Every year, sewer line problems cause billions of dollars’ worth of property damage in the city of Chicago and across the entire USA. These problems are mostly avoidable, says TG Property Management. Many of them happen as a result of homeowners’ failure to identify seemingly minor drainage issues in their homes.
The consequences of these omissions are:
- A broken sewer system that costs the homeowner thousands of dollars to fix
- Damage to the walls and floors of the home, plus the personal belongings inside it
- Loss of structural integrity in the building, leading to foundation failure
- Damage to the landscaping hurts the home’s curb appeal and resale value
- Damage to city sewer lines results in infrastructural damage and flooding
- Increase in the incidence of waterborne disease and respiratory problems among citizens
These problems often begin with just one careless act in someone’s kitchen or bathroom, leading to a cascade of problems in the home’s sewer line. Proper care of sewer lines not only ensures their function and longevity, but it also protects the systems and structures of a building.
Do you know the condition of your sewer line? Are you certain that the pipes are clog-free and operating with optimal flow? Do you know the steps to protect your sewer system and, by extension, preserve the structural integrity and market value of your home?
How sewer line problems affect your home
A clogged or damaged sewer line makes ordinary daily tasks harder or prevents them altogether. Slow-flushing toilets and sluggish drains transform shower times and dishwashing into a nightmare. Also, these problems can impact your building by causing problems like:
- Water damage
Water from a broken sewer line can seep into walls, flooring, insulation, and other components of the building. Structures that have been infiltrated by water will become weaker, lose their functionality and become substrates for mold growth.
- Structural damage
Undetected sewer line problems can leak water into the essential load-bearing structures of a building. Over time, these structures become progressively weaker if the problem is not solved.
- Foundation failure
This is often the result of water being directly discharged into the base of a building by a broken sewer line or the supporting soil underneath the home shifting because of soil erosion following the sewer line problems.
- Soil erosion
Water from a leaking sewer line can wash away the soil beneath buildings, walkways, driveways, and lawns. The unstable soil that results can cause uneven lawn surfaces, sewer line collapse, sinkholes, and a slew of other issues.
Why do these problems happen to begin with? The reason is simple: most homeowners are not aware of the true condition of their sewer line. Their plumbing maintenance program does not include a plan for scheduled inspections of their sewer line.
Why professional sewer line inspections matter
From the moment it is placed inside the ground, your sewer line begins to degrade through aging, natural wear & tear, and a host of natural stresses from the surrounding soil. As time passes, the sewer line will lose some of its structural integrity and efficiency.
Secondly, debris is constantly being deposited inside the sewer line, either as a result of people dumping the wrong items into their drains or because the design of the drainage system makes this process inevitable. Both of these problems lead to sewer line clogs and blockages.
Thirdly, tree roots and changes in the structure of the surrounding soil can affect the sewer line. Tree roots may exploit leaks and weaknesses in the pipes to penetrate the sewer line in turn requiring a sewer line repair. Unstable soil can undermine the line, causing sections of it to collapse.
These problems affect both the function and lifespan of the sewer line.
How can you prevent them?
Sewer camera inspection
This is the most cost-effective method for finding problems in a sewer. A specialized waterproof camera is inserted into the line to take high-quality images of the inside of the pipe channel, allowing for easy and accurate diagnosis of problems.
Sewer camera inspection makes the following possible:
- Precise diagnosis of problems: By giving professional plumbers the tools to see all aspects of a problem, this inspection removes the guesswork from the process of diagnosing sewer line problems.
- Early detection of problems: Sewer camera inspections help your plumber spot budding issues in your sewer line, allowing you to take quick action to fix the problems before they worsen.
- Effective planning of future works: By revealing the true state of your sewer line, sewer camera inspections give you the information you need to make plans for future sewer line repairs and upgrades.
- Massive and sustained cost savings: The above benefits help you save the money that would have gone into fixing water damage, structural failures, and other avoidable sewer line problems in your home.
- A robust preventive maintenance program: By inspecting the sewer line on a schedule, sewer camera inspection gives homeowners an edge in their fight against sewer line problems in their home.
Lastly, when selling or buying a home, a sewer camera inspection is an indispensable tool. By inspecting the sewer line, buyers defend themselves against sewer line problems that sellers don’t disclose. By inspecting their sewer line and making the results available to buyers, along with proof of repairs carried out, sellers build trust with potential buyers.