Neglecting sewer line maintenance can cause sewage backup, blockage, and leaks. The worst is that exposure to sewer gases is highly hazardous to your health. That’s because sewage contains many disease-causing bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Then, how can you detect sewer line problems before they escalate?
First, regular maintenance is essential for early detection of sewer line problems. It becomes easy to fix issues with your sewer line when you identify them early enough before escalating.
Part of the importance of sewer repair and inspections in the early stages is saving on costs. Preventing sewer damage on a grand scale saves money. What’s more, it helps preserve the value of your property and prevents health and safety risks related to sewage exposure.
This guide will teach you how to identify sewer line problems, detect their presence, and what to do if the signs manifest.
Common Signs of Sewer Line Problems
Before a sewer line issue becomes a major problem, there are signs that most homeowners often overlook. The key to avoiding serious sewer line problems is addressing the signs as soon as they show. The commonest are as follows listed below.
1. Slow Draining Fixtures
Slow drainage in multiple fixtures highly indicates a sewer line issue. How so?
This is often the case with a main sewer line blockage. Normally, a localized clog affects only a single drain, such as the toilet, shower, or sink. On the other hand, a main sewer line blockage involves multiple slow-draining pipes.
Also, the difference between a clogged line and a problem with the sewer line could be identified in another manner involving the sound, smell, and sewer backup. Concerning the sound and foul smell, they originate from a single drain in localized sewer line clogs but from multiple drains in the main sewer line blockage.
As for the backup, gray water may back up into the tub, sink, or reservoir in localized clogs. Meanwhile, the signs of sewer backups for the main sewer line include sewer overflows into multiple fixtures.
2. Foul Odor
Sewer gas smells can signal a crack or blockage. But how?
Cracks in the sewer line allow sewer gas to escape and diffuse into your home, causing an unpleasant smell. The cracks, often resulting from pipe deterioration or damage, are worth considering when dealing with a gas leak sewer line.
Concerning blockages, they result in foul odor by forcing sewer gas back into your home. The other way blockages lead to a foul smell in the house is by encouraging waste buildup, which releases an unpleasant odor.
Overall, it’s advisable to consider regular sewer line inspections to resolve odor issues. They’re ideal for early sewer odor detection, as the inspection can help pinpoint the source of the foul smell and address it before it becomes too much.
3. Unexpected Lawn Patches
Have you seen wet patches in the yard near the sewer line? If so, it’s a sign of a sewer line leak. The patches show that the grass absorbs too much wastewater from the leaky underground pipe, making them outgrow the other lawn parts.
Sometimes, excessively growing lawn patches become smelly. However, professional inspections are important in detecting sewer line leaks. They also help to stop foul odor, improve safety, and prevent costly repairs.
4. Gurgling Sounds
Unusual sounds, especially gurgling noises, could indicate a blockage or sewer line venting problems. The gurgling could be due to a blockage stopping wastewater from draining. It could also be that the blockage is causing negative air pressure, where the vent’s inside pressure is lower than its outside pressure.
Here’s what to do when dealing with a gurgling drain hose:
- Listen carefully to ascertain that the gurgling is coming from the drain hose
- Call for expert services in sewer line venting problems if it’s a gurgling sound
5. Frequent Plumbing Backups
When the main sewer line is blocked or the pipes are old and sagging, untreated wastewater may back up and spew out of low-lying plumbing fixtures. So, you must be wary of frequent plumbing backups and involve an expert whenever you notice such signs.
Early expert intervention helps to identify and fix otherwise ‘hidden’ sewer line clog symptoms. In the long run, you can prevent persistent drain issues, ensure proper sanitation and water efficiency, and avoid costly repairs.
6. Foundation Cracks or Sinkholes
Have you identified signs of structural damage, such as cracks in the foundation or walls? How about sinkholes? There’s usually a close relationship between structural damage and underground sewer issues.
A sewer line collapse, possibly due to root intrusion, poor sewer line maintenance, or ground settlement, could damage the foundation and walls. You should also be wary of sinkholes from sewer leaks resulting from underground pipe erosion, misalignment, or breakage.
Call a sewer line repair expert if you notice any of these signs.
7. Increased Pest Activity
Damaged sewer lines can attract pests like rats, cockroaches, ants, and drain flies. Such sewer lines create damp surroundings that are favorable breeding grounds for pests. Waste accumulates in damaged sewer lines, which attracts pests. So, be wary of sewer damage pest signs.
Call an expert when you notice rodents near sewer lines. They could suggest a major problem with the sewer line that only a pro can fix. Professional plumbers use advanced cameras to detect even the most hidden pest activity from sewer leaks.
Methods Used to Detect Sewer Line Problems
Some sewer line issues are complex to establish, especially when the signs aren’t obvious. However, here are a few techniques that professionals recommend for troubleshooting drain and sewer line problems.
1. Visual Inspection
During a visual inspection, the plumbers gain access to the sewer line with a powerful flashlight to check for blockages and damages, among other things. While this could also be DIY, you will need familiarity with the sewer line architecture to access it. If not, you’ll have to leave it to sewer line experts.
2. Sewer Camera Inspection
Experts use advanced waterproof cameras to examine the sewer line’s interior during a sewer camera inspection. These cameras pinpoint cracks, root intrusions, blockages, and other causes of lateral sewer line problems. The experts analyze the footage and visual data to determine what’s exactly wrong with the sewer line.
3. Water Pressure Test
Also known as the hydrostatic pressure test, the water pressure test is another professional way of detecting sewer problems. Here, sewer line professionals fill a part of the sewer line with water and then measure the resulting water pressure. Usually, a drop in the water pressure suggests a leaky sewer line.
4. Dye Test
The dye test is a professional method of identifying sewer line vent problems using non-toxic fluorescent dye. Plumbers inject the dye into the sewer line and monitor its movement using fluorescent UV light. As the dye moves in the pipe, sewer line professionals can locate sources of leaks.
5. Smoke Test
The Smoke Test involves introducing smoke into a leaky sewer line to check for leaks. Experts can pinpoint the exact location of the cracks if smoke escapes the sewer line. However, the smoke should be odorless and harmless when carrying out this method yourself (DIY).
Unique Perspectives: What Homeowners Often Overlook
Most homeowners overlook some hidden sewer line issues, not realizing how damaging their effects can be in the long run. For example, tree root infiltration is a common cause of sewer line blockage, but few homeowners pay attention. Tree root sewer damage happens when giant trees are close to the sewer line.
Seasonal pipe shifts are another commonly overlooked sewer line issue, often due to foundation damage. You also have to consider unusual spikes in water bills, which suggest a hidden leak. The water meter could be running when the fixtures are turned off. So, if your water bill continues rising despite your water usage pattern not changing, the problem could be a leak.
Other overlooked sewer problems are shared in the table below.
| Overlooked Sewer Problem | Explanation |
| Soggy yard | Water pooling outdoors around the sewer line may suggest a leaky sewer line. Thus, have a sewer line expert inspect the sewer line for leaks. |
| Mold | Mold growth, especially on the walls and ceilings, could suggest a sewer line problem. The sewer line could be leaking and causing dampness, which encourages mold growth. |
| Recessed toilet bowl water level | If the water level in your toilet bowl is very low, it could suggest a possible leak that prevents the bowl from holding enough water. |
| Discolored or cracked walls | Sewer line leaks could also result in discoloration and cracking of the adjacent walls. |
| Lawn indentation | Sewage moisture displaces the soil, causing the top layer to sink. Signs of lawn indentation indicate a sewer line leak. |
| Sinking walkways or driveways | A sewer leak could result in sewage-saturated ground, which can cause walkways and driveways to start sinking. |
Next Steps: When to Call a Professional
While you can address minor blockages using simple tools like the drain snake and plunger, some drain and sewer line issues are best left to the pros. It’s essential to involve sewer line inspection services as early as possible to handle the problems in their prime and avoid unnecessary expensive repairs.
Here are some incidences when to call a professional for sewer issues right away:
- Persistent sewage backups
- Frequent drain blockages
- Unpleasant odor throughout the house
- Strange gurgling noises from the drains and toilet
- Increased rodent activity in the sewer line
- Soggy outdoors and patchy lawns
- Foundation and wall cracks
Talk to Next Level Plumbing for Expert Sewer Line Services
Next Level Plumbing specializes in emergency sewer repair, inspection, and maintenance services. We also offer plumbing diagnostic, sewer installation, and clean-up services. Our team employs advanced sewer line repair technology and relishes years of experience. Hence, you can count on us to address various sewer-related issues in the Bay Area.
FAQs
What causes sewer line blockages?
Notable causes of sewer clogs are foreign objects, especially wet wipes, sanitary napkins, and hair, being flushed down even though they are not considered flushable. Others include aging pipes, root intrusion, and excess grease in sewer lines. These issues could block the sewer line and lead to sewage backup, drainage issues, and a foul smell.
How can I prevent sewer line issues?
Most sewer line issues are preventable with regular maintenance. Top sewer line maintenance tips include regular cleaning and inspections. Also, sewer backups can be prevented by avoiding flushing ‘non-flushables’ such as thick toilet paper, hygienic products, and chemical cleaners. Additionally, be mindful of the trees.
How do professionals inspect sewer lines?
Professional plumbing services mostly use specialized video cameras to inspect sewer lines. These advanced cameras, attached to flexible rods, are introduced into the sewer line to obtain real-time footage. They enable the experts to check for cracks, clogs, root intrusion, and other issues.
Other than sewer line camera inspection, professional sewer line services employ the dye test, smoke test, and hydrostatic pressure test techniques. Like the camera method, these inspection techniques can help determine sources of leaks in the sewer line and take corrective actions.
What’s the cost of repairing a sewer line?
Sewer line repair mainly depends on the pipe material used. The average cost is between $1,340 and $5,000. The price is highest for cast iron and copper pipes and lowest for ABS and PVC. So, consider the latter category if you are looking for affordable sewer line fixes. Other determining factors include the plumbing distance, the project’s complexity, and the piping location.
Can I repair sewer lines myself?
Repairing a sewer line yourself is generally not advisable if you’ve no plumbing expertise because it is complex and dangerous. Some notable risks of DIY sewer repairs are hazardous conditions, including exposure to human waste and unsafe sewer gases like hydrogen sulfide and methane.
DIY sewer line repairs can cause unnecessary structural damage, costly repairs, and warranty-voiding issues. In contrast, professional sewer repair benefits are apparent. Professionals, for example, prevent damages, save money and time, and offer professional advice.
