Sewer systems help in draining the excess water from your home. They play an active and critical role in ensuring the hygiene and sanitation in your Haslet, TX home. Therefore, you should spare no effort in ensuring that the sewer lines are operational. This includes enlisting the help of a plumbing service provider for routine maintenance and inspections. One of the leading problems facing sewer lines is when they get broken.
Having a broken sewer line at your home can prove dangerous. Should you suspect that you are dealing with a broken sewer line, it might be time to have a sewer line repaired by a professional. However, you need a way to know that the sewer lines are broken. This means knowing the signs that point toward this problem. So, what are the main signs that a sewer line is broken?
Smelly Puddles in Your Yard
Have you recently noticed that there are pools of water in your yard? This is probably the clearest of signs that your sewer system is broken. Other issues might cause water pooling in your yard, including mainline cracks, broken septic tanks, or clogged drain fields. However, if the pool of water is throwing a rotten egg smell, that is most likely a sign that the sewer lines are broken. This is an issue that requires the immediate attention of an emergency plumbing service provider. Sewer wastes might bring about bacteria that might infect your family members.
Frequently Clogged Drains
If the drains are clogged, that could be a sign that there might be a blockage somewhere within the sewer line. Should this be the case, you might notice that multiple drains in the lowest parts will back up. But are normally blocked drains the same as sewer blockage? If not, what are the differences? If the drains are clogged, only one drain is affected.
However, when the sewer system is blocked, it affects multiple other drains and could bring your Haslet, TX home water use to a grinding halt because the wastewater will not have a place to flow. Hence, the issue is larger than just a single drain when you notice a backup after running down water via the sink, flushing the toilet, or using a bathtub. Because all the drains ultimately empty into a sewer line, failure in multiple drains points to the issue in the sewer line.
Are you experiencing frequent backups? Then the sewer line might be becoming too old or even prone to damage. You should contact a plumbing service provider for a drain cleaning service to remove the clog in the sewer line. Never use chemical drain cleaning products because they will only sit down in the drains and make them rust. They will kill the useful bacteria when they finally find their way into the septic tank. But what can cause the sewer line to become clogged?
Tree Roots
One of the main culprits in sewer clogs is tree roots. When the trees grow near the sewer line, it is natural for the roots to spread in search of moisture. The soil around the sewer line is cool and attracts the roots. When the roots grow strong and big, they can puncture and penetrate the sewer line. Fortunately, a plumbing service provider can send a plumber to install a root barrier to stop the roots from encroaching your sewer line. They also can reroute the pipes or recommend you cut any trees or shrubs growing close to the sewer line.
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG)
The other common causes of sewer drain clogs are grease, oils, and fats. Although they are in liquid form when they enter the sewer lines, FOG will eventually harden and lodge within the sewer line. When the FOG hardens within the drains, it traps other debris such as hair and forms a serious sewer blockage. The most effective method of dealing with this issue is not to pour the FOG into the drains. A regular drain cleaning service from a reputable plumbing service provider can also help deal with this problem. The plumber might also install a grease trap to hold the FOG and prevent it from entering the drains.
Foreign Objects
On most occasions, the foreign object is the leading cause of the main drainage clogs. Tampons, baby diapers, and other materials flushed into the drains will eventually clog up your drains. To avert this problem, the professionals recommend not flushing such materials and disposing of them otherwise. Otherwise, you will have to enlist a plumbing service provider for a drain cleaning service.
Weak or Old Sewer Lines
Whenever the sewer lines get aged, they easily collapse, crack, or break. This could lead to severe sewer issues. If the pipes are old, you should have a plumbing service provider send a team of plumbers to replace them. They might use trenchless methods such as pipe relining and sectional point repair that are environmentally friendly and don’t involve excavating the yard.
Mold Issues
When mold starts growing within your home, it becomes a serious concern due to the potential damages it might cause. Various things might cause mold. If sewer wastes cause mold, it will have a similar smell. If your Haslet, TX home has mold and a pungent smell, you most likely have a broken sewer line behind the floor, ceiling, or walls. Fortunately, a plumbing service provider can use antimicrobial foggers to clean the mold off your home and patch up the broken sewer line.
Sewer Smell
Even when mold hasn’t started growing in your home, the filthy smells emanating from the sewer lines are equally bad. The sewer system is designed to remain airtight. This means that under no circumstance should you ever smell the sewer gases. However, you might if it is broken. This should prompt you to immediately hire a plumbing service provider to inspect and repair the sewer line.
Lush Patches In Your Yard
Are parts of your lawn greener compared to the other sections? That might indicate something is wrong with your sewer system beneath. The sewer wastes are rich with nutrients that make the vegetation in your yard greener in some patches compared to others. This is also a clear sign that the drains or the sewer system is broken and requires the attention of a plumbing service provider.
The last thing you want is the sewer line malfunctioning as it affects a series of all other drainage systems at your Haslet, TX home. If the sewer line clogs, wastewater might start backing up your home. However, some issues only require a sewer line replacement. But what is the difference between replacing or repairing the sewer line? Understanding the difference between the two ensures that you can easily make a choice whenever faced with an issue.
Common Sewer Line Repair Methods
Below are some of the various sewer line repair methods that a plumbing service provider can use to fix the plumbing issue.
Cable Cleaning
This is a common remedy for general sewer line maintenance. It is ideal for straightforward repairs and routine maintenance. The plumber uses a spinning cable with blades that can cut through tree roots to clear drains. The cable can remove the sewer line clogs such as roots and other blockages. It also can be used to remove scale on the interior walls of the pipes to return them to the original diameter. This results in an increased wastewater flow and helps the drainage system start running smoothly.
Hydro-Jetting
The other sewer maintenance method that a plumbing service provider in Haslet, TX, might use is hydro-jetting. It uses a high-pressure water jet to cut through the tree roots and debris, wash away dirt, and remove the grease buildup. The strength of the water stream pushes the junk down the drains, clears, and cleans it. Hydro jetting is eco-friendly and uses a camera, allowing the professional to have a clear view of the happening in the interiors of the sewer line. The footage can also be used as evidence when making a reimbursement claim to the home insurance company.
Pipe Replacement
At times, the damage is great to the extent that the sewer pipes need to be replaced. Repairing the sewer line isn’t always enough. If the sewer piping has been destroyed by tree root intrusion or has collapsed after deterioration, replacing them is the only viable solution. Using an inspection camera, the plumbing service provider explores the interiors of the pipes to spot the affected areas.
The plumber then analyses the footage and knows the interior condition of the pipes and the kind of repairs needed. The plumber recommends a replacement plumbing service if the pipes have thoroughly deteriorated from corrosion. The plumber’s job is eased, meaning they can complete the repair or replacement within no time. Therefore, the damage caused by a punctured sewer line will not have time to cause significant damage.
What Are the Main Causes of Sewer System Damage?
Several things might cause damage to the sewer line in your Haslet, TX home. Understanding the main causes can help keep them inspecting and maintaining the sewer system. They include:
Tree Root Intrusion
As mentioned above, tree roots are among the leading causes of damage to your sewer lines. The tree roots spread far and wide in search of moisture and might grow too close to the sewer lines. Whenever the tree roots grow too close to the sewer lines, they entangle and wrap themselves around the sewer pipes. Ultimately, they might puncture the sewer pipes, weakening their structure and clogging them. Fortunately, you can have a plumbing service provider install root barriers to prevent the roots from growing too close to your sewer lines.
Corrosion of Pipes
Sewer lines are made from various pipes, mainly CPVC, cast, and steel galvanized iron. The galvanized metals protect the sewer pipes from corrosion caused by a buildup of calcium and magnesium. Allowing the sewer pipes to corrode for long without the attention of a professional can result in seriously bad plumbing issues down the line. It can make the sewer lines crack and leak, requiring you to have a plumbing service provider send someone a sewer line repair.
Clogged Pipes
The sewer lines might seem pretty robust but aren’t built to handle all kinds of wastes. Flushing things such as paper towels and food wrappers could have a detrimental impact on the health of the sewer lines. Unlike human wastes and toilet paper, some materials do not disintegrate in the presence of water. This results in the formation of clogs and congestion in the sewer line.
Unfortunately, some homeowners resort to using chemical drain cleaning products rather than having a plumbing service provider in Haslet, TX, offer a drain cleaning service. The use of chemical drain cleaning products will do more harm than good. They interfere with the septic tank ecosystem and might make the sewer pipes start to corrode, not to forget their impact on the environment. All this happens without a clear assurance that the products will clean your drains.
Additionally, practice proper plumbing hygiene even while in the kitchen. When you pour cooking oils into the drains or even cook something that produces lots of greases, such as bacon and pour it into the kitchen sink, that could result in a clog that would require a plumbing service provider to address. Rather than pour them into the drains, allow them to cool and safely dispose of them in the trash.
Extremely Cold Temperatures
Temperatures and weather have a damaging impact on the sewer pipes, depending on your location. Hence, you need to consider them it comes to sewer line maintenance. Extremely cold temperatures make the wastewater flowing in the sewer lines start freezing and expanding. As this solid water expands, it exerts pressure on the walls of the sewer line pipes, which could make them rapture or even burst. This will cause leaks and also prevent the sewer line from working efficiently.
Your Reliable Plumbing Professionals!
The drains are like tributaries that empty into the sewer lines. The entire drainage system is affected if the sewer system has an issue, such as a clog or is broken. Hence, you should spare no effort to ensure the sewer line is good. If you need a routine sewer line inspection and maintenance, don’t hesitate to call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth, your reliable plumbing service provider.