Plumbing

So you suspect you need a sewer repair expert to pay a visit. There’s something strange going on in your pipes and it may be time to think about bringing in a professional. Let’s talk about the warning signs to look for to confirm your thoughts.

So we sat down with Nathan Peña, one of our Plumbing Specialists at Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical and asked him what homeowners should look for when deciding if they need a main sewer line repair.

Right before he heads out to a client’s house for a sewer job, he gives them a call. “I never ask, “How is your day going?” because… I’m visiting you for a sewer call… I know it’s not a good day! I always offer to pick you up a Starbucks on the way, because I know this type of service call is no fun for homeowners!”

How To Know If Your Main Line Is Clogged

Is your plumbing not working as normal or something just seems off? Maybe it’s draining slowly, or there’s some weird sound, or bad smell.

Here are some warning signs that indicate you may need a main sewer line repair:

Drain Backing Up Or Persistent Slow Drainage

If you are seeing constant drain back ups or slow drains happening at your home, we often have to install a standard sewer line cleanout before we could do a drain inspection.

Gurgling Sounds In The Drain

This is a huge sign to immediately stop using all water in your home and call Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We come and do a nice drain cleaning and offer a camera inspection to actually figure out where the repair is needed.

Foul Sewage Odor

Yeah, this is most indicative that you have either a very clogged sewer line or a broken pipe. The number one thing you should do is find and get the pipe fixed. This should stop these odors from coming up in your home.

Pools Of Water On The Lawn

If water coming up in your yard is not a normal thing, that’s a huge sign that either sewage is seeping out of your pipes, or you may have a break in the water line. We will need to figure out what the problem is and repair it as soon as possible.

Flooding In The Yard

This usually happens when someone has performed some sort of DIY pipe repair in the past, and it wasn’t repaired correctly. For example, they didn’t do a proper connection on that pipe and over time it just created a huge problem. So in this case, we’d have to dig out that section of the plumbing, determine the proper connections were inspected and then proceed to repair the problem.

Foundation Problems

Foundation problems are a huge sign that you’re having sewer backups in the home. It may not be a backup that you’re seeing since the drains are underground. But the sewer and water will eventually find their way up towards the surface, and that’s where you’ll start seeing cracking and foundation issues. Worst case scenario: You don’t get the pipe repaired and you have to get your house mud-jacked. That’s a very costly repair on top of having to get your sewer line done as well.

Reason For The Main Sewer Line Clog

The worst thing, believe it or not, is going to be your hair that goes down the bathtub, especially if you’ve already been having sewer problems in the past or any sewer backups already.

That extra stuff clings right on and kind of closes that pipe up even quicker. Food down your kitchen pipe is another really bad thing. Scooping food into the sink can be a problem if your drains are not designed right.

Flushable wipes too. These things can result in making your home not much of a home as far as usefulness.

How To Fix The Roots In Sewer Line

Sometimes your yard will grow around and into your sewer line. A sign this has happened is a green spot in the lawn. Typically, you’ll see a random strip of green in the yard or a low spot. That’s because everything is going towards that water and causing extra settling.

Preventive Maintenance for Sewer Lines

Anything before 1982 they used cast iron piping, and that piping is notorious for rusting out and you’ll start to see a lot of times issues like drain back ups, slight bubbling, or you’ll see black water, which is a huge sign that there’s going to be a rusted out pipe in the home and that needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible.

They thought it was a good idea to use lead piping for water . And that’s a whole other subject we can get into for sure, but that will cause corrosion inside the pipe, and the pipe basically closes up on itself. When you see that, you are drinking the metal that has deteriorated.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Colorado Springs is notorious for the crazy up and down weather. There are cold snaps and that can cause sewer problems, into the worst case scenario and potentially freeze your lines. A lot of the pipes we have here in Colorado Springs area are right on that frost line. Read about the coldest day on record here.

What To Expect From A Sewer Camera Inspection

Our drain technicians will teach you how to unclog main sewer line, come out, and they play a crucial role in this process. They do a full inspection on every drain in the home, and we have a checklist that we make sure that everything is either a pass or fail on that drain to make sure that you don’t call us back with a potential problem a week later.

Testing Of Different Drains

First step. We have a system of testing multiple different drains to potentially recreate and regain control of the situation. Any information the homeowner can provide as far as if they heard a gurgle in the toilet, or they were running the shower and they got out and the toilet bowl water was lower than normal. Any of that information, anything they can remember is huge.

Sewer Line Cleaning

Second Step. Once understanding the situation, we perform a drain cleaning to make sure that the lines are completely unclogged so all the water is out of the system, even if it wasn’t backing up, we need to do that.

Line Inspection Camera For Health Analysis

The third step is sending a camera down so we can do a sewer line inspection and repair.

We have a different way of looking and listening to the drains. We have a different set of ears as far as how it comes to listening to those drains that we can recommend any sort of repairs, or cleanings, or replacements that are needed on that.

Tiered Solution Recommendations

The best part about calling Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical is that we always offer tiered solutions. Low price band-aid solutions so you can quickly use your system again, however it may not be a long term solution. All the way up to premium services which would completely solve future issues.

We also work with monthly payments and offer quite a few different options on how we can get that covered as well.

If our plumbing and sewer services are required to establish standard usage, we have to speak with decision-makers. Anyone that is on the title of the home, we will need them there. In the case a repair is necessary, it can be a surprise expense. Most people don’t plan for this type of situation.

The Smith Difference

If you suspect problems or a main sewer line repair is necessary, stop using water and schedule a time for us to come out and evaluate the situation. The more water in the lines, the higher the chance it will seep out of the pipe if there is a break in the pipe. Learn about the main line and about preventive maintenance for your home sewer from one of our sewer line experts.

Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical has been in the local area since 1974, it’s a very tight knit community and we drive bright pink trucks, so we’re not out running you and we do a good job at the work that we do. You can give us a call at 719-392-4269 or visit our website. We will get you squared away with a free inspection on the plumbing side. Visit our other page to know about ways to clean sewer and drainage lines.

Have you ever come home or wake up to realize your drains have backed up? Maybe it’s been years since you had your drains checked, perhaps you suspected an issue, or you were expecting something bad to happen any day. The truth is that the day for a sewer line inspection and repair will inevitably come. It’s the time when most drains will probably need replacing or at least repairing to make the indoor plumbing functioning again. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the sewer lines in your house.

How To Know If Your Sewage System Is Backed Up

Indoor Floods

So of course the sewage system never backs up when you want them to. Normally what we experience is that you’ll be turning on the dishwasher or washing machine or upstairs taking a shower. If you’re upstairs or elsewhere and one’s around it can get to be a problem of not noticing, because sewers do back up at the lowest point in your home.

So if you’re unlucky that could be potentially flooding into a bathtub or most of the time flooding into the lowest drain, which might be your floor.

Foul Smell

Usually any drain in the home can produce a bad smell, not just the toilet. Any uncommon smells are a sign also, this bad smell can come before you have any type of backup, unfortunately, in some situations, it does happen quickly.

Slow Drains

When there’s more than one drain backing up in the home that’s a sign that an issue is going on. It’s going to be a huge sign that you’re gonna be having a potential main drain blockage. It’s usually going to start with one drain and then spread to others.

Water Damage

If you’re having water coming up from underneath something, it’s a huge sign that there’s either natural water or sewer problems as most of the drains used cast iron systems back in the day.

If you ever used a cast iron pan and left it in the sink, it quickly corrodes. So imagine old pipes made of cast iron that are carrying water for decades that start to fail. These lead to water damage in the home and if you can detect it, can be signs of a much larger issue than just a mop and bucket.

Toilet Bubbling

The number one thing is that you’re going to start having issues with your drains, potentially bubbling in the toilet. It is potentially caused by a blocked pipe in the mainline causing negative air pressure in the pipe.

A professional plumber, such as us, can determine whether the bubbling toilet is caused by water mainline issues, but you may also notice other signs around your home.

Types Of Pipes For Regular Maintenance And Inspecting

It’s all going to depend on what we see on the initial Sewer Scope. What comes during the sewer line camera inspection will determine a lot of what we decide. Unfortunately, we don’t have X-ray vision.

We always offer a free one time camera inspection to any first time customer using Smith. With that camera, we can determine the strength of your lines and suggest a time period to set cleanings and inspections in the future.

How To Maintain Sewer Line Properly And Avoid Costly Replacements

Install A Sewer Line Cleanout

So the best way to do any sort of maintenance to your drainage system is to install a set of standard two-way sewer cleanouts, those will provide easier access so we don’t have to come into the home and inconvenience the entire family.

Schedule Regular Inspections and Cleaning

We like to suggest we do our annual sewer line cleaning and line inspection down the drain to make sure that you stay on top of it and without issues. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have any sewer problems. We send a camera down or a snake down once a year before those problems develop.

Determine Whether You Have Roots In The Sewer

Clients will often say, “I took the trees out five years ago, I’m not sure why this is still happening”. Roots tend to grow straight down and unless you’re ripping out every root in your yard and actually getting to the real problem, they’ll still keep growing and potentially disrupt your lines. See what Bob Vila has to say about trees and sewers.

Do NOT Put Stuff On Your Drains Carelessly

Homeowners put things down the drain that really don’t belong there. A properly constructed drainage or sewage system should never have a problem. The only thing you should really try to avoid would be any sort of debris into the bathtub. Hair is gonna be the biggest potential issue here. So after shaving, just run extra water with the shaving cream or whatever else makes its way down the drain.

There are twists and turns in the pipe. But running more water might help you. The more water and the more maintenance that you do on the system will help prevent that kind of clogs.

Start With A Proper Inspection

Lifespan Of Typical Residential Drainage System

Any home before 1982, the plumbing system is gonna be what we consider obsolete material, which is we don’t typically use that for installations. What you’ll see in homes before is cast iron piping. You’ll also see galvanized steel and lead piping for your above-ground drains, which is a crazy idea.

How To Inspect A Drain Pipe

We always recommend that you do a drain cleaning first, even if it’s not backing up. The reason why we want to do that is that we want to get the drain as clean as possible in case there’s any sort of backup or debris in any system.

The second step would be getting a camera down the line so we can see exactly the true integrity of the pipes. And then, once we determine if there’s any fault in the pipe or maybe even a pipe bursting, we will offer those repair/replacements options, so the homeowner can choose what they’d like to do from there.

Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical

When you need a main water line replacement, our professionals at Smith make it easy. Whether you notice wet spots on your lawn, a decrease in water pressure, or any strange plumbing issues, we are the ones to call.

We guarantee 100% customer satisfaction with all of the work we perform. Our integrity is the backbone of our business. You can rely on us for quality work.

Top-Tiered Option For Replacement Solutions

We offer many tiered solutions for your home needs. Premium solutions that ensure you will never have a plumber out at your house again. Also, lesser main sewer line replacement cost options where you are looking for value and savings when it comes time to replace a sewer.

Serving Colorado Springs Since 1974

Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical – drain and sewer services.

In our community, we make sure to drive pink trucks to showcase our brand, so we definitely want to serve our community in the best way possible. Don’t waste time searching in Google for “sewer line replacement near me”, you’ve probably seen us around, just dial us or visit our homepage.

When things are functioning properly, plumbing, drains, and sewers never get a second thought. Only when things go wrong or when you get a clogged sewer line do you ever think about them. And when that happens, it’s intrusive, annoying, and causes emergency service.

One of the things that can go wrong is a sewer backup. Most frequently, a clogged sewer drain causes water to back up into the drain pan. It is a typical issue that can be remedied by drain maintenance and/or professional cleaning.

A sewer line becomes clogged when silt or debris accumulates and obstructs the free movement of water.

Over time, they can build up to the point where they begin to limit water flow. Unchecked, a clogged sewer drain can cause more damage than just a mess. Here are the do’s and don’ts when you are experiencing problematic drains:

Do’s and Don’ts When You Need to Unclog The Main Sewer Line

You may have a clogged or backed-up drain. And you’re asking how to unclog this thing?

DON’T Pour Chemicals Down The Drain

Never pour chemicals down your sewage line, as this can cause harm to the drain or the technician when one eventually has to come out. Also, if it splashes, chemicals can cause burns. Also, many of them are acidic, and your drains are metal. So just be cautious of that.

DO Figure Out What Kind Of Clog It Is

If you have sewer drain pains in your home, the number one thing you can try to do is figure out if this is going to be a main sewer line clog or a secondary clog.

The main sewer clog is when anything in your home causes the situation to be worse. So, for example, if your kitchen drains back up into your tub or flushes the toilet, which makes it all worse, that will be the main drain.

A secondary clog would be considered if you only have one drain or multiple drains in the home that back up but do not cause the other drains that are backing up to have a problem. So you could check and see if it is a visible hair clog, and you can just untwist the top of the drain and potentially pull the clock out from there. Another thing you could try to do would be to isolate this. Again, we want to know if it’s the main drain or not.

DON’T Use Drain Snakes

So the number one thing that we’d recommend that you don’t ever try to do, if it is something besides a simple hair clog or a simple fix, would be to attempt to snake the drain yourself to clean out your sewer line.

Now they make it very easy for you to go out and rent a snake and attempt to do a drain cleaning. But snakes can cause more damage than they remedy if you don’t know how to use them correctly.

That’s why specialists do extensive training regarding how to operate the equipment safely throughout your home and to ensure they only unclog the drain and don’t break it.

DO Take Pictures And Videos

Another thing that we recommend is to take pictures. Pictures and videos. Even if it backs up and goes away. Any sort of picture that you can get that shows where it backed up and what potentially caused it will help our guys tremendously.

I’m sure we’ve all had that experience. When you go to the mechanic, it never does what you said it was doing. So the same thing happens with plumbers all the time. That’s why any video proof or pictures you have helps out tremendously. Often times we can diagnose the sewer or plumbing issue and resolve it even if the issue subsides. This way, you won’t have to explain a mysterious issue, “I swear it was just backed up before you got here!!”.

DON’T Keep Using The Drain

What could also happen is you can stop using that sewage line. I know it’s super unfortunate to have to deal with this situation. However, the longer the water does not go through the sewer drain, the better. It could be easier for the technician to get that drain line open and going for you.

DO Limit The Amount Of Junk

One more thing you can try to do would be to limit the amount of junk that goes down there — garbage disposal. Try not to use your sewer line for a while to limit the amount of hair that gets down the drain.

DO Call A Professional Cleaner

And of course, I’m going to highly recommend that you always call a professional company, like Smith Pink Trucks, when you have any backup. We’re trained, and we’re here to help.

You can set up drain maintenance so you don’t have any sort of worry or stress with your busy schedule on how you will fit that in. We can automate all of it for you.

Importance Of A Scheduled Sewer Line Cleaning

Regardless of how efficient a drainage system initially appears to be, it will eventually require maintenance. Similar to many other systems, drains endure problems and wear and tear over time. Both outdoor and indoor sewer drains are equally susceptible to issues.

Smith Pink Trucks has expertly trained staff who can handle any sewer line cleanout. We have a whole division dedicated to cleaning out your lines with equipment and a strategy that works. Whether it means a camera inspection service to identify blockages, sewer line cleaning, snaking out lines, or getting into the cleanout… We’ve got you covered.

Maintaining and cleaning your drainage system on a regular basis can assist keep it in functioning order and good condition.

If you do find yourself with a clogged line, observe the do’s and don’ts mentioned above to avoid worsening the problem. You may contact Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical in Colorado Springs to set an appointment for drain and sewer maintenance. Visit our homepage for more information!