If you don’t want to have your Evanston plumber on speed dial, you should take care of your plumbing. But most locals don’t realize what it takes to care for their plumbing properly. They overlook some of the most essential plumbing tasks, like sewer repair and sewer cleaning. Learn more about why you should be diligent about cleaning your sewer line and quick about getting repairs.
What Happens When You Don’t Care for Your Sewer Line?
To understand the importance of caring for your sewer line, you need to know the consequences of leaving a clog or leak in your line. Like the rest of your plumbing, your sewer line is an essential part of your home. It connects to your toilet and drains to transport waste water and waste into the main sewer system, which is often owned by the city or county. If you have a septic system, your sewer line takes the waste to your septic tank.
Whichever type of system you have, you should be sure to keep it in prime condition. Your sewer line is probably made of copper, PVC, or ABS. Although these materials are durable, they won’t last forever. Over time, the material could deteriorate. Settling earth and storms could have an impact on your sewer line and eventually result in a leak or break.
The other issue is clogging. When you flush foreign objects down the toilet or put food down the kitchen drain, you cause problems for your sewer line. Small blockages form and eventually become large blockages. If you don’t clean out your pipes, the blockages could keep water from flowing.
The Issues Caused by Broken or Clogged Sewer Lines
Here’s a closer look at what happens when you have a sewer line blockage or break. The stakes are high, as any of the following can occur:
Home Damage
When your air conditioner malfunctions, your home might be too hot. While this can result in mold growth over time, there’s no immediate concern for property damage. A sewer line issue is much more serious. If your sewer line breaks, you may have water leaking throughout your home.
A broken sewer line is an emergency situation that could cause significant damage to your property. As the water floods into your home, you could experience structural damage.
Health Issues
In addition to causing property damage, a busted sewer line also comes with another complication. When sewer water backs up into your home or yard, it releases toxins into the air. All of the bacteria and toxins from your waste can end up in your air, and eventually in your body.
A sewer line break is a serious health issue and puts you and your household in danger. Why allow your lack of sewer cleaning or repair to put everyone in danger? For the best results, take action early on.
You Can’t Use Your Plumbing
When you have a leak in your sewer line, you can’t safely use your plumbing. Try going for a day without using the toilet or taking a shower. Unfortunately, you rely heavily on your plumbing.
If you don’t provide the proper care for your sewer line, you may be in for a shock. Any day, you could find out what it’s like to live without plumbing. Even if you call an emergency plumber, you still need to wait for a sewer repair.
Costly Repairs
You probably don’t have a few thousand dollars lying around. Even if you do, you probably don’t want to spend it on your plumbing repair. While all plumbing problems can be costly, sewer line repairs are particularly expensive.
The cost depends on the depth of the job. However, most sewer line repairs are difficult. Your plumber may need to dig up and replace part of the pipe. Typically, repairs become more expensive as more time passes by. For instance, fixing a small clog in your sewer line might not cost much. But after a few months, that clog could result in a leak. At that point, your repair won’t be cheap.
Signs You Have Sewer Line Issues
It’s great to call a plumber before you have a severe problem with your sewer line. Therefore, you should always be on the lookout for early warning signs of sewer trouble. That means watching out for the following:
- Water backing up into your tub or sink
- A foul smell coming from your drain
- Slow drains
- Areas of your yard that seem green and lush
- Anything else abnormal
If you suspect an issue with your plumbing, don’t put off the repair. Whatever the problem is, it deserves immediate attention.
When Should You Clean Your Sewer Line?
Sewer line maintenance is one of the keys to keeping your plumbing in great condition. As part of your plumbing care, you should schedule a drain cleaning. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that this means you should pour chemicals down your drain. For a true drain cleaning, you need to call an expert.
Chemical drain cleaners do significant damage to your plumbing. As corrosive agents, these chemicals eat away at your pipes. The very thing you use to clean your pipes could cause a leak. If you call a professional for help, they will use safe and effective methods of sewer line cleaning.
First, the professional will perform an inspection with a drain snake and a video camera. They identify any clogs and then decide the best way to remove the blockages. This could mean hydrojetting or another method. However your plumber chooses to clean out your pipes, you can have confidence it will work. They have the training and tools needed for the job.
Call an Evanston Plumber Today
Is it time for you to have a sewer line repair or cleaning? If so, you should reach out to us at Combat Plumbing. Our team has spent years serving the area, and we want to assist you with your plumbing. Whenever you have trouble and need an Evanston plumber, call us
