Sewer line leaks don’t always produce dramatic or obvious warning signs, at least not right away. It can pay to be a little more observant about any kind of change on your property that could indicate a major plumbing problem is brewing under the surface. There are a lot of different ways for pipes to get damaged or dislodged, so it’s hard to tell if you’ll need repairs or replacement until you get a professional inspection.

1. Bad Smells Around the Property

Any kind of sewer backup or leakage can produce noticeable foul smells at different places around the property. You may notice it more outside or inside the building depending on the location and volume of the leak. Catching an occasional whiff of something bad isn’t all that unusual depending on your location, so it’s easy to dismiss this warning sign as nothing. However, it’s time to seek help if the smell keeps coming back for days or weeks on end.

2. Wet Patches in the Lawn

Cracks or leaks along the sewer line can release enough liquid to saturate portions of the yard. This can make the ground mushy and muddy even when the rest of the yard is dry. It can also produce particularly lush growth in certain areas of the lawn if it goes on long enough. Unmitigated leaks are also known to attract rodents, insects, and other pests that you probably don’t want hanging around your property.

3. Dampness in Walls or Basement

If the sewer line is leaking inside the structure or near the foundation, then you might notice visible signs indoors as well. Be sure to investigate any kind of unexplained dampness or moisture in any part of the building. What you see could just be a fraction of what’s impacting the material in the floors or walls, so don’t wait to address a problem that could damage the structure or promote mold growth.

4. Backups and Drainage Failure

Leaks don’t necessarily cause backups or other problems for people using the plumbing system, but they can if the leakage is connected to an obstruction. A serious clog that gets far enough into the sewer line can put pressure on weaker pipes and cause them to break. Tree roots can also encroach from the outside, breaking through the pipe wall and clogging the inside. Any kind of general drainage failure throughout the building indicates a problem with the sewer line, which requires specialized tools to fix.

Make Sewer Leaks Disappear

Sewer line leaks are the last thing you want to deal with whether you are having a busy day or a lazy one. That’s why you should be ready to get help from the experts to diagnose and solve plumbing problems as they emerge. If you live in Indianapolis, IN, then call JW’s to schedule repairs for a leaking sewer line or learn more about our other professional plumbing solutions.