We’ve said it countless times before, but your home’s plumbing system really is filled with plenty of invaluable components. These are all pieces that you absolutely need working on a daily basis. Water heaters, faucets, showers, the list goes on! Likewise, as has continued to be a common theme here on our plumbing blog, we always like to take a deeper look at these various components and show how you can keep them in working order and that theme will be no different on this week’s blog. This week, we are going to discuss sewer lines. While they are undoubtedly an important part of your plumbing system, it’s also something that you can’t necessarily easily get your eyes on. After all, it’s buried underground! Having said that, as homeowners, the best knowledge you can have on this topic is understanding the various warning signs capable of signaling that a sewer line issue is brewing. In most cases, understanding the relevance of these different signs is what should prompt you to call in a professional plumber to get eyes on the situation.
Before we hop into sewer line warning signs though, we always like to provide a quick welcome to anyone that may be visiting our blog for the first time. Our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing provides residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services throughout the Kansas City area. Faucet installation, sewer line repair, drain cleaning, bathroom rough-ins, you name it and we have you covered. If you live near the KC area and are needing some plumbing help, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (816) 348-3481. Now…back to the topic of this week’s blog!
Smell
Unsurprisingly, if you ever notice a sewer gas smell inside your house, that should be a no-brainer that something clearly isn’t right. Keep in mind that even though a sewer gas smell certainly is unpleasant to deal with, it doesn’t always mean you have a major sewer line break on your hands. It’s important to have an experienced plumber take a look and determine where the issue resides, as well as what is causing the smell to find its way into your home.
Drain Speed or Back-Ups
On previous blogs, we’ve discussed how it’s so easy to put off minor plumbing repairs. Think of things like running toilets or dripping faucets as prime examples of this. While you definitely want to get these problems fixed, it’s also not necessarily something you’re going to do right away. Yet another item worth adding to this list (that actually can escalate into a bigger problem) is slow drains. Over time, through normal usages, drains can start to run slower than normal. After all, just take your bathtub/shower drain for example. As the months go by, there will be plenty of hair, soap scum and debris that will make its way down the drain. This can eventually form blockages and need to be cleared out. That’s generally a relatively easy fix with the help of a qualified plumber. It’s not uncommon to experience this with an individual drain at one time or another. However, when you start to notice back-ups/blockages with multiple drains all at the same time, that should set off some red flags!
Unusually Damp Yard
Have you not had any rain in awhile, yet your front yard is looking extra green and unusually damp? If that’s the case, then you could be looking at some form of a sewer line break down below. As you can likely guess, you don’t want a sewer line break being the cause of a good-looking lawn! This one should be an easy sign that something isn’t right and signal it’s time to call in a professional!
Insects in the House
When it comes to unpleasant things that accompany sewer line troubles, one that has to be near the top of the list is when insects or rodents start making their way into your home. Chances are you’ll call an exterminator prior to a plumber, but it’s important to understand that a faulty sewer line could be to blame. Whether it be tree root infiltration, old age of pipes, improper installation or a number of other things, when a sewer line needs repaired/replaced, it means there is a crack or opening somewhere in the line. This obviously will prevent it from performing it’s normal duties and can lead to some of the issues already discussed throughout this blog post. Nonetheless, when these openings are present, it also provides an easy access pathway for rodents or insects to enter your home! Yikes! Now there are certainly other things capable of leading to a rodent/insect problem, so that doesn’t guarantee your sewer line is always to blame for these types of issues, but it is certainly something worth taking into consideration.
What Should You Be Doing?
A sewer line problem isn’t something you’ll simply notice right away in most cases. It isn’t like a water heater, sump pump or faucet where you can periodically take a look and make sure everything looks normal. As a homeowner, the best thing you can do is be on the lookout for any irregularities and get them inspected in a timely manner. This is the perfect example of a plumbing problem that is not going to resolve itself on its own. In fact, the longer you let it sit, typically the worse the problem ends up getting. You continue dealing with sewer gas smell (which definitely isn’t a good thing), insects keep entering your home via the sewer line and of course, there’s also the consistent drain back-ups too! All in all, with the use of sewer inspection cameras (which we’ll highlight down below), there’s no reason to not at least have a plumber get an inside look at what’s going on and determine what the best solution is!
Sewer Line Services in Kansas City!
No matter if it’s on the residential or commercial side of things, sewer lines are simply something you need working on a daily basis. While repairing or replacing them can be a sizable investment, it goes without saying that the potential repercussions capable of arising from letting it sit untreated are much worse! Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, our trained plumbers have had plenty of experience over the years repairing and replacing sewer lines. As outlined throughout this blog, there are several warning signs that should give you cause to believe something isn’t right within your sewer line. If you notice any of these at your home or business, we recommend calling in a professional right away. At the very least, they can listen to what you’re experiencing and suggest the best plan of attack. In most cases, if it’s clear something isn’t right farther down your sewer line, an experienced plumber can run a sewer inspection camera down the line. This will provide you with an inside look of whether or not there’s a break in the line, where that issue may reside and ultimately suggest a plan for getting the repairs made!
As mentioned in the opening paragraphs, our team provides plumbing services throughout the Kansas City area and many of the surrounding cities. To request a free estimate for a project at your house or commercial facility, feel free to fill out the form HERE.