Four Warning Signs that Your Sewer Pipes are Breaking
If you’ve been experiencing more plumbing problems than you usually do, there might be a bigger issue lurking in and around your home. The pipes that comprise your sewage system aren’t made to last forever, and at some point, they’ll begin to corrode and break. There are a few warning signs that indicate weak and corroded pipes, and by keeping them in mind, homeowners can avoid the steep cost of restorative sewage line repairs.
Don’t hesitate to get your sewer pipes inspected if you suspect broken sewer pipes. A collapsed sewer line will cost much more to repair than proactive maintenance will. Keep these four signs in mind so you can identify your sewer line problem quickly and have it repaired.
[Related: When to Call for a Sewer System Inspection]
-
An Odor of Sewer Gas
Often, the clearest sign of a weak or broken sewage pipe is the smell of sewer gas in or around your home. Your sewer system should be airtight, which means you should never smell sewer odor in your home unless there’s a problem. So, if you smell a persistent foul odor, it’s time to call a plumber to figure out if there’s a cracked or broken sewer pipe allowing sewer gas into your home.
-
Clogs and Backups
If plumbing clogs and backups keep occurring in several areas of your home, that can be a sign that there’s a bigger problem with the system as a whole. When a line is clogged, backups will be isolated to one area. When a pipe is broken, backups and spilled sewage will occur in several areas of the house. If you keep having to unclog toilets and mop up toilet overflow, you should get your system inspected by your plumber.
[Related: Unclogging a Drain Yourself is a Bad Idea – Here’s Why]
-
Mold Growth
When mold growth is accompanied by sewer odor, you’re experiencing the effects of a break in your sewage lines. If you see wet spots on your walls, ceilings, or floor, you should assume that there are cracks in your sewer lines or water lines, both of which need to be inspected by a professional as soon as possible.
If left unchecked, the mold will grow rapidly, releasing spores that can cause severe allergic reactions. Not only can mold make your family members sick, but it can cause damage to your home’s structure because mold spores eat through organic materials. You’re going to want to quickly take care of a mold problem, especially if you smell a funky odor around the same spots as the mold growth.
Call your plumber to inspect your sewage and water systems to repair the cracked pipe.
-
Extra Lush and Green Patches in the Grass
If parts of your lawn are green and vibrant while the grass around them is brown and lifeless, that’s an obvious sign of a collapsed sewer line. Sewage is filled with nutrients and water that are excellent fertilizers, but toxins from the sewage can build up in the soil, posing a health risk to the members of your home.
If sewage is leaking from your main line into the surrounding soil, patches of your yard will look especially lush while the rest of the yard is brown. The good news is that the location of the leak is a bit easier to spot in this case since the surrounding area is affected. Call your plumber to repair the leak and inspect the area for other breaking spots.
Call Central Plumbing for Sewer Line Inspection and Repairs
Keep an eye out for these four signs that you might have a broken sewer pipe, and you can save yourself time and money on more extensive repairs later. Preventative inspection and routine maintenance should keep your sewage system functioning in a safe and sanitary way, but if you experience any of these signs, you should call the plumbers at Central Plumbing to take care of your problem right away.
We can perform a video inspection of your sewer lines and repair or replace any parts that need to be fixed. After 45 years of providing plumbing services to homeowners in and around Baton Rouge, our plumbers are trained to handle any problem you might have.
Call Central Plumbing at 225-925-8552 today for help from our expert plumbers.
