How To Repair A Cracked Clay Cesspool Lateral Line

A sewer line backup or leak tin can be frustrating to deal with as a homeowner. Along with the unpleasant smell and messy cleanup of a compromised sewer pipage, information technology can exist difficult to pinpoint the root crusade of your sewage trouble.

To assist prevent sewer line impairment or mitigate an effect when information technology arises, it's important to know how to spot the main causes of sewer line damage. Here are the common causes of a damaged sewer line, signs to expect for, and how you tin repair or replace your sewer system.

Causes of Sewer Line Damage

From clogged pipes to normal wear and tear, here are a few causes of sewer line damage.

Tree Roots

One of the most common causes of sewer line damage is tree roots. A tree's roots follow sources of water every bit they grow. Since sewer lines comport liquid waste, roots are naturally attracted to the source—especially when there is already a small-scale leak in the piping.

One time in contact with a sewer piping, tree roots begin to wrap around and pause into pipes, clogging, weakening, and fifty-fifty breaking the structure. Clay sewer pipes, typically found in older homes, are the most susceptible to impairment from tree roots.

Corroded Pipes

Although pipes made of steel and cast fe are galvanized to prevent rusting, these pipes are at a loftier risk of corroding due to calcium and magnesium build-upwards from regular wear and tear. If corrosion is left untreated, it can get out the pipe susceptible to leaks and cracks.

Clogged Pipes Due to Debris and Strange Objects

Your home'due south sewage lines are merely equipped to handle man waste and toilet paper. Avert flushing trash like wrappers and paper towels, as they're unable to properly disintegrate and can crusade blockages that drain cleaning agents can't set. In the kitchen, cooking oil and grease tin too clog pipes if they're poured into the sink. Pour these liquids into a container, let them absurd, and and then dispose of them in a trash tin.

Read More: How to Clear a Clogged Drain

Farthermost Temperatures

During extreme temperature and common cold weather, frozen pipes tin can bust as a result of the expanding water ice. However, it'south non but cold weather that can crusade pipes to rupture—though unlikely, extreme rut can burst pipes, too.

Signs of Sewer Line Harm

To prevent further impairment, information technology'southward important to know the signs of a damaged sewer arrangement so that you tin can have immediate activity and contact an experienced service technician.

Flooded or Foul-Smelling Yard

A yard that's flooded can be a sign of a broken sewer pipage. Sewer lines can be buried anywhere betwixt a couple of feet to vi feet below the ground, with colder climates calling for deeper pipes. For sewer lines shut to the surface, a broken pipe can chop-chop begin to pool water which seeps through the grass and becomes visible on the surface. You may exist able to smell the sewage before information technology surfaces, equally sewage gas can seep through your yard's soil.

Draining Difficulties

While some blockages are caused by a pipe leading direct from a faucet or shower, you lot can discover a blockage in the main sewage line if multiple draining areas in the dwelling house are clogging. Toilets tin can warn of severe blockages if strange gurgling sounds occur when air gets pushed back upwardly the line.

H2o Harm in the Home

H2o impairment can occur if a drain line leaks or breaks in the dwelling house. I of the first signs is mold spreading on the floors or walls. This could point to a broken sewer line within the home, in which instance you should call a plumbing service immediately.

Sewer Line Repair and Replacement

If your sewer line springs a leak or breaks and needs to be repaired, you have 2 options: Dig a trench effectually the sewer pipage or use trenchless sewer line repairs. A trenchless sewer repair is time and cost-effective while requiring footling to no digging. To first the procedure, technicians use a video photographic camera to enter into the sewer line and recommend repairs. So, ane of 2 plumbing repairs is commonly recommended:

i. Pipe lining—If the harm to your sewage pipe is minimal, piping lining can exist used to insert an inflatable tube covered in epoxy into your sewer line. From there, the tube is inflated, pressing against the existing line. While it's upward against the existing sewage line, the epoxy cures and hardens, repairing the leak. The inflatable tube can then be removed and the sewer line repaired.

2. Piping bursting—When a sewer line is too damaged to utilize the pipage lining technique, a more invasive trenchless repair can exist performed. Technicians feed a cone-shaped scrap through your existing line and destroy the piping while immediately replacing it with a new i. This process is more expensive and less time-constructive, but information technology doesn't require extensive excavation.

If your pipes are damaged across repair, you may have to resort to traditional sewer line replacement methods. This is an extremely invasive and plush method that requires technicians to dig upwardly your k to reveal the damaged or broken lines. Notwithstanding, digging is necessary if your dwelling's sewage system has extensive impairment.

How to Protect Your Sewer Lines

Although not all sewer line harm is preventable, here are three steps y'all tin can accept to care for your sewage system:

one. Receive sewer line inspections once a year—To confirm that your sewage system is in good working condition, hire a professional to acquit an inspection at least once a year. Some plumbing companies offer a photographic camera inspection and so that the inside of your sewer pipe tin can be checked for corrosion or blockages.

2. Remove copse that are damaging the sewer line—Although a root invasion in your sewer line is oftentimes acquired by an already-existing cleft or leak in the pipe, we still recommend removing the tree from the expanse after repairing or replacing the pipe to ensure the problem doesn't ascend over again in the hereafter.

3. Use your sewage system properly—Call back to but dispose of human waste and toilet newspaper in the sewer lines; any other materials that enter the system can crusade blockages.

Sewer Line Repair FAQ

How long will a sewer line final?

The life of your sewer line depends on your pipe'due south cloth. Cast iron pipes terminal between 75–100 years, clay and cement pipes can last up to 100 years, orangeburg pipes last around fifty years, and PVC pipes can last over 100 years.

Does homeowners insurance cover sewer line damage?

Unless your sewer line was damaged by some other political party, it's unlikely that homeowner's insurance will cover the damages. Fortunately, many dwelling house warranty companies requite yous the ability to protect your sewer lines through septic system coverage.

How long does trenchless sewer line repair last?

Trenchless sewer repairs like piping bursting and piping lining are minimally invasive sewer pipe repairs that are known for their longevity. The amount of time the repair lasts depends on your piping's material and method used; however, about trenchless sewer line repairs last up to 50 years.

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