Needing to repair or replace your home’s sewer can be a nightmare. For one thing, you won’t be able to use your plumbing until the job is finished, and sewer replacement can take more than a full day. Sewer issues can occur for a variety of reasons, such as age or improper use. One thing that you may not realize is that the composition of the soil in your yard can also have an impact on your sewer line and potentially lead to it being damaged.
The Effect Different Types of Soil Can Have On a Sewer Line
There are a number of different types of soil, but most places in Indiana have sandy soil, clay soil or black loam. The abundance of loam is one of the reasons why the state has so much agriculture since it is the best type of soil for growing crops. Loam is a mixture of silt, sand and clay, and it drains much better than mostly clay soil. It also doesn’t have nearly as big of an issue with compaction as clay soil nor does it erode or shift nearly as much as sandy soil. These factors mean that loam generally doesn’t have as great of a potential impact on a home’s sewer line as sandy or clay soil.
Soil that has a high concentration of clay drains poorly and can retain large amounts of water. That means it can easily get waterlogged, which results in it expanding or swelling. This expansion can then exert additional pressure on an underground sewer line, potentially leading to cracks or part of the pipe completely breaking or collapsing. Clay soil also tends to get more and more compacted over time, leading to increased pressure on the sewer line. Another issue, when there’s a lot of groundwater due to poor-draining clay soil, is that the water can end up infiltrating the sewer line if it has any cracks or holes. During heavy rains, this can potentially overwhelm the sewer line. It can begin backing up, and you’ll end up with sewage flowing back onto your floors and shower drains.
When installing a new sewer line, we usually put a layer of sand or pea gravel at the bottom of the trench for the pipe to sit on. This creates a stable base for the pipe and makes it much easier to get the pipe running at the correct slope so that it drains properly. Once the line is in place, we also typically cover it with around 1 foot of sand or pea gravel that then gets compacted. This ensures that the sewer line is secure and helps to prevent it from shifting.
When all of your yard has overly sandy soil, though, rain and snowmelt can cause the ground to shift. This can exert pressure on the sewer line or cause it to break. The fact that water drains out of sandy soil so quickly means you can also encounter issues where the soil around the sewer line essentially gets eroded away. This can lead to the sewer line not being properly supported, which can result in breaks or part of the pipe sagging. A sag or belly can be a big problem since waste can get trapped, creating the potential for the pipe to frequently clog.
How to Spot Problems With Your Home’s Sewer Line
When it comes to your home’s sewer line, the biggest concern is that it can start backing up. A major sewage backup can potentially do extensive water damage if you don’t spot it immediately and start using a wet/dry vacuum to clean up all of the wastewater. You also have to worry about contamination since sewage can potentially contain a range of harmful pathogens. Another concern is that, once your sewer line starts backing up, it will usually continue to back up. That means you’ll have more sewage coming up out of your drains every time you flush the toilet, shower, or run your dishwasher or washing machine.
If you ever experience a sewage backup, you should call a plumbing company that’s experienced in rooter or sewer cleaning services. Backups usually indicate a clog in your sewer line, and it needs to be rooted or hydro-jetted. However, you should also make sure to have the company perform a camera inspection since backups can also indicate you have sewer line damage or the line has completely failed.
In situations where your sewer line is beginning to clog, you’ll usually notice some telltale signs. One is if all of your plumbing fixtures are draining slower than usual and you hear a gurgling sound coming from your drains as the water goes down. You’ll also typically notice that the water and waste in your toilet don’t go down as fast when you flush. Sometimes, your toilets may even not flush fully the first time and may require two flushes.
Options for Overcoming Sewer Issues
Hydro-jetting is an effective method for clearing a clogged sewer line but only if the pipe is still in good shape and has no cracks or holes. If your sewer line is damaged due to the soil shifting or as a result of soil compaction or erosion, your only options are repair or replacement. Trenchless sewer repair is a great way to take care of minor damage, like cracks or small holes. The process is known as pipe lining and involves inflating a special tube inside the sewer line. Before the tube is inserted, it’s first soaked in an epoxy resin that allows it to fully adhere and bond with the inside of the existing pipe. After the epoxy is cured, the tube becomes extremely hard and essentially creates a new pipe within the old pipe.
If your sewer line is broken, has large holes or has more substantial damage, replacement is the only effective option. Trenchless sewer replacement or pipe bursting is sometimes an option that allows a plumbing company to install a new sewer line without needing to dig up the old line. How it works is that a winch is used to pull a large metal wedge through the old sewer line, which breaks the pipe up and pushes it out of the way. The plumbers can then use the winch to pull a new flexible pipe into the underground void left by the old pipe. You will need to have a hole dug next to your foundation and another dug in the street to attach the ends of the new pipe to your home and the municipal sewer main. However, the process is far less invasive compared to digging up the entire yard.
The only thing is that trenchless replacement won’t work if your existing sewer line has sagged and has a belly in it or isn’t draining properly because it isn’t sufficiently sloped. That’s because the new pipe runs exactly where the old pipe did. That means you’ll need to have the pipe dug up to fix this issue. Similarly, trenchless pipe lining also won’t be effective if there are any sags in the sewer line or if it doesn’t have the proper slope.
Our Expert Plumbers
As one of the leading plumbing companies in the Indianapolis area, you can trust Hope Plumbing to expertly handle all of your sewer and drain repair and installation needs. We specialize in rooting and hydro-jetting as well as trenchless and traditional sewer repair and replacement. Whether you need to have your sewer line inspected or cleaned or require any other plumbing service, contact our team today to ensure you get prompt, professional service.
