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Like most homeowners, you likely take your sewer for granted. This is a problem because the second something goes wrong with your sewer line, it has the potential to disable your entire plumbing system.
What’s worse, if you don’t get sewer repair quickly, it can cause massive amounts of damage to your property. So what are the signs you need some sewer repair?
And how do you find the best Santa Monica plumbers to help with your sewer line? In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about this issue. That way, you can get your home’s plumbing back on track as soon as possible.
Before we explore signs that you might need sewer repair, it’s important to understand what your sewer line is. You can think of sewer lines as the infrastructure that transports waste away from your home.
Not only does it consist of all of the plumbing found underneath your home, but it also includes all the city lines it flows to. Some common materials used for sewer lines include concrete, plastic, cast iron, and lead in older homes.
Most homes have sewer lines buried beneath the house’s foundation. However, if you live in an apartment, multiple sewer lines likely connect into one main one leaving the property.
In this section, we’ll review some of the clear signs that you’re experiencing sewer problems.
If you notice any of these problems, contact one of the nearly 500,000 plumbers in the United States. They’ll inspect the symptom to see if the problem is from your sewer line.
Does your home smell like raw sewage? If so, you should look into sewer repair immediately.
Sewage smells are supposed to stay inside the pipes. If they’re exiting your drain, your sewage line is either backed up or leaking.
Now, you might think that the smell of raw sewage is impossible to ignore. And, in many cases, it is. However, sometimes it can be more subtle.
This usually happens when it mixes with other strong smells in the house. Cooking, smoking, and mildew can all disguise the smell of sewage. So make sure you smell everything closely, especially around the bathrooms.
It’s normal for your toilet to make sounds when you flush it. However, be on the lookout for slow flushes that result in a lot of gurgling sounds and bubbles.
In some cases, your toilet might even make these sounds when you’re not even using it. This is usually a sign that there’s a clog somewhere within your sewer line.
When the waste reaches this clog, it tends to push back in the direction it initially came from. This results in bubbles and a gurgling sound when you flush.
If this issue gets terrible enough, it can result in your toilet backing up after you flush it. This should be avoided since it can cause unsanitary conditions and water damage.
If your home plumbing is backed up, it’s likely causing a dramatic rise in humidity within your home. Sadly, as most people know, certain types of bacteria thrive in a wet environment.
This specifically includes many types of mold. If you notice mold growing on your wall, it could be from your sewer system. This is especially true if it’s growing on the walls around your toilets.
Sadly, mold on the walls doesn’t just look unsightly. It can also represent a major health risk.
As such, the second you notice a little bit of mold, you should contact a professional. That way, you can reduce the severity of the problem.
Lawns should be able to absorb water easily. As such, if you notice large puddles in your lawn or soft spots in the soil, it might be time to call a sewer repair company.
This can be a sign that there’s a crack or break in your sewer line. That means that raw sewage is leaking on your lawn. There are a lot of things that can cause cracking in your sewer line.
Cold temperatures can cause the liquid to expand into ice and break the pipes. Corrosive chemicals are another common culprit.
Or it might simply be old age. Regardless, you should replace the line in question as soon as you can. Otherwise, it might worsen and require an entire replacement.
Many pests, like rats, flies, and termites, love the damp conditions that a broken sewer line creates. Often people will make the mistake of calling an exterminator instead of a plumber when they notice increased pests around.
However, this is tackling a symptom and not the source of the problem. If you don’t deal with the problem that’s causing the dampness, the pests are just going to come right back.
You might think that bright green patches on your lawn are a good thing. However, this can be a sign that there’s sewage leaking.
While the sewage might have a fertilizing effect on your grass early on, it will cause a lot of trouble down the line.
If you’ve had a close call with your sewer line, you might be wondering how to prevent problems in the future. The good news is that with routine maintenance, you can significantly prolong the life of your sewer system. For starters, never flush harsh chemicals down into your sewer system.
These chemicals are bad for the environment. On top of that, they can also be corrosive. That means that they actually eat away at the material surrounding your sewer lines.
Instead, consider a more natural alternative. For example, pour some baking powder down your drains. Wait five minutes, then pour down vinegar to create a chemical reaction.
You should also read this guide to prevent clogged drains in the future. That way, your sewer line is never overwhelmed with a clog.
If you’re purchasing a home, we always recommend getting the sewer line inspected before you close on the sale. Why? Because often, there can be telltale signs that the sewer line might fail soon.
Sadly, this can occur both on the property side and on the city side. This study found that the two biggest causes of sewer line failure are weak concrete and heavy trucks driving over the sewer line.
So if your home is old or it’s located next to a busy road, you’re at higher risk. Getting a professional to run a camera through your sewer line can help reveal all these flaws.
If the problem is on the property side, you should either have the homeowners fix it or give you a discount so you can repair it yourself. If the problem is on the city side of the sewer line, you will need to contact the city office to get them to deal with it.
The sad reality is that there are a lot of plumbers in the Santa Monica area that simply aren’t equipped to tackle sewer repair. However, that usually doesn’t stop some companies from taking on these jobs and making an even bigger mess of things.
That’s why it’s important to find the right plumbing business before you proceed. For starters, make sure they offer sewer repair services on their website.
This is a good sign that they have experience and expertise in the services. Next, make sure that they price everything out before they begin the job. Be careful around companies that provide you with vague quotes.
Odds are, these individuals will upcharge you throughout the job. Lastly, you want to make sure that the sewer repair is completed in a timely manner. The best way to determine this is by looking at the experience level of the plumbing company.
The more years a company has been around, the more knowledge they have to get the job done quickly and easily. Ideally, your plumbing company will have a couple of decades of experience under its belt.
We hope this guide helped you learn more about sewer line repair. As we mentioned in the last section, finding the best plumber for this issue can sometimes be easier said than done.
However, if you’re in need of Santa Monica plumbers (or any of the surrounding L.A. areas), you’re in the right place. We have over twenty-five years of experience working with sewer issues.
That means that no job is too big or small for us. Whether it’s a minor repair or an entire sewer line replacement, we can help you. So contact us today, and we’ll get your plumbing back on track as soon as possible.
