belongs to the building or site management, because the main line serves all the flats. The manager or caretaker calls us and arranges access to the manholes, and at the end of the job we explain the condition of the line to the management. A flat's own internal plumbing is the responsibility of that flat.

### Is emptying the grease trap in a restaurant not enough?

Emptying the grease trap regularly is very important, but it may not be enough on its own. Fine grease that gets past the trap sticks to the pipe wall further down the line and forms a layer, and emptying the trap does not reach that layer. So for businesses with a busy kitchen, we recommend flushing the outlet line with a water jet in addition to maintaining the trap.

### Can water be used in the building during sewer cleaning?

Clean water is not shut off, but we ask you to use the drains as little as possible while the work goes on. If plenty of water runs into the line, visibility and control are harder in the section the flushing head is moving through. It is especially important not to use ground-floor and basement drains, so that sediment that has been shifted does not come back to those floors. When the cleaning is finished, we test the line and open it for use.

## Have your line cleaned before it blocks

Calling before an overflow starts puts both the building and the neighbours at ease. Call 0212 923 66 85 or write to us on WhatsApp; we come to every district of Istanbul 24/7, look at the line and explain what needs to be done.

Phone: 0212 923 66 85 (tel:+902129236685)  
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/905315687185