The main sewer line to your home is an important connection that too many people tend to overlook. Letting a sewer line deteriorate can lead to thousands of dollars in damage to both the interior and exterior of your home. You can save a ton of money by making regular repairs, and sometimes even replacing the sewer line when you notice any of the warning signs mentioned in this post.
#1) Odors in the Home
Being able to smell the odors coming from the sewer either inside or outside your home is a major warning sign that something is wrong with the sewer line. The odor has permeated your property due to a crack in the sewer line. Property owners should never be able to smell the odors of the sewer system unless there is something wrong with the pipe.
#2) Blockages and Backups
Have you been dealing with blockages in any of your toilets recently? Has sewage backed up into the home? If you experienced a backup it likely happened in the lowest open drain in your home. The reason for the backup is that somewhere in the main sewer line there is something blocking the flow of the sewage.
Be sure to monitor how the blockage occurs. If only one drain is suffering from a blockage, it’s likely a problem with the drain. If all drains in the home have difficulty draining then it’s likely an issue with the main sewer line.
#3) Growth of Mold
Mold can grow anywhere in your home. If there is a break in your sewer pipe it can lead to the development of mold. There will be moisture coming from the broken pipe that leaks behind your walls. If the humidity level is above 55 percent you very well could have mold growing in your home.
#4) Slow Drain
A slow drain could be a sign of a more significant problem than just a simple clog in the toilet or the sink. There are times where you can clear out the clog and the water will drain properly. If cleaning out the drain does not help the water drain quicker, you could have a clog in the main sewer line.
Potential reasons for a clogged sewer line include a tree root in the line, cracks, channelling or other issues. Be sure not to pour drain cleaners into the pipes or else you could make the situation worse. As the chemicals sit in the pipes they can eat away at them, whether they are PVC or cast iron.
#5) Waste in the Yard
Even if your home is not connected to the city sewer system it will still have a main sewer line. The line will be connected to a septic tank or cesspool. This item is typically buried somewhere in your home’s yard.
If a pool of waste develops in the yard, you have a serious issue on your hands. There could be a crack in the sewer line, the septic tank could’ve failed, or there could be clogged drain fields.
#6) Cracks in the Foundation
One of the most severe signs of main sewer line issues is spotting cracks in the home’s foundation. A sewer line leak that goes undetected for a prolonged period can lead to cracks in the foundation and even a sinkhole in the yard.
#7 Sinking Pavers
If you have a walkway or patio that is made of pavers near your home you need to keep an eye on them constantly. If you notice the pavers starting to sink into the ground, you have a sewer line problem. The pavers that are sinking will appear lower than the ones around them. The pavers slowly sink into the ground due to the constant saturation from the sewage leaking from the main sewer line.
#8 Green and Lush Grass
There’s one thing to have a beautiful, green yard and then there’s having just one area with green and lush grass. When you find a post of the lawn that has the greenest grass, it’s possible that there is a sewer line problem. The sewage actually works as a fertilizer underneath the ground, which causes the patches of lush and green grass.
#9 Rodent, Rodents, Rodents
No one wants to hear this sign of a broken drain pipe because rodents are never welcome guests in the home. Rats and other rodents live in sewers and can easily access your home through a crack in one of the pipes.
#10) Infestation of Insects
Insects are another common sign of a sewer line issue. Insects such as sewer flies, cockroaches, and palmetto bugs can access your home through the crack in the sewer pipe. If you notice a lot of bugs in your home that a visit from the exterminator cannot fix, you might want to have the sewer line checked.
Have you noticed any of these signs in your home? If so, you very well could have a problem with your main sewer line. Don’t let these issues persist to the point of disrepair or thousands of dollars in damage being done to your home. Call an experienced plumber today to have the problem diagnosed.
