The most common claim made to home insurance companies are damage that results from leaking or broken water or sewage pipe. The cost of repairing or replacing sewer line averages about $4,024, or more if not addressed quickly. It is also important to catch cracked sewer lines quickly because leaking sewage can be a health hazard to the occupants in the home.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, you should get in touch with your plumbing contractors about drain repair or replacing sewer lines:

• Your toilet makes a gurgling noise, indicating air is getting in through the sewage pipes.
• Your toilet won’t hold water for long, because it’s all leaking out.
• Your sinks and showers won’t drain.
• Your toilet is getting backed up with sewage.
• Your yard develops the odor of sewage– this should be treated as an urgent matter as sewage contamination can be a health hazard.

So what leads to the need for replacing sewer lines?

• Buildup from hair, grease, and debris puts extra pressure on the lines and causes them to burst.
• Invasive tree roots in sewer lines cause them crack.
• Sometimes when the ground freezes, it causes the contents of the pipes to freeze. Liquid expands when it freezes, causing the pipes to burst.
• Aging pipes– this is common with homes with the original plumbing that are more than 40 years old.
• Yard work inadvertently involves digging in a place where a sewer line is located.
• Poor installation of pipes and sewer systems when the home is built causes them to crack through the movement of the earth.

What solutions are there to a sewer line issue?

• If your sewer issues are a result of backed up debris and the pipe isn’t broken, your plumbing services might be able to correct the problem with a high powered water jet that removes any buildup in the pipes. The pipes will then be inspected with a sewer camera to ensure no further repairs are needed.
• If the pipes are damaged, your contractors may be able to avoid replacing the entire sewer line by filling the existing pipe with an epoxy pipe lining through a system of hydraulics. The lining hardens to create a stronger pipe than the old pipe was before it was even damaged. This process also avoids the hassle of digging the whole pipe up and destroying your yard.
• If the pipe is crushed and a new lining can’t be pulled through, your contractor will need to dig a trench to replace the existing pipe entirely. On this plus side, this extent of damage is fairly rare, usually the repairs can be made without a complete replacement.

Questions to ask plumbing contractor before making a hiring decision, to ensure you find someone who will get the job done right:

• Does your pipeline repair company hold a certification with any officially recognized organization?
• What methods do you use to avoid digging a trench through my home and yard?
• If you do have to trench my yard to reach the pipe, who takes care of restoring it?
• Will your company take care of any necessary permits in order to do the work?

Do you have any additional questions that we didn’t cover here? Please leave them in the comment section below.