Along with the many benefits of home ownership come the responsibilities of home maintenance. The upkeep of a home is vital to maintaining the value of the property. Home maintenance covers a vast array of areas ranging from painting and upkeep of the physical structure to keeping electrical systems and plumbing up to par. Responsible homeowners will stay on top of any and all home repairs to avoid any problems that could escalate into bigger issues if not taken care of in a timely manner.
Part of a home’s plumbing system is a sewer line that runs from the house to the local municipality’s connection point. This point is usually located just off of the property line or may be under a sidewalk or street. The sewer line is buried a few feet underground and is part of the homeowner’s property meaning the homeowner is responsible for its maintenance as well. While most sewer lines are manufactured and installed with the expectation of lasting for the lifetime of the home, there can be issues with either the pipe itself or any of the adjoining junctures.
Unfortunately, maintaining underground piping is usually more reactive than proactive on the part of the homeowner since these are areas that aren’t readily seen. Over time, a sewer line can be damaged by either naturally eroding or by some other means of exterior interference such as digging. If the line becomes damaged, the homeowner may notice a raw sewage smell in the yard. They may also see standing pools of water or color variances in the lawn indicating excess fertilization from leaking sewage. It’s an issue that will need to be addressed by a professional plumber as the leaking sewage will create a toxic environment for both animals as well as people.
While sewer line repair is not on the radar of most homeowners, it can and does happen and, if not handled correctly, can cost several thousand dollars to repair. The cost of the repair will depend of the amount of damage as well as the recommended method of repair. A homeowner basically has two options when having the line repaired. The first option is to have the line dug out and possibly repaired in sections. Unfortunately, sometimes, it will be necessary to replace the entire line. The second option is to have a plumber perform a trench-less sewer line replacement. This method uses a machine to push a new sewer line into the ground while pushing the old line out at the same time. The trench-less option may cost a little more, but, it will be a lot less invasive with less digging needed saving the homeowner from additional landscaping repairs.
A qualified, highly-trained plumber will be able to pinpoint the exact cause of any problems with a homeowner’s plumbing. They have the necessary equipment to both assess the damage from the exterior above the ground as well as utilize a scoping camera to investigate the damage from the interior of the pipe. Plumbers are great resource to tap into when there are issues with your plumbing.