Your McHenry plumbing is a complex system of pipes, and some of those pipes are responsible for moving sewage away from your home. Known as sewer lines, those pipes can experience a number of issues. Unfortunately, problems in the sewer line may be dangerous and are often costly to repair. By learning the signs of sewer line trouble, you may be able to catch a problem before it leads to serious trouble.
Bad Smells in or Near Your Home
Have you noticed afoul odor inside your home or in your yard? Sewage has a distinct smell, so you can probably tell when an odor comes from your sewer lines.
The smell could be from a leak or crack somewhere in your pipe. Or, it may be from a blockage in your line. After a blockage forms, it could result in sewage backing up into your home. Even though you might not be able to see the sewage, the smell is inescapable.
Don’t waste time trying to figure this one out on your own. If you smell sewage, it’s a sure sign of plumbing trouble. Call someone right away forsewer drain repair.
Slow Drains
When your drains suddenly seem slow, you should call a plumber. It’s possible that you have a clog in your sewer line. At first, the clog may seem like a mere inconvenience. But a blockage isn’t as innocent as it seems.
Over time, blockages worsen and may eventually completely block the flow of water. Your pipes could break and you may need a sewer line replacement. By removing a clog early on, you can remove the clog before it busts your pipe.
It’s worth mentioning that you should resist the desire to grab a chemical drain cleaner. Although a cleaner might free up your drains for a short time, it’s only a bandaid solution. Even worse, the chemicals might damage your pipes. In the end, your solution could cause more issues.
Fixing Slow Drains
Before a slow drain leads to a sewer line break, call a plumber. They can clean your drains and remove any clogs. With access to the right skills and training, a professional can clean your drains quickly and effectively.
Frequent Blockages and Backups
One backup in your pipes is enough for you to know to call a plumber. When those backups and blockages become more frequent, they are a definite sign of sewer line trouble.
Frequent backups and clogs could mean you have tree roots or a major blockage in your sewer line. Although you can try to remove the clog with a drain snake, the tool won’t be effective for deep clogs. You may need to work with a plumber who has access to the right tools for the job.
Typically, a plumber uses more than just a store-bought drain snake to clear your drains. They might use a video camera attached to a snake to locate the clog and use other tools to actually remove it. The sooner you call a plumber, the quicker you will get rid of clogs and stop dealing with backups.
Green Grass
You’re probably wondering how green grass can be a bad thing. While a lush yard isn’t a problem, patches of green grass could be an ominous sign. You could have a leak in your sewer line, and that leak nourishes the grass.
Before you jump to conclusions, look for other sources of water. You might have a leaky hose or a gutter that drains into the grass. If this is the case, you don’t have a leak in your sewer line. But in the event that there is no obvious cause, you need to know that you could have a crack in your plumbing. The only way to confirm or deny this is to have a sewer line inspection.
Wastewater is in Your Yard
Another indication of trouble is Wastewater pooling in your yard. If you find a smelly puddle on your property, you might have wastewater pooling. And, sadly, this means you have a crack in your sewer system.
This qualifies as a plumbing emergency because wastewater is a health hazard. You don’t want to breathe in the bacteria from your waste or expose your neighbors to it. While you wait for a plumber, rope off the area and make sure no one can wander into it. If you have pets, keep them away.
Lower Water Levels
It’s abnormal for your water levels to become irregular. If you notice your toilets aren’t very full or are making strange noises, you may have sewer line issues. Once again, the only way to confirm or deny the problem is to have a professional perform an inspection.
This problem isn’t always easy to notice. If you pay attention to your plumbing, you have a better chance of catching a leak or blockage before it does too much damage.
High Water Bills
Although you may not pay attention to your toilet level, you probably notice your water bill. As soon as you notice an unexpectedly high water bill, you should call for a plumber.
There are several potential causes of your high water bill, and one of them is a sewer line leak. In addition to saving money on your energy bill, your attention to detail could save you on a sewer line repair.
Who to Call for Your McHenry Plumbing
There’s one moral to this story. You should never wait to call a plumber about your sewer line. If you have any reason to suspect a problem, get on the phone right away. Instead of dealing with a full replacement, you might be able to have a plumber do a quick repair.
For the best results, you need to work with a professional who has experience. Here at Combat Plumbing, we’ve spent years practicing our passion. When you see one of the signs of trouble or need advice, call us for help. We’re ready to answer your call and repair your McHenry plumbing.
