Sewer Inspection and Repair

Sewer Inspection and Repair

If your sewer line is clogged or damaged, it can cause serious problems for your home and property. Issues flushing your toilet, bad smells, and flooding in your yard can all occur unless you attend to the issue immediately. In this article, we’ll discuss different problems you may have with your sewer system, how to identify a damaged sewer system, and how to prevent future damage.

Sewer Mainline Damages

• Tree roots have invaded: tree roots often break their way into sewer lines in search of water. While tree roots may not sound strong enough to break through the pipes, trust us, they will slowly push their way in.
• Sewer line is clogged: clogs can be caused by improper drainage, tree roots, bellied sewer lines, or simply flushing the wrong things down the toilet.
• Bellied sewer line: A bellied (sagging) sewer line often occurs when loose soil around the line shifts. This can cause water to stand in the belly, which will slow the flow of water, capturing solid materials. These materials will eventually accumulate, causing a clog. A minor belly often causes few problems, but will usually worsen with time.
• Broken sewer pipe: Pipes can break for a variety of reasons, including tree roots, frozen ground, or shifting soil. If your pipe breaks, your sewage could drain very slowly, or worse, seep into your yard.
• Frozen sewer line: In extreme conditions sewer lines may freeze, creating an ice clog. This is a very serious problem, because water expands as if freezes, which can cause the pipes to burst.
• Backup: A clogged pipe or a damaged system, along with an excess of precipitation can cause sewer backup.

How to identify a sewer problem

In the case of sewer issues, there are a few telltale signs. The first, and most obvious is the terrible stench that could arise from your yard. You may also have standing water in your yard, making the problem much worse. If the problem has continued for a long time, you may notice that the grass above the sewer line displays a difference in thickness or color from the rest of the grass on the property.

Inside the house, you may notice a gurgling sound coming from your sinks. This can often be accompanied by an unpleasant smell. Finally, you will likely notice that water is not draining as quickly as it once did.

Sewer locating service

Sometimes, the sewer line is difficult to locate. Don’t worry, we’ll help find your sewer line and show you how to identify it in the future

Camera Inspections

Once you’ve realized that you may need your sewer system repaired, give us a call. We’ll start with a sewer camera inspection, running a camera into the sewer line to give us a visual of the damages. From there, we can decide the best course of action. A camera inspection can save time and money by preventing an unnecessary excavation.

Sewer Repair

In the case of a simple clog, a drain rodding machine can be used to clear the pipes of debris and tree roots. More severe clogs may require hydro-jetting, which utilizes a water jet system to blast the pipes clean.

Actual damages to the lines, however, will require more drastic measures, including relining, or replacing the sewer line. This can become very costly. That’s why we recommend:

Preventative Maintenance

• Always call Suburban Plumbing Experts at the first sign of a problem. A camera inspection and a simple rodding or hydro-jetting can save you quite a lot in the long run
• Be careful of what you flush. Paper towels, feminine products, and excessive amounts of toilet paper can result in clogs.
• Allow water to drip in extreme cold. It is much harder to freeze running water than stagnant water.
• Regular rodding may be required. Talk to your technician about the general state of your sewer line and how to best maintain it.

Emergency Sewer Service

Suburban Plumbing Experts is available 24/7. Even if you run into an issue in the middle of the night, you can give us a call. Remember, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will become. What could be fixed with a simple rodding tonight, might require a replacement tomorrow.