A collapsed sewer line can cause a lot of serious plumbing issues in your home. Your sewer line is buried underground, so you can’t see it without a sewer camera or a lot of digging. This means you’ll have to look for signs of collapse in your home and on your property. Here are five of the more common signs you might see.
1. Frequent Backups
Your sewer line moves wastewater out of your home. If it’s collapsed or blocked, that wastewater has nowhere to go except back through your toilet, sinks, and shower drains. Granted, backups can happen for other reasons, but if they happen frequently, you might have a problem in your sewer line.
2. Multiple Clogged Drains
Like backups, clogs in your drains can happen for many reasons. In most cases, you can unclog a drain with a plunger or a drain snake. If you have a blocked sewer line, you’ll likely have recurring clogs in multiple drains in your home.
3. Foul Smells
A foul sewer smell in or around your home is a clear indication that you have a failing sewer line. Sewer lines are supposed to be airtight, so you should never smell sewer gas unless the line is cracked or collapsed. You’ll probably notice the foul smells coming from your drains first, but you might also detect a sewer smell in your yard where the line is buried.
4. Bubbling or Gurgling Sounds Coming From Your Drains
A collapsed or blocked sewer line can cause trap gas in your plumbing. Not only will this have a foul odor, but it could also cause your drains to emit a bubbling or gurgling sound.
If this sound is coming from your toilet, try running the bathroom sink. If the sound persists, you might have a problem in your sewer line.
5. Lush Grass in Your Yard
As strange as it sounds, bright green grass in your yard can be a sign of a collapsed or cracked sewer line. The wastewater that would otherwise go through your sewer line is a great source of nutrients for grass. Unfortunately, it’s not so great for your home. Patches of grass that are greener than the rest of your lawn usually indicate that something is wrong, especially if you notice other signs of trouble.
If you notice any of these signs or otherwise suspect that something is wrong with your home’s sewer line, contact a plumber to schedule a sewer line inspection. That’s the only way to know for sure if you have a problem. From there, the plumber can advise you about options for repairing or replacing the pipeline. When you need sewer line services in Orlando, FL, contact Frank Gay.
