Near the town of Kusadasi, Turkey, lie the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. Its history dates back to 2000 B.C. Marble roads and solid granite columns abound. An elegant mosaic-covered sidewalk remains in tact. The shop of a spice vendor can be viewed just as it was when it was open for business 20 centuries before Christ walked the earth.

Even the "user-friendly" portion of a public bathroom remains fully in tact. Open trenches remain beneath solid stone benches (with strategically placed holes in them). Unlike folks today, Ephesians didn't have to worry about toilet paper clogging up their sewer system.

Now, 4,000 years later, when a sewer backs up, it still can cause problems. However, unlike the Ephesians, we have the "sewer auger," a snakelike tool made of ultramodern coiled spring steel that is designed to travel within a sewer pipe, in line and around corners, to dislodge obstructions.

The snake is inserted into the sewer line in one of two ways:

• Through an outlet adjacent to a fixture.
• Through a removable cap known as a cleanout (a flat cap with a hex nut in the center).

Either method is acceptable depending on where a clog exists. Sometimes the cleanout is best and other times removing a fixture (such as the toilet) or the fittings next to a fixture (such as the sink trap) can be better. It all depends on which access point is closer to the clog and easier to access. Always start cleaning closest to the point of the backup. Generally speaking if only one fixture is clogged it means that only the line near that fixture is blocked. Cleaning down line or at the main line when a "branch" (or secondary) line is clogged could prove to be an effort in futility, beginning to clean beyond the obstruction just doesn't work. Regardless of how you attempt to access a sewer line, there are some commonsense rules that should be followed to make your cleaning attempt a successful one.

Backed-up sewage can exist beyond (uphill from) the point you intend to access for cleaning. Before opening a cleanout, be sure to prepare for a flood of sewage. You'll need towels, buckets and maybe even some plastic sheeting. As for you, be careful not to be in harm's way when the cleanout cap is removed. Be uphill and to one side. If you can't be uphill, be on the other side of a trench or mote (dig one if you need to) that will help to keep you dry should there be a sufficient amount of sewage to flood your surroundings. And, you might want to wear a breathing mask. If the clog is on a second story, chances are good that a massive flood will occur if an attempt is made to access a lower level cleanout. Always try to dislodge a clog on an upper-floor from that level. After the clog has been dislodged, you can travel to a lower level to attempt a more complete removal of the debris causing it.

The teeth at the tip of the auger can tell you a story about what's causing the problem. For example: small shreds of roots can indicate that a tree root has found its way into your waste system. No matter what you do to eliminate this problem, you are destined for a replacement of the affected pipe. It's either that or having to deal with constant clogs and backups. Once a tree roots itself in your sewer, it's over.

Just as bad news is when the tip comes back covered with mud. This means your pipe probably has been crushed and there is a 95 percent chance that it will need replacement.

If a small auger doesn't do the job, a large power auger can be rented. However, take heed. A power auger in the hands of a novice can end up becoming a pipe-shredder. Be sure that you are relatively competent before undertaking this task.