There it is as you step out of the garage, a huge wet area in the middle of your yard. As a matter of fact, it looks like a pond.
Upon closer inspection, you see a sunken, soggy and smelly mess on your lawn. Now, you’re wondering how this happened and what you do about it. It’s every homeowner’s nightmare.
More than likely you’re experiencing a sewer line break. These lines can break just like any other plumbing in your house and can cause massive damage. Sewer leak detection isn’t easy without the proper equipment, and it can be difficult to locate the break.
That said, there are some of the signs of a broken sewer line, including:
- Foundation cracks
- Infestation of insects
- Sewer gas smell
- Backups and slow drains
- Discolored water
- Gurgling toilets
- Cracked walls
- Very green patches on your lawn
- Sewage on your lawn
NOTE: The best way to tell if you have a sewer line break is check your water pressure. If you don’t have enough pressure in your home, then more than likely there’s a break somewhere.
What Exactly is a Sewer Line?
A sewer line is a line that collects all the waste from your toilets, showers, sinks and anything else that drains and carries it out of your house and into the sewer.
This pipe is called the upper sewer lateral and runs from your foundation into your yard and to the end of your property line. The upper sewer lateral runs into the lower sewer lateral which is connected to the city sewer line.
When performing sewer leak detection, a professional will begin with the upper sewer lateral, or the sewer lines that start at your foundation, and continue on to the lower lateral sewer pipe to the city sewer.
What Causes a Sewer Line Leak?
There are a lot of reasons why a sewer line can break. It could be just as simple as old age, all the way to movement caused by earthquakes or construction, flushing debris or grease down the toilet or sink, misaligned connections, home improvement projects, trees or even just digging in your yard.
These brakes can cause damage because of the bacteria that’s in the sewer line. The smelly bacteria-filled water isn’t only a health hazard in and of itself, but it can also attract insects and rodents. Additionally, line breaks can cause driveway, sidewalk, patio, concrete, or foundation issues.
WARNING: Some of these issues could even be permanent and irreversible if the leak is left unrepaired.
Sewer Line Materials and Size
Breaks can also depend on the type of material your pipe is made from.
Homes built before the 1970s may have clay, cast iron, orangeburg, concrete, or plastic sewer pipes, according to The Spruce.
Homes that were built after the 1970s should not have metal, concrete, or clay piping but instead will have PVC or ABS pipe according to modern plumbing regulations and practices.
PVC pipe is the most commonly used piping for sewer lines due to their affordability, ease of installation, and resistance to cracking, breaks, rust, and lack of heavy metals (which means they’re safer for you and your family). ABS may also be used, and is economical, durable, and long-lasting.
The size of sewer line pipes depends on local plumbing codes. Most of the time a sewer line is 4 inches in diameter. While that may seem rather small to carry waste out of your house, it certainly isn’t.
Water pressure is an important part of waste elimination, and helps to push waste through sewer lines.
DID YOU KNOW? Your typical toilet drain pipe is 3 inches in diameter while your shower and bathtub are 2 inches in diameter.
Sewer Leak Detection and Fixes
So what does this all mean and what can you do about it?
First things first: Contact a professional for sewer leak detection.
Plumbers, such as the professionals at Murley Plumbing, can use specialized camera equipment to see what and where the problem is and advise you as to what the best course of action is.
The video camera equipment can record images of what the break looks like. The equipment can also tell you the physical location of the line and how deep it is. They’ll also be able to discover what broke your line or lines. This can help you to potentially eliminate the problem (such as tree roots burrowing into your system).
All of this information is extremely important so that the problem can be dealt with quickly. The sooner your sewer line break is fixed, the less likely you’ll see permanent or incredibly expensive damages.
After a professional has performed a sewer leak detection, the next step is repairing the sewer line or replacing it. A plumber will use a backhoe to dig up the area around the break. By digging a trench, the problem will be easier to repair.
While digging into the landscape is the most common means of repair or replacement, there’s also a way of repairing sewer line breaks without using a backhoe – the trenchless method. This is where a new pipe is pulled through the old pipe. By doing this, the old pipe brakes and allows the new pipe to be connected.
KEEP IN MIND: These two methods depend on where the break is and your property. Your plumbing professional will be able to advise you as to what is best.
Unclogging Sewer Lines
Other less obtrusive ways of dealing with a stopped up sewer line could be sewer snaking, pressure blow bags, and sewer jetting.
A snake is a long metal cable that has a spring at the end which looks like a drill bit. This comes with a handle and the handle is used to push the coil and drill bit into the pipe. The drill bit end is used to grab built-up debris, dirt, or whatever may be clogging the pipe.
There are 3 types of sewer cables or snake drains:
- Inner core
- Double wound
- No core
The inner core cable is heavier and more difficult to push through a pipe. A double wound is strong and light but needs a straight run. Finally, the no core is meant for small pipes.
There are also a couple other noninvasive ways of clearing a sewer line.
A pressure blue bag is a bag that’s inserted into the pipe and expanded with water. As the water expands the bag, the pressure increases. The pressure of the water build-up pushes the blockage through the pipe.
Sewer jetting uses high pressure water to push the clog through the pipe. These are great ways to clear the line but will not fix the damage.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to understand that broken pipes require a professional, or someone with extensive plumbing and repair knowledge. A DIY project can turn into an expensive one and may even lead to more unintentional damage.
Aside from repair, sewer line detection can also be impossible without the right equipment. Luckily, the professionals at Murley Plumbing have all of the necessary equipment to quickly find, repair, or replace broken or clogged sewer lines.
We’re here to help. Murley Plumbing employs licensed professionals using effective solutions for all your plumbing problems. We’re an industry leader in the Grayson and Collin County, Texas areas. Contact us for a job done right!
