Common Sewer Issues: Troubleshooting

Having a smooth running plumbing and sewage system in our homes is one of the basic necessities of every modern home, but every now and then issues arise that require professional help. It happens everywhere, with no exception of Australia, and in a variety of forms that can cause major headaches to homeowners.

Sewer issues are potentially very dangerous as they may cause serious problems if left unattended. If the water that should normally go down the drain keeps coming back and eventually starts leaking from a pipe, it can lead to contamination due to the harmful bacteria it contains.

If you have noticed anything similar to this happening in your home, you’re probably having one of the following common sewer issues.

Collapsed lines

Sewer problems are very commonly caused by old pipes that have cracked or collapsed due to wearing and old age. This kind of problem might call for major repairs involving a lot of digging in your yard, which is every homeowner’s worse nightmare.

Before you sign up a suitable sewage repair contractor, make sure they give you a proper description of their procedures and ask if they provide dig-free technology. If there is an alternative to having a dug up yard, take it and save yourself major cost and headaches.

Blocked drainage

Blockage in the drains is also a frequent problem that can cause the drain water to come back. If the problem only occurs in your toilet, sink or tub, it’s quite probable that you only have an issue with an individual drain. Most cases of clogged drains are caused by inappropriate drain use, such as pouring grease down the drains or flushing anything that’s not human waste and toilet paper. This might be a DIY project, provided it’s not a big issue.

However, if the problem persists and the blockage won’t budge, it’s time you rely on seasoned experts, such as this plumber servicing in Sydney, to approach it with their professional equipment such as a hydrojet and special chemical agents, which are very successful in removing stubborn clogs.

Tree roots

Tree roots that invade your pipe lines can be a serious problem, even if you don’t have any trees directly above your sewer lines. They commonly go very deep and spread very widely, and by growing around the pipes, they can easily crush them and cause mayhem. They can also grow into the pipes through small cracks and cause clogging and back-ups.

The best way to troubleshoot this problem is to resort to video inspection that confirms the issue. This allows the professional plumbers to reach an informed decision on what would be the best course of action regarding repair.

Septic tank failure

If you live in a home that still has a septic tank, it could also be a common source of sewer issues. The best way to avoid problems is to have it regularly maintained. However, problems can still occur, due to several reasons.

Most often, septic tank failures such as overflow happen due to an inefficient water usage. If it receives more water than its capacity, it will overflow and push the solid waste that didn’t have time to decompose, into distribution tubes and create a blockage.

This can be avoided by doing laundry several times during the week, instead of all in one day. The point is in reducing your water usage, which can also be done by installing water-saving showerheads, faucets and a dual flush toilet.

Another major concern for septic tank homeowners is the soakaway, which is a pit filled with rocks that holds the waste before it gets disintegrated in the ground. The symptoms of a problem in this area could be sounds from the drains, water overflow at the washing machine plug-in and the toilet and unpleasant odour from the land around your house and the drains inside it.

Whatever the issue turns out to be, the matter must be urgently dealt with before it gets any worse and causes a huge damage and health hazard.

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors