Do You Know the Most Common Sewer Line Problems?

Sewer lines are a very important part of a home’s comfort systems, but most of us don’t think about them too often – that is until they aren’t working properly.

But clogged or damaged sewer lines can be harmful to your home, yard and health if they aren’t efficiently moving waste onto your municipal waste lines or into your septic tank.

Your Brooklyn plumbing experts at Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning want to help you understand how to recognize when your sewer lines may be failing with these five common sewer line problems.

1. Tree Roots

This is the most common problem plumbers see when called to a home to find out why sewer lines aren’t draining. The roots of some of your yard’s most beautiful trees and bushes grow the way they want and can push underground pipes out of alignment, crack pipes or even burst pipes.

2. Blockages

Another very common problem our plumbing professionals see is the blocked pipe. These clogs are generally caused by large amounts of cooking grease, hair and food buildup that becomes balled up in the pipes and refuses to budge. These kinds of clogs are less common in larger sewer lines than they are in your home’s lines but aren’t unheard of.

3. Grease

As mentioned above, the number one cause of these blockages is usually grease. As grease cools, it congeals and becomes sticky. This means it can hold onto other debris and create a mass of goo. In fact, a number of large cities across the globe are experiencing the devastating effects of “fatbergs.” These are whale-sized globs of grease that have wreaked havoc on municipal sewer lines as pipes fill up with grease from homes and businesses. The best way to combat this problem in your home lines, however, is to wait until the grease cools. Then dump it in your trash can instead of your sink.

4. Corrosion

Because your pipes are constantly exposed to water, chemicals and other debris, they can, over time, become corroded. This deterioration of your lines can let in rust, and that can cause other types of weathering or decay that make pipes crack or break.

5. Age of the Pipes

Along with corrosion, the age of the pipes might be another cause of frequent backups and blockages. Like any other home comfort system, pipes become damaged from long-term wear and tear. Even the most durable pipes in the world aren’t made to last forever. So, at some point, you will need to replace your lines.

Help from the Local Brooklyn Sewer Experts

If you experience strange smells, water pooling in your yard or all of your home’s lines becoming clogged simultaneously, you probably have a sewer line issue.

If you suspect a sewer line issue, give Petri a call at (718) 748-1254 or contact us online. We’ve been fixing Brooklyn’s drain and sewer issues since 1906 and are ready to help you fix your sewer line issues today.