You rely on your sewer to safely remove water waste out of your home and deliver it to the city's water treatment center or your septic tank. The drains throughout your home all connect to the main sewer line toward the edge of your property line. When something goes wrong with your sewer repair, it can create a nuisance and possibly unsanitary conditions. We introduce you to sewer repair to give you a basic understanding as you schedule for repair. 

Causes of Sewer Damage

Understanding the causes of most sewer damage can help you prevent the damage from getting worse under your watch. 

Causes of sewer damage include the following:

Drain clog: A clogged drain develops when large waste particles get stuck inside your sewer pipe, preventing proper water flow. Grease, oil, and fat make up a majority of sewer clogs, but the sticky grease deposits will also pick up hair, soap scum, and food waste.  

Tree roots: Trees have roots that serve the purpose of finding water when necessary. When your tree's roots determine that your pipe is the nearest source of water, the roots may infiltrate your pipe, breaking it along the way. 

Frozen pipes: When water freezes, it expands. It can expand so much that it creates an excessive force in the pipe, causing it to break or potentially burst. Even warm climates can experience frozen pipes if the weather uncharacteristically falls below freezing one day. 

Blunt trauma: Even new sewer pipes can get damaged if they experience blunt trauma in the form of a tree falling on the pipes or lightning striking the pipes.  

Age: As metal pipes get older, they naturally experience corrosion (rusting). As the corrosion gets worse, it will deteriorate the pipe material until it creates leaks. While not susceptible to corrosion, plastic pipes will start to deteriorate over time, too. 

Symptoms of Sewer Damage

How can you tell when you have sewer damage? 

Here are some of the symptoms to look for if you suspect sewer damage:

  • High utility bills
  • Slow drains throughout the house
  • Foul odors 
  • Soggy yard 
  • Drain flies

Get Sewer Repair 

Schedule a sewer repair at your earliest convenience if you notice one or more of the symptoms above. 

A professional plumbing service can provide drain cleaning services to resolve a clog. They can also use trenchless pipe repair to fix leaks and deteriorating pipe material. 

Many areas have regulations on who can perform repairs on sewer lines and may require a sewer repair permit. If the problem occurs past your property line, reach out to the city regarding fiscal responsibility for the repairs, as they may have to foot the bill, depending on the rules in your location.

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