Sewer line care – inspection, cleaning, and repair – is not the most fun maintenance job to undertake in your home. Sewer line problems in the home are not only hard to detect, but even when the issues are known, finding the exact cause and location of the problems is not easy, says Stripe Management team.
Because of these difficulties and also because fixing a problematic sewer line is highly disruptive and costly, homeowners tend to push their sewer line issues to the back burner. The result of this simple but common error is that your sewer line problem becomes a sewer line emergency.
A sewer line emergency is when the sewer line problems in your home become so bad that they prevent the use of your home’s plumbing fixtures. Also, a sewer line emergency can damage your home and subject your family to the risk of waterborne diseases.
But the truth is most sewer line emergencies begin as small sewer line problems that are completely manageable. However, because those issues are not solved – either due to being overlooked or misdiagnosed – they get worse until, with time, they cause a huge problem in your home.
What are the possible impacts of neglected sewer line problems in your home?
Effects of unresolved sewer line problems on your home
- Chronic drain problems
A neglected sewer line will create drainage problems that refuse to go away. Your drains will be continuously low, and several drains may malfunction at the same time. Also, even if the clogged drains are cleared, the solution will not last because the problem will soon return.
- Indoor air quality issues
A clogged, blocked, or leaking sewer line will often emit foul-smelling sewer gases into your home. A leaking sewer line may also discharge raw sewage into the surrounding soil. These problems can impair your enjoyment of the house by compromising its indoor air quality.
- Overflows and backups
Overflowing drains are a common symptom of neglected sewer problems. The issues in the sewer line may eventually result in the sewer line backing up into the home. A sewer line backup is when the content of a sewer line travels backward until raw sewage is spilled into the house.
- Major health hazards
Harmful bacteria and viruses from the broken sewer line can enter the home, often via the water supply. A leaky sewer line will also create the right environment for mold to grow inside the house. Both these problems pose serious dangers to your family’s health.
- Risk of structural damage
A leaky sewer line may compromise your building’s structural integrity by damaging critical physical structures like the building’s foundation. In addition to causing sinkholes on your property, sewer line problems may damage your driveway, walkway, and landscaping.
- Pest infestation
Leaking sewer lines provide a rich and readily available source of water and nutrients to a host of pests. If the leak in the line is not detected and fixed at once, your home may turn into a haven for a variety of insects, rodents, and reptiles, some of which may be harmful to humans.
- Environmental damage
Soil and water pollution from leaking sewer lines regularly cause the death of wildlife. By discharging raw sewage into the soil, damaged sewer lines contaminate soil, groundwater, and nearby water bodies. This contaminated water may eventually find its way into homes.
- Higher maintenance costs
As the problems in a sewer line progress, the cost of fixing them also increases. This is because the damage to the sewer line and adjoining structures becomes more severe. Early detection of sewer line problems with prompt action can help you save money.
- Lower property value
Home buyers are wary of buying homes with long-term sewer line problems. If the foundation has been damaged by the sewer line problems, finding a buyer for the home is almost impossible. If there are interested buyers, they will price the home far below its market value.
How to prevent major problems in your sewer line
To keep your sewer line in top condition at all times, you need a sewer line maintenance plan with these three critical elements:
- Scheduled inspections
The sewer line must be camera inspected at preplanned intervals. Since sewer line problems do not always give prior warning before happening, this is the best way to stay abreast of the issues in the sewer line.
- Regular cleaning
Buildup is bound to happen inside your sewer line because of the debris-laden wastewater that passes through the line. The only way to stop debris from building up until it blocks the line is to have your sewer line cleaned professionally on a schedule.
- Prompt maintenance
The problems uncovered during sewer line inspection must be dealt with promptly and adequately. Delayed action is why sewer line problems transform into plumbing disasters. Another mistake is when shortcuts are used to solve problems.
The final piece of the puzzle when trying to ensure the optimal functioning of your home’s sewer system is a trusted plumber. The plumber you hire to work on your sewer line must be experienced. At the minimum, they must have up-to-date equipment to do the following, sewer camera inspections, sewer rodding, and hydro jetting services.