Plumbing clogs are common, and they can usually be cleared with plunging. In more serious cases, you might need to call a plumber to snake the line. However, at some point, the problems with your home's sewer line might involve leaks rather than clogs. Then you'll need to talk to your septic professional about the need for sewer line repairs. Here are some things that can damage a sewer line and ways repairs can be done.
What Causes Sewer Line Damage
Old age of the pipes can be one reason a sewer line starts leaking. Old metal pipes can rust and develop holes. Sewer lines have been made of different materials over the years, and different materials are damaged in different ways.
Clay pipes can be cracked when they fill with tree roots that apply pressure on the sides of the pipe. Sewer pipes might also crack when the earth shifts due to an earthquake or when soil shifts under the pipe. You might also accidentally bust the sewer line open if you dig in your yard and hit the pipe with a shovel or hoe.
Sewer Line Repair Options To Consider
When a sewer line develops a hole, cracks, or collapses, repairs have to be done or sewage leaks out of the pipe. This could cause sewage to collect in your yard and fill your property with foul odors.
You'll probably want repair work done right away, but first, the contractor needs to understand what happened to the pipe and how bad the damage is. The contractor may do a video inspection of your sewer line to get an idea of what happened to your pipe.
If the pipe is in bad shape due to old age and rusty spots, then the entire pipe has to be fixed. This might entail digging up the old pipe and putting in a new plastic pipe. Septic services might also suggest putting a liner in the old pipe that seals the pipe from the inside so it doesn't leak anymore. Then the old pipe doesn't have to be dug up.
If just part of the pipe is bad, the contractor might repair it by patching the bad part. A partial liner can be put inside the pipe to create a seal and patch, or the contractor can remove soil from the damaged area and patch the pipe from the outside.
A benefit of a sewer camera inspection is that the camera will locate the exact spot of a damaged pipe so the sewer repair professional knows where to start digging from above to make repairs.
