Sewer Cleaning, Repair, and Replacement in Arizona

What are the signs of a broken sewer pipe?

The most commons signs that you’re dealing with sewer line issues in your home are detailed below. 

Wastewater back-ups or blockages – Sewer blocks will flood the lowest drain in your home, first. This is, usually, your toilet or your shower/bathtub drain. This is because the wastewater looks for a place to flow when it can’t make it down the sewer drain like normal. If you’re experiencing wastewater blockages in your home, it could be as simple as a blockage that a professional plumber can handle removing or you. To prevent blocks like this, avoid throwing any sanitary products or foreign objects into toilets and flushing them. You should also avoid allowing excessive hair in your shower drains. All of these things can add up over time and cause a clog. In more extreme cases, your sewer line can be affected by root systems from a tree looking for water, as well as over usage, and even soil shifting over time. 

Unpleasant odors – The design of a sewer system is airtight except for a vent stack on your roof that allows waste to flow to the city waste system or your septic system. Intrinsically, it prevents the smell from excreting into your home, so if you smell unpleasant sewage smells, it’s potentially coming from a breakage in that line. Ground Zero can help you track that crack down and evaluate it for repair or replacement.

Slow Drains – After we use water, we expect it to flow out of the home. If the drain is slow, it could me there is a clog in the line, or something worse. Because there are so many places for a clog to occur, a slow drain may not be a guarantee that your sewer line is clogged. The use of liquid or gel pipe cleaners should be used sparingly, and you should always discontinue use if the treatment doesn’t work the first time, as the caustic chemicals can break down cast iron and PVC over time. Anything that persists beyond normal remedies and a professional plumber should be contacted to help diagnose the issue. 

Lush grass patches – We live in Arizona, so the likelihood of you noticing something like this around your home increase because of the increased green vegetation. Any vegetation that begins to flourish more than it has previously and seemingly overnight could be connected to a sewer leak. Because waste water often acts as a fertilizer for vegetation, the sudden healthy increase for your plants or grass may not be your green thumb, and could be related to a more serious sewer line leak. These types of patches will also be in isolated places compared to the surrounding vegetation. Should you find anything like this, you may also detect the smell of sewage in that area as well. This is a clear sign that you need a professional plumber to investigate. 

There are dozens of other signs that you have an issue with your sewer line, including rodents, insects, mold, and in extreme cases, indentations in rocks, foundations, or landscaping. It’s best to have a professional plumber come to your home and inspect the system to determine what the issue might be. Ground Zero plumbing has decades of combined experience that can help you determine what your issue might be.