Your sewer line isn’t something you think about often. It just does its thing, helps direct sewage out of your home, and it’s in the back of your mind (as it should be).
But then trouble sinks in. You become aware of that sewer line once it’s no longer doing the thing it’s supposed to be doing. So you need sewer line repair, but is it an emergency or not?
Yes. It’s sewage. It’s an emergency. But before you misdiagnose the problem in your home, let’s help you find out if it’s actually a sewage line issue or not.
Symptoms of a Damaged Sewer Line in Your Home
- Gassy odors coming from the drains. This happens when your line is broken; you can usually smell it in any room that has a drain. If you can smell it throughout the house, that’s an even bigger problem.
- Mold and mildew growth run rampant. They love moisture, and with your sewer line breaking, it could increase the humidity in your home. This isn’t a guarantee, but it’s a sign that something’s not right.
- You have bugs and rodents. You keep a clean home, but when you see a rat or roaches in the basement, that’s an issue. They’re attracted to sewage; let’s not let your home become their new hangout.
- Clogs galore. If every drain in your home starts clogging at once, that’s backup. This is absolutely something to be alarmed about, so treat it that way.
Your Foundation Can Fail
It’s a foundation, what’s it going to do? Get up and walk away? Not quite, but it can still stop supporting your home if it endures enough damage.
Moisture in the soil around your foundation forces dirt to expand, and since the earth is stronger than one concrete foundation, it beats it. The added pressure of expansion causes cracks to pop up.
A leaking sewer line may not make it impossible to flush the toilet right now, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t larger problems brewing on the horizon. It has to get taken care of now.
It May Not Be Covered With Your Homeowner’s Insurance
Sewer line repair isn’t cheap, so you run to your homeowner’s insurance policy to check if it’s included, and lo and behold… it’s not.
That’s a pretty common problem. Since most sewer lines are made to last for 75+ years (thank you, PVC), sometimes the possibility of anything happening is written off because it’s assumed it’ll just last.
Check your policy, but if that doesn’t cover it, you can always look at financing options. It’s not anyone’s favorite way to do this, but it’s not like you can leave the sewage line cracked and leaking.
Don’t Let it Get Worse
A minor sewer line leak means it hasn’t caused a lot of damage–yet. Time will only aggravate the issue. The leak can get bigger, and your foundation can withstand some serious punishment between now and then. Instead of letting that happen, give us a call today.
Contact us today to schedule your sewer line repair as soon as possible.