While we tend to not think about it much, the sewer lines leading to our homes are an integral part of our ability to live comfortably, isn’t it? However, when these lines do become damaged, we start to notice how important they really are. While it doesn’t happen often, sewer lines can be damaged for a variety of reasons. Today, we’ll talk about a few of the main reasons we see sewer line damage and what you can do to protect your home. So, let’s get right to it.
Sewer Line Damage Causes. As mentioned above, sewer line damage can have a variety of causes. However, the most common reasons for the damage include.’
Tree Roots’ The most common reason sewer lines get damaged is tree roots. As tree roots grow near sewer lines, they can bend, break, or even block sewer lines entirely.
Clay Pipes ‘ Many sewer lines in older homes are built out of clay pipes. While these were a great way to go years ago, these days we’ve learned that clay pipes have a habit of cracking and breaking down over time.
Foundation Issues ‘ Foundation issues in your home could cause sewer line damage as well. For instance, if the foundation of the home is not properly built and maintained, it could slowly sink; essentially bending, breaking, or clogging sewer lines.
How To Protect Your Home From Sewer Line Damage
Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to protect your home from sewer line damage. While these steps won’t guarantee that you’ll have no damage in the future, they will make it incredibly unlikely.

Step #1: Know Where Your Sewer Line Is

First and foremost, it’s important to know where your sewer line is. This way, when gardening, you can avoid hitting the line with a shovel. Also, this allows you to avoid planting trees in areas that are close to sewer lines; causing harm to the lines over time.

Step #2: Properly Maintain Your Home’s Foundation
Ensuring that you have no foundational issues in your home will help to make sure that the sewer lines running underneath it are safe!

Step #3: Change Outdated Pipes
If you know that your sewer line is built up of clay pipes, it may be best to have a plumber come out and change them before they cause an issue. While it may come with a rather hefty price tag, the price for changing the lines before an issue arises will be much less than the cost of fixing the issue and changing the lines after one arises.
Though we generally don’t think about sewer lines, not thinking about them could be a costly mistake. Proper maintenance can help you avoid expensive issues in the future.

There is no doubt that it will be very problematic if a portion of your sewer line acts up. In addition to living with the inconvenience of not being able to use your bathroom as you wish to, you would also have to augment your budget in order to accommodate the price of addressing this nuance.

While it may seem unappealing to perform the job yourself, knowing how to perform the simplest cleaning and maintenance measures will not hurt anybody. Invest in high-quality equipment and simple sewer line cleaning know-hows, and save your budget from expensive plumbing fees in the future.

 

For more information, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other towns in New Jersey, such as Hawthorne, Cedar Grove and Lodi.