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Every home has a system of drain lines that tie together underneath the home, and every home has one large drain pipe that runs out of the house to the city sewer or septic system. This line is known as the Building Sewer, or Sewer Lateral, and it is extremely important for the functioning of the house’s plumbing system. These lines, like all plumbing drain lines, operate on gravity, using slope in the pipe to allow all of the wastewater to run away from the house and into the city sewer or septic. When these lines are functioning well, homeowners never really think about them. But when they have a problem, you know about it, and quick! If the building sewer gets clogged, sewage will build up and finally back up out of toilets, showers, tubs, or any other drain, causing property damage, health hazards, and serious emotional stress for anyone that has to deal with the situation.
Since sewer lines operate based on gravity, it is very important that the whole length of the pipe has the proper slope, away from the home or building. When a section of pipe does not have the proper slope, and is flat or even backgraded, it’s called a belly. This becomes a point in the sewer line that will hold water, as well as anything else that is put down the drains. Bellies are very common locations for clogs to build up and occur. They also contribute to rusting and deterioration of some kinds of sewer materials, causing serious problems over time. Bellies can cause sections of cast iron pipe to completely rust out along the bottom of the pipe, leading to major sewage leaks. They are caused by incorrectly installed or supported sewer pipes, or by settling of structures with time. If your line has a belly in it, you might want to consider preventative maintenance to keep it from clogging, such as regularly having the line hydrojetted. However, the permanent solution for a belly is to dig up and replace the incorrectly sloped section of pipe.
Sometimes joints in the sewer pipe can separate from one another, causing sewage leaks as well as providing a lip that catches anything that is flushed down the drain. Roots from trees or shrubs can then also find their way into the pipe, blocking the line. Again, this can lead to regular clogs and sewage leaks. These separated joints can be exposed and repaired. If the separation is under a location that would not be easy to dig up, these problems can also be fixed by pipe lining, a process that lines the inside of the pipe with a new, smooth, watertight surface.
If there is any area of a pipe that is not completely sealed, roots will find a way in. Plant roots are drawn to the water in plumbing pipes, and will find even small openings or gaps in the pipe. Once these roots start to grow into the pipe, they will fill more and more of the pipe diameter, causing clogs. These roots can be jetted or cut out of the lines, returning the pipe to it’s full diameter, but unless the problem of gaps or leaks in the pipe is corrected, the roots will keep returning. Sewer lines with serious root intrusion problems can be dug up and replaced, or if digging would be too disruptive to the property, they can be lined. Pipe lining is a trenchless technology that does not require digging up the pipe, allowing us to install a new, continuous, pipe-within-the-pipe. This process seals loose or leaking joints, preventing roots from getting into the pipe.
If there is any area of a pipe that is not completely sealed, roots will find a way in. Plant roots are drawn to the water in plumbing pipes, and will find even small openings or gaps in the pipe. Once these roots start to grow into the pipe, they will fill more and more of the pipe diameter, causing clogs. These roots can be jetted or cut out of the lines, returning the pipe to it’s full diameter, but unless the problem of gaps or leaks in the pipe is corrected, the roots will keep returning. Sewer lines with serious root intrusion problems can be dug up and replaced, or if digging would be too disruptive to the property, they can be lined. Pipe lining is a trenchless technology that does not require digging up the pipe, allowing us to install a new, continuous, pipe-within-the-pipe. This process seals loose or leaking joints, preventing roots from getting into the pipe.
We recommend that every homeowner or building owner get a Sewer Camera Inspection of their line to check for any issues. Just like every aspect of plumbing, it’s better to be able to plan for repairs or replacements, rather than desperately needing a fix once the problems show up. We also recommend that every homeowner makes sure that they have a two-way cleanout outside of their home to allow for maintenance and inspection of their sewer line. If you don’t have one, we can install one for you.
The most important step in any repair is a proper diagnosis. We use only the highest quality diagnostic and locating equipment to inspect sewer lines and identify problems. Not only can we identify issues in buried or concealed lines, but we can determine the exact location and depth as well. This saves a lot of time that other companies spend guessing at the problem and digging up pipes, not to mention repeated trips to clear drain lines with an underlying issues.
Sometimes the best solution to a drain issue is to dig up the line and fix the issue. This is common with broken or separated sections of pipe that are causing repeated clogs. We can use hand digging, excavators, or vacuum excavation to expose and repair the line.
When the line is shallow or easily accessed, we recommend excavation and repair. If the line is extremely deep, under expensive landscaping, or would be difficult or expensive to access, we usually recommend pipe lining or trenchless solutions to repair the pipe.
Sometimes sewer lines are so old or compromised that the entire thing needs to be dug up and replaced. Like any material, sewer lines fail over time. The joints break down and leak, allowing roots to enter the pipe, and breaks and holes in the pipe become more likely. All of these things cause repeated clogs. We can provide you with a quote to excavate and run a new sewer line from the house to the city main sewer, if that is necessary. In some circumstances, lining the pipe may be more economical or less of an inconvenience. We can provide comparison quotes for trenchless relining vs. open trench replacement.
Every home should have a cleanout on the building sewer leaving the building. This is an access point for cleaning and inspecting the line. Cleanouts are required by code, but many older buildings don’t have them. Cleanouts save homeowners time and money when drain problems occur, and help avoid severe sewage flooding inside homes. We can provide quotes to install a cleanout on your home if it doesn’t currently have one.
Don’t put off today what can become a bigger, more expensive issue for you down the road. Have our experts at Precision Sewer and Drains take a look and see if how we can help.
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