Top Signs of Damaged Sewer Line
It is not good advice to look the other way when it comes to plumbing or sewer. At the end of the day, hidden leaks do not only have the potential to cause significant property damage but run up your water bill as well.
Not to mention that they can also lead to dangerous health problems. Because of all these reasons, it would be wise to know how to identify and repair leaks, or any other potential problems you encounter as quickly as possible.
That especially applies when it comes to sewer pipes. Tubs, sinks, and toilets that are constantly backing up can cause the outbreak of dirty sewer water onto your floors. If not sure what to look for and what are the signs of a damaged sewer line, this article is for you
since it will be discussed just about that.
Cracks on the Walls
Houses or any other building for that matter can often develop cracks in the supporting walls and concrete slab as the ground shifts beneath them.
However, if your home is developing new cracks, the reason may be because you have a broken sewer line. As a result, the sewer line is washing away the soil that is supporting the foundation. In that case, the best solution would be to contact the plumber from your county. It is recommended to call your orange county plumbers or Hunterton county plumbers, depending on where you live of course, and seek assistance. Because, if the crack is caused by a leak, the situation will not improve over time by itself. The surrounding soil will continue to be washed away by more water until the foundation can no longer support the weight of the structure. The house may collapse which is an unwanted scenario, to say the least.
A detailed plumbing inspection can determine if you have a sewer line breakage.
The Smell
In case that you can smell sewer gas around, or in your home, this is a tell-tale sign that a crack has occurred somewhere in your sewer system. Simply said, you should never smell sewer odour unless there was an opening in your sanitary sewer lines.
Even if it can be easy to explain or sometimes ignore a strange odour that is coming out of your drains, these smells are often the easiest sign that you probably have a cracked drain pipe. If Plumbing is in proper working order, you should never get an odour from your drains.
A Broken Sewer Line
Backups, as well as clogs that are isolated to one area of your home and do not seem to affect the entire system, might be because of a clog in the pipe that services that fixture. In case that more than one drain is spilling sewage onto your floors you could be dealing with a broken sewer line.
A professional will be required if your efforts to fix and unclog the drains are not victorious. He will be able to inspect your sewer lines and see what would be the best action to take.
Slow Drain
A symptom that can give you a clue that the blockage is forming is a slow drain. Eventually, that can lead to a sewage backup as well. In case that your bath, toilet, or sink are draining very slowly, even after an attempt to clear the line, you might have issues like channelling cracks or tree root intrusion.
It would be wise to be careful, especially when it comes to using chemical drain cleaners to solve a slow drain. The chemical can eat away the pipe if it is made of iron or PVC.
Insects and Rodents
An unusual rise in insect or rodent activity can be a sign that something is wrong with the sewer line. Precisely, that it is broken. Rodents usually live in sewers and if the line is broken, they can easily squeeze through the smallest cracks into your home.
A similar situation can occur with insects. They can crawl through a cracked drainpipe and breed in the stagnant water. This will allow them to multiply very fast. There is no need to mention that both insects and rodents can cause health issues. For that reason, it would be best to deal with them.
If you have experienced any of these problems, there is a chance something is wrong with your sewer line. Of course, the occasional clogs can happen, although, ones that affect all of your drains can be due to a broken sewer line.
That being said, it is important to remember that this situation may take a professional to repair or replace. As soon as you determine the problem, seek the assistance of professionals, although, hopefully, you do not experience any of these “symptoms” at all.
