Knowing why sewer pipes clog and how to spot signs of trouble is the surest way to prevent unexpected sewer replacement. Most homeowners deal with a clogged toilet or stopped-up sink in their homes from time to time. This doesn’t mean you have a sewer problem. What you want to look out for is when you have multiple clogged drains clog at once.
When two or more drains back up, this tells you that water is having a hard time making it through the main pipe. Something is blocking the water’s progression through the pipe, and the wastewater has no choice but to move backward. Because all the drains in your home connect to the main sewer line, more than one drain will be affected when this happens.
Another sign of a sewer problem is when you drain one fixture, and other fixture gurgle or water bubbles up from them. At this point, your sewer problems might just be starting. Call a sewer specialist to investigate the problem further to get ahead of major backups.
Also, pay attention to your yard. Is the area near where the sewer line’s buried greener than the rest of your yard? Are there soggy spots in the yard? Does your yard smell like a sewer? These are clear signs that there’s a leak in the mainline that needs to be fixed right away.
Sewer pipes are made to last a long time. In theory, some pipes can last 50-75 years before they start causing problems. Homeowners often find themselves dealing with a sewer repair or replacement job long before the half a century mark because of problems, in and out of their control.
Residential sewer pipes are about 2-3 inches wide, and all the wastewater leaving your house has to move through this tiny space. If you flush dense paper products like paper towels or products that expand as they absorb water like tampons, you’ll end up with a clogged sewer pipe. The bigger the clog, the more pressure gets put on the pipe, and, eventually, it breaks. This is an example of sewer damage that’s preventable when you develop proper flushing habits.
Problems that aren’t always in your control are changing soil conditions that cause pipes to collapse and work against gravity. Also, if you have sewer pipes constructed from clay or cast-iron, they’re more likely to crack or corrode as they age.
If a sewer specialist says you need sewer replacement, you have a couple of options. The first option is a traditional sewer replacement. This is when sewer contractors remove the pipe using excavation equipment to create an open trench. A new pipe is laid in place and covered with dirt. Sometimes traditional sewer replacement is the only option depending on the configuration of the pipe system and the damage to the pipe.
The second option is a trenchless sewer replacement. Homeowners prefer this method because it requires no excavation, only two small access points to insert the equipment, and the job gets done within a day compared to several days for the traditional method. Trenchless sewer replacement is also called pipe bursting because it involves using a bursting head to break up the existing pipe and then lay the new pipe in place.
