5 Potential Sewage Line Repair Problems: What to Expect

You wake up energized and ready to start your day when you notice water leaking through your floor. There’s also a horrible rotten egg smell lurking throughout your home, which makes matters worse. Leaking water and bad odor are common symptoms associated with sewage line problems.

These are symptoms we have seen over and over again at Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air.  It is important to find a legitimate and trustworthy plumber, and our technicians have decades of combined experience in the world of sewage line issues. We’re ready to share our accumulated expertise to empower your knowledge of your home’s sewage line. 

We compiled a list of problems, from hidden costs to landscaping changes, that may occur during your home’s sewage line repair process. Understanding the different issues involved with sewage pipe replacement will enable you to better maintain your home’s drainage and help you understand conversations with a plumber. 

Now let’s get started! 

What is a Sewage Line?

The sewage line, also known as the main pipeline, is the major pipe that connects your property to a septic tank or your city’s sewage system. All the smaller drainage pipes from your sink, shower, toilet, and garbage disposal connect with the main line. 

Contractors install sewage lines sloped downwards to help boost the flow of waste and debris away from your home. 

Common Sewage Line Repair Problems 

A plumber visits your home and after some time can identify the problem with your sewage line. They’ll recommend a couple of different solutions after some discussion. 

• Clogged Pipes: Over time, debris and other junk like grease, baby wipes, food scraps, hair, and other items find their way down the drain and pile up. A clogged pipe will lead to leaks, overflows, and slow water draining. 
• Tree Roots: Plants love water and tend to grow toward water sources they can easily absorb through their roots. Roots only need a small crack for them to seep through a sewage pipe and expand. Tree roots in pipes are unpleasant and can cause major damage. 
• Earthquakes: Los Angeles County and the surrounding area are all located in what is essentially an earthquake zone. Sewage pipes can break due to seismic activity.
• Corrosion: Pipes are built and installed to last but not forever. Over time, pipes can be corroded and weakened. Old sewage pipes can crack or become damaged more easily.

After inspecting and diagnosing a sewage line issue, a professional plumber can recommend three different ways to fix a broken sewer line. In most cases, once an issue is fixed, you won’t have to worry about sewage line problems for a long time. That’s not always the case because there are a few issues you may run into during repairs

Sounds simple, right? Well, in most cases it is, but a few unfortunate homeowners may experience the following concerns during the repair process. 

Additional Costs

Your hired plumber may begin work on your sewage line problem after agreeing with you about repair costs. But then, as the plumber works on your sewage line, they start to discover other problems with your home’s drain system. This isn’t always a common thing but it can happen especially if the sewage main line system problem is profound. 

It’s normal to cater toward hiring a service that is cheaper. When it comes to fixing and maintaining your home’s sewage line system, it’s best to seek quality and value. Always have an allotted budget available to help cover the costs of any potential problems discovered during your sewage line repair. 

Pipe Damage

Some sewage line repairs may require a simple maintenance service instead of a full-on replacement. Sewage drain technicians have different tools at their disposal to help clear and clean pipelines from clogs and debris. 

A plumber may recommend hydro-jetting or snaking your main line. An inexperienced drainage technician can damage old and corroded pipes with hydro-setting, or with frequent snaking. The high water pressure from hydro-setting can cause cracked, old and rusty pipes to break.

The top plumbers will investigate sewage pipe problems with a small camera that is inserted into the drain. The specialized camera can display in real-time what the sewage drain issue is and confirm which repairs are required. 

Do-it-yourself (DIY) plumbing work may also damage your drains if they overuse drain cleaners. Some of the possible outcomes include:

• Pipe and House Damage: Drain cleaners are strong acids that may corrode through metals such as steel, iron, and copper. This can lead to increased costs in damages.
• Hazardous Chemicals: Some drain cleaners may melt PVC plastic pipes which can cause leaks. 
• Crystalized Iron Pipes: Cast iron pipes can become crystalized and solid with drain cleaner used repeatedly. A crystallized pipe requires a replacement which will raise the costs of repairs. 

It’s best to select a plumbing service company that is knowledgeable and remains respectful of your home at all times. 

Landscaping Alterations 

Some serious drain pipe issues require excavating the property through a process called trench repair. The top plumbing experts will dig up strategically around the pipes, but you may still have some landscaping concerns after. 

Your beautiful yard and garden may need gardening services to fix up which may not be cheap. Reputable sewage drain repair companies will notify you if excavation is required so you know what to expect. 

Mistakes During Repairs

Unfortunately, a plumber lacking skills in sewage drains can cause more damage than repair if they’re not careful. They might not tighten pipe joints properly which can lead to leaks over time. 

Plumbers are human too, and sometimes even the most experienced technicians can make mistakes. The goal is to fix things correctly the first time around. If a plumber makes a mistake that leads to issues, then they’ll be available to correct it right away.

Bad sewage repairs will only increase costs causing you to stress more than you already should. You should always take time to review customer feedback on different plumbing service companies from different websites to ensure they’re experts in their field. 

No Running Water

You and your family may not be able to use running water depending on the severity of the sewage drain issue. A broken sewage line will make it impossible to shower or even use the toilet. 

In some instances, the water needs to stay shut off for a technician to complete repairs. A trusted plumber will inform you if your water needs to be shut off so you and your family can make the necessary preparations. 

Do Plumbers Fix Sewage Line Repair Issues?

A majority of sewage drain repairs are completed without any further issues. In some cases, issues may arise during the repair process which can lead to higher expenses, property damage, and increased stress. We’ve laid out the different problems that can come up during sewage line repairs, so you’re better prepared to avoid these issues, and make the correct decisions when working with a plumber. 

Sewage drain pipe maintenance is essential for every homeowner and deserves industry-leading attention from experts who have seen it all. Don’t wait for drain concerns from becoming worse, and contact the highly-rated sewage plumbing experts at Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, and Air. 

Book an appointment with us online or contact us at (310) 853-8690, and one of your plumbing and drainage technicians will visit you. Our experts will help get to the root cause of your sewage line problem while maintaining transparency and providing further education.