Five Signs That You Need Sewer Pipe Relining
A damaged sewer line can pose a health hazard as well as a hazard to your home and landscaping. Fortunately, you can have the pipe relined to remedy the leak once you are aware of the problem.
1. Smelly Yard
Have you noticed the odor of rotten eggs, sulfur, or raw sewage when walking across your yard? Sometimes the odor may be strong and persistent, while in other cases you may simply get the occasional whiff. A smelly yard can indicate that raw sewage or sewer gases are escaping from a damaged sewer line in the yard. If you know the location of your sewer line, you can check to see if the odor is stronger near its location.
2. Mainline Backups
Raw sewage coming up in your home's drains can be a sign of a major clog. If the backup only affects a single sink or toilet, the clog likely isn't in the mainline, so only a localized drain cleaning is necessary. If all the drains are backing up or if the backup is occurring in a floor drain, then the clog is likely in your mainline. A sewer service will determine if there is pipe damage as a result of the clog that necessitates a relining.
3. Lush Lawn Areas
Naturally you want your lawn to be lush and green, but you may have a sewage leak if one area seems healthier than the rest or is growing faster. Lushly growing lawns along the path of your buried sewer line are often the result of the nitrogen and other nutrients in the sewage, which is leaking out into your soil. A prompt repair is necessary.
4. Damaged Paving
In many yards, the main sewer line runs beneath a sidewalk, driveway, or access road. When a leak occurs, the moisture coming from the pipe causes the soil to shift. Paving may crack, lift, or sink. Often, uneven breaks occur, with one part of the paving lifting while the other sinks. Relining the sewer line solves the issue without further damage to the paving in your yard.
5. Sinkholes
A massive leak can actually wash soil out from around the sewer line. A void surrounds the leaky area, which can collapse into a sinkhole. Most home sewer line sinkholes are relatively shallow, so you may simply notice a low spot in the yard that wasn't there before. Sometimes this spot may feel wet or marshy due to the sewage seeping out of the broken line.
Fortunately, you don't need to dig up your landscaping or plan for an invasive repair. A sewer pipe lining service can perform a trenchless repair so that your sewage issues can be solved.