The average homeowner will have to deal with a major sewer line repair or total replacement once in their lifetime. However, broken or damaged sewer lines are not something most people are concerned with until warning signs begin to show. It can be difficult to determine a sewer line has been compromised unless homeowners notice one the following symptoms.
Symptoms of A Bad Sewer Line
- Strange Yard Spots
A broken sewer line could be allowing water to seep into the nearby soil, softening it with excess water. This can create soggy or warped areas in the lawn. Any indentations or weirdly wet areas could point to a broken sewer line. Another indication of a bad sewer line to look for in the lawn is extra green or lush patches of grass. Sewage can act as a fertilizer, giving the lawn extra nutrients to grow.
- Smells
Sewer line problems aren’t always visible, but they can be smelled easily. Any scent of sewer gas strong enough to be smelled inside the home, indicates a sewer line issue. Be on the lookout for a foul, musky odor.
- Clogs
A few plumbing clogs here and there are normal. However, if there are multiple or persistent clogs causing water to back up into the toilet, sink, shower, or bathtub, the issue could be deeper in the sewer lines. All drains lead to the main sewer line, so clogs in any drain in the home could indicate a problem with the main sewer line.
- Mold
If a sewer pipe behind the wall has cracked, it could increase humidity and create the perfect environment for mold to grow. If any mold is accompanied by the smells described above, there could be a cracked sewer pipe in the wall.
- Insect Infestation
Insects can easily get through sanitary sewer cracks and into the home. Insects such as cockroaches, palmetto bugs, and sewer flies in the home could signal there’s a main sewer line issue.
Causes of Main Sewer Line Damage
Knowing what can cause damage to the sewer line can help homeowners keep an eye out for potential problems. Some of the more common causes of sewer line damage include:
- Drain Blockages
This is probably the most common issue plumbers run into in terms of sewer line problems. If water is backing up into a certain drain, but the others drains are working just fine, it is likely the blockage is located in that specific drain pipe, making the plumbing problem much easier to resolve.
- Old Pipes
Old sewer pipes are eventually going to need replaced. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of when they need replaced until the pipes crack or collapse, leaking out into the yard. That can spell trouble, causing entire yards to be dug up to replace the main sewer line system.
- Tree Roots
Often, tree roots invade sewer lines, growing around and even through the pipes, creating a huge problem for homeowners. There are a few different ways to avoid tree roots from taking over the pipes.
Some sewer line issues can be repaired easily. Others will require the pipe to be completely replaced. Homes with older sewer pipes that have begun cracking and collapsing should go through a whole sewer line replacement. This can prevent further issues from developing due to old age.
When replacing sewer lines, there are a couple options. It can be done by digging a trench to access the sewer lines. This is often the less expensive option, but tears up a larger portion of the yard to get the job done.
Another option for sewer line replacement is with a trenchless replacement technique. This includes pipe lining and pipe bursting. Pipe lining is when a flexible tube coated in resin is blown or pulled into the damaged pipe and inflated. It hardens creating a pipe within a pipe. Pipe bursting is where a new pipe is pulled through a damaged one, fracturing the old pipe in the process.
Trenchless sewer line pipe replacement can cost a bit more, but leaves less damage to the yard. All Star Plumbing and Restoration can do both trenchless and regular sewer line repair and replacement depending on the state of the sewer lines. Contact All Star Plumbing if you are experiencing symptoms of a bad sewer line.