A home's sewer line is one of the more important parts of the plumbing system. This line is responsible for transporting the wastewater from the house, and as a result, problems with this part of the plumbing system can be especially troublesome. In particular, there are a few issues that are more common with this part of the home's plumbing system. Read this article to learn what those are and how to recognize them. 

Leaks

A leaking sewer line can be one of the more serious problems to experience. When a sewer line starts to leak, it can allow contaminated wastewater to seep into the soil around the property. This can create a serious health hazard for your family members and pets while also impacting the health of the plants on your property. In order to repair a leak, it will often be necessary to excavate some of the soil so that the pipe can be accessed. Depending on the size and location of the leak, it may be possible to repair it without replacing the entire sewer line, but this can only be determined after the leak is inspected.

Clogs

A clogged sewer line can be another major issue for a homeowner to experience. These clogs can form due to large materials entering the pipes, sticky residues forming along the interior of the pipe or roots intruding into the sewer line. It can often be difficult for a person to identify whether the clog is in the sewer line or another part of their plumbing system. A simple way of determining this will be to test the various drains in the home. If each drain is exhibiting signs of slowing or clogging, this is likely a problem with the main sewer line. However, if the issue is only isolated to a single drain or a few drains, it could be a more localized problem.

Sinking Pipe

A more rare problem for a sewer line to experience can be the pipe sinking into the ground. This may not seem like a major issue, but it can put tremendous stress on the pipe. Eventually, this stress can become severe enough to cause the pipe to rupture or split. This issue is more common for newly built homes or homes that have recently had their sewer lines replaced. Correcting this problem can be fairly tricky, as it will be necessary to excavate around the pipe to determine the reason that it is sinking into the ground. Once this cause is identified, it can be possible to reinforce the pipe so that this will no longer be a serious problem.

If you suspect your sewer line has one of these problems, contact local plumbing services to help fix it. 

Share