When it comes to your home plumbing, the old adage, “Out of sight, out of mind” isn’t really wise. However, a homeowner should always act quickly to hidden water leaks. It can increase your water bill and cause substantial property damage. They can also lead to hazardous health issues if left unattended. For all of these reasons, it’s important to find and fix leaks as soon as possible, particularly when it comes to sewer lines.
Toilets, tubs, and sinks that keep backing up and spewing nasty sewer water on bathroom floors have got to stop. Chances are, the problem could be more than a clogged sewer line. A damaged drain pipe in your home or yard may expose your home to many plumbing issues. After all, a broken sewage line exposes itself to several obvious indicators. Knowing what to look for is the first step in identifying the problem.
What To Do If there are Odors Coming Into the Yard Or Home?
While it’s easy to dismiss or rationalize why a weird odor emanates from your drain lines, the odors are frequently the most obvious symptom of a fractured drain pipe. Of course, whenever your home’s plumbing is in good operating order, you’ll never have any odor coming from your drain lines. But, if you do, you’ll need to investigate more to determine what’s causing the toxic sewage gas entering your yard or home.
Why Are My Drains Moving So Slowly?
While a clogged drain might attach itself to a specific drain pipe, such as your toilet, sink, shower, or tub, causing it to drain slowly, it’s only when more than one plumbing fixture is backing up at the same time that your sewer line could be the culprit. In such cases, the problem could be associated with a cracked or broken sewage line that has separated due to age or ground movement. In some cases, it could be an invasion of tree roots. Whatever the case, the sewer line will need replacing or repairing.
One Clogged Sewer Line Will Not Create A Problem For The Entire Home
One backed-up pipe will not affect your home’s entire plumbing system, only the fixture it’s attached to. However, if more than one drain is clogged and sewage is spilling onto your flooring, you may be witnessing the apparent signs of a ruptured or clogged main sewer line. Suppose you are unable to unclog your drains. In that case, a professional drain cleaning expert may be necessary to complete a camera inspection to identify the best course of action to have your sewer lines running freely.
A Broken Sewage Line Provides Nutrients To Your Lawn
As strange as it might sound, lush green places in your yard that thrive while everything else around it seems much lighter is a telltale symptom of a burst sewer line. The sewage in your sewer lines provides nutrients while acting as a wonderful fertilizer, but needless to say, this is no good way of fertilizing your lawn. Toxins accumulate in the soil over time and leach to the surface, creating a foul odor and possibly a health risk.
Watch For A Wet Soggy, Lush Area In Your Yard
Along with the smell of sewage, other hazards can result from a broken sewer line. For example, if left unchecked, it can result in the formation of a sinkhole surrounding the break, rendering this part of your yard unusable until sewer line repairs get completed. Additionally, Insects and rodents are attracted to the swamp-type conditions, and they may make their way into nearby homes and businesses, posing a health threat.
Deal With The Sewer Line Rapidly
An extraordinary rise in bug and rodent activity could also indicate a broken sewer line. Rodents live in sewers and can squeeze through even the smallest holes to get access to your home. Insects can wiggle through a cracked drainpipe and reproduce in stagnant water, allowing them to multiply quickly. Both rats and insects can cause health problems, so they must be dealt with rapidly in addition to the sewer line breakage.
Mold Will Cause Health Issues And Is Destructive To Your Home
Wet stains on your walls, ceilings, or floors are a sign of a broken sewer line or possibly fractured water pipe in the plumbing system. Sewer water penetrating your home, even in a minor way, will produce mold if left unchecked. Mold has been well documented to cause serious allergic reactions. It also tends to devour organic construction materials that will eventually cause harm to your home’s interior, exterior, or foundation.
Wall Cracks and Broken Slabs Are Another Sign Of A Broken Sewer Line
As buildings settle, it’s not uncommon for minor cracks to occur from the shifting earth beneath the foundation below. However, if you experience a broken sewer line, cracks can also appear in the concrete walkways and supporting walls. If your home is forming new cracks, a broken sewer line may be washing the soil away that supports the foundation. The condition will not improve and will only worsen over time. A water leak of any kind beneath the foundation of your structure is washing away the support to any slab. A leak coming from a freshwater or sewer line could wash away the needed soil supporting the foundation if not corrected quickly. A comprehensive inspection will reveal the type of repairs needed.
So You’ve Got A Sewer Pipe That’s Broken. What’s next?
If you have ever experienced any one of the issues mentioned regarding your property’s sewer system, you’ll need the assistance of a professional plumbing expert. Clogs resulting in slow-moving sewer lines are caused by a broken or severely clogged sewer drain. At Big B’s Plumbing, we employ the latest sewer pipe inspection equipment to diagnose the problem quickly. In addition, our state-of-the-art sewer line repair equipment will also give us a step up on the competition.
We specialize in trenchless sewer repairs by using the latest technologies at Big B’s Plumbing, and we have the equipment to diagnose and solve your problem promptly. Many of our repairs get completed in a single day. In addition, unlike traditional cracked sewer pipe repair and replacement methods, we can do the work while leaving your lawn, landscaping, driveway, and walkways in place. So get in touch with us today and get your home back on track.
Thank you for explaining that cracks in the walls can indicate a problem with your sewer line. I wouldn’t have thought to make that correlation on my own. I’ll have to keep an eye out for this, especially after hearing my neighbor had problems with their sewer line.