Keeping your sewer line in good shape may be low on the home maintenance list. However, a failed sewer line can lead to catastrophic damage to your home. If you notice that you often have to plunge your toilet or that your drains regularly stink, it’s time to get your sewer line checked out.
What Damages a Sewer Line?
Sewer lines of the past were generally made of clay pipe. Depending on the age of your home, your sewer line may be buried quite deep between your home and the sewer main. Even a deep sewer line can be damaged by shifting soil and by tree roots.
The trouble with a sewer line failure is that it starts with a pin hole. A tiny hole can allow tree roots into the line. Once roots can get into your sewer line, they’ll expand the crack. They may also cause a clog where water can stand in the line and soften it over time, making it more susceptible to additional tree roots.
Proper Diagnosis Is Key
If you do need to get your sewer line snaked out, consider getting it checked out with a camera. Modern sewer professionals can send a camera down a problem sewer line and give you information on the exact cause and placement of the problem.
That camera diagnosis can give you a lot of information. If your sewer line has been invaded by tree roots, you can put a preventative treatment in place on a seasonal basis to at least limit that growth inside the sewer line. Once your sewer professional can confirm that the line itself is not failing, regular snaking and preventative treatment can help you plan ahead for an eventual replacement.
Your sewer professional can also help you confirm that there is not a problem where your line connects with the main. It’s possible that your sewer line is fine and that the main is the problem. Until you get it checked out fully, you won’t know.
Don’t Wait
A failed sewer line can be extremely destructive. If your line fails and backs up into your home, you’re dealing with a mess that can be incredibly destructive. If you have a basement, sewage may back up down there and damage items from your washing machine to your furnace.
As soon as you notice drainage problems, toilets that need regular plunging, or smelly drains, call in a professional. Don’t pour chemicals down your drains; these can scar up the plastic drainpipes in your home and lead to more “local” clogs. If you have poured chemicals down the drain, tell your plumber.
If your home in Indianapolis, IN is showing signs of sewer line problems, call in the professionals at JW’s Plumbing Services. Awareness of the problem is key; once you’re aware, you can make plans to correct the issue.
