How To Detect and Deal With Broken Sewer Lines - Wisler Plumbing & Air

If you ever find out that you have a broken sewer line, I highly suggest that you do not minimize the seriousness of the problem. Lots of people just decide to get someone to snake out the line and call it a day. However, sewage is a very nasty thing, and it can cause extreme damage to your home. It isn’t just water damage that you have to worry about either—it’s unclean, disease laden water. Here’s how you can catch a broken sewer line early and take care of the issue before it becomes worse.

First, make sure that you’re keeping an eye on the lowest drains in your home. This is where the sewage is going to back up first and serve as an indicator that you have an issue. If you have a basement with a floor drain, that’s usually going to be your lowest drain, which is where you’ll spot a potential sewage backup. If you don’t have floor drains in your basement but you do have a basement bathroom, then your lowest drain is typically going to be your tub or shower.

Once you’ve determined that you have a sewage backup, the next thing to do is call a professional to clear the line and determine what is causing the problem. As long as the line is charged with water and sewage, you won’t be able to get a clear vantage point. Once water is flowing again, we have camera equipment that we can put down the drain to scope it out and find out if maybe there are roots, a collapse, or an old line that’s to blame for the issue.

Depending on what the problem is, it might require a repair or replacement. Sometimes it does make sense to do a whole replacement, but most of the time our solutions are only a day project. Whole sewer line replacements usually have some logistics that need to be figured out, but we try to make it as painless as possible for our clients even though there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation.

One of the most embarrassing things that can happen when you have guests in your home is a nasty sewage backup. Sewage problems tend to pop up during the most inopportune times, like during the holidays when your family is staying over. That’s because your plumbing system is being used much more frequently. Toilets are being flushed more often, more water is going down the drain, and the system is simply being taxed to the point that these kinds of problems start showing up.

Remember: A stoppage is only a symptom of the real issue. Unstopping the drain doesn’t really solve anything except clearing out the backup. You still have to figure out what caused the backup, and then ultimately what you are going to do to prevent it from happening again. Get the problem taken care of as soon as possible. As soon as you realize that you might have a broken sewer line, reach out to Wisler Plumbing and Air by contacting us online or giving us a call at 540-483-9382.