Sewer lines serve a crucial function in your home. Sewer line pipes carry wastewater and sewage to a municipal sewer system from your home. Therefore, sewer line problems are never a pleasant experience.
A sewer line problem can result in severe damage to your plumbing and pose a health hazard.
Tree roots, grease, and debris can accumulate in the sewer lines and damage them. Unfortunately, sewer line problems are not easy to detect. In most cases, an obvious problem won’t present itself until it has become serious, costing you more for the repairs.
The key to avoiding costly repairs is knowing what to look for early. Read on to discover some warning signs of a sewer line problem you should look out for.
1. Lush Green Lawn
One of the first warning signs you may have a problem with your sewer line is a lush green lawn area in your yard. A lush green lawn is a nice feature for any property, but if you have a lush lawn in one spot in the yard developing quickly, it could indicate a break or partial blockage in the line.
When a sewer line bursts, it can cause a leak that might be responsible for the unusually green area you can’t explain. A sewer line is especially responsible if you do not have sprinkler systems or leaky hoses around the lush area.
As wastewater leaks out of the pipe, it releases nutrients and moisture into the ground. The nutrients and moisture create the ideal environment for grass to grow.
2. Slow Draining Sink
Usually, debris build-up inside the drain causes a sink to drain slowly. However, if the slow drainage occurs with multiple sinks, it could mean a complete blockage somewhere in your main sewer line.
When the sewer line backs up, it blocks all the drains in your home, interfering with the water drainage. In extreme cases, the drains don’t only slow down but reverse altogether, so sewage comes back up through the drain lines and into your home.
3. Sewage Smell in the House
An unpleasant odor coming from drains is sometimes an indication of sewage backing up and escaping into your home. Sewer smells in the house manifest as burning sulfur, rotten eggs, skunk smell, or just plain old sewage.
Sewer gases could pose a health hazard as their primary components include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane, which are toxic. The sewage backup could also cause bacteria or mold to grow throughout your home, so you need to call a professional right away.
4. Sudden Change in Your Water Bill
If you have seen a sudden increase in your water bill but haven’t changed anything that would affect your water use, you may have a sewer line leak.
If you have a leak somewhere within the line, water will constantly run through it, causing your utility bill to escalate. Sometimes, sewer line leaks can take some time to show up on your bill.
5. Gurgling Noises From Your Toilet
Gurgling noises coming from your toilet indicate it’s unable to drain properly.
The gurgling sound occurs when the air in the sewer line can’t escape as water flows down the drain. The air mixes with water, and the pressure fluctuations in the system force out the water trap in the drain resulting in the noise. Gurgling toilets can happen when a clog in the pipe prevents wastewater from flowing freely through it.
Maintenance is key to ensuring sewer line problems don’t occur as frequently or become as severe as possible. You can take steps to minimize the chances of a sewer line issue by scheduling inspections regularly and scheduling clean-out services if necessary. A sewer line problem can be costly if you don’t take the right prevention measures.
If you notice any warning signs above, contact a professional to inspect your sewer line. The longer you wait, the more damage the sewer line issues could do to your plumbing. Give First Class Plumbing, LLC a call for expert sewer line and plumbing repairs.