When residential drains start running very slowly or stinky water starts pooling up outdoors over the sewer line or one of its cleanout ports, then it's very likely the main sewer line has become either clogged or damaged. While there are many household plumbing projects you can repair yourself after a bit of reading and watching videos online, a clogged sewer main is never one of them. Not only is the raw sewage harmful to your health, but an improperly repaired sewer main is a danger to your entire neighborhood and its clean water supply.
If your home's sewer line is broken or clogged, then you need a professional plumber to come out and inspect it. Typically, the plumber will put a special fiber-optic camera down the line and identify exactly what the issue is and give you options for fixing it.
There are four options for handling sewer line problems, and each is described below.
Option #1: Clean Out the Line with an Auger
Sewer lines tend to only clog after they have cracked or become otherwise damaged. However, if you are fortunate and all that's wrong is your sewer line is clogged, then your plumber will auger out the line with a special auger designed for large diameter pipes.
Option #2: Dig Out and Repair a Broken Pipe
If your sewer line has a small crack or area of damage caused by someone parking their car on top of the line, then the best way to repair it is to unearth the pipe and make a repair.
Option #3: Perform a Trenchless Repair
If there are a lot of tree roots growing into your home's sewer line, or it is just starting to degrade from age, then a trenchless repair is a fantastic option. As the name implies, a trenchless repair involves feeding a flexible liner pipe into the existing sewer line so you can get many more years of service without needing to completely dig up and replace the sewer line.
Option #4: Replace the Sewer Line
Lastly, if the sewer line for your home is made of clay and has significant damage, then it's always best to have it unearthed and replaced with brand new pipe. The pipes made today for this purpose are much better quality and a replaced sewer line will last for decades without clogging or needing any sort of maintenance or repair. For more information, contact a sewer line service such as Streamline Plumbing.
Share18 March 2019
Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Heather, and a few years ago, my partner and I got a very cheap property up in the mountains practically in the middle of nowhere. I knew we had to build, but there were many elements that I overlooked. I never even considered the idea that we wouldn't be connected to a town sewer system for example. However, I learned quickly as we built our septic tank. Through the process, I also researched a lot of alternatives to ensure we got the perfect septic system for our needs. If you are building on a new property and you don't have the option of sewer, this blog has everything you need to know about septic systems. I truly love to help others, and I hope these posts help you.
