By Anita Ginsburg
Issues with your home’s sewer line can interrupt your daily life. If left alone and unrepaired, it can increase your home’s risk of serious structural damage. It's for this reason that it's vital to always keep an eye out for any of these warning signs:
Multiple Slow Drains
When a single drain is slow, it is often caused by a smaller clog in the trap or somewhere else higher up in the system. However, if you've recently noticed that multiple drains throughout your home are slow, then it is time to consider calling professional plumbing services. Multiple clogged drains could be the result of a clogged sewer line that needs to be addressed right away. Failing to unclog the line might lead to a burst pipe or other type of serious damage in your home.
Lingering Sewage Odors
It's an unfortunate fact that a damaged sewer line can lead to your entire property smelling unpleasant. Although minor odors around toilets and drains are perfectly normal, you should be wary if you can smell sewage all over your property. The smells might also be particularly noticeable out in your yard if the sewage line has a crack or leak of any type.
Mold
Whenever there is excess moisture in a small space, mold can be a very real threat. In addition to simply being unsightly, mold can be a serious health hazard for you and your family, especially if anyone in the house suffers respiratory issues, such as asthma. In a damaged sewer line, the mold might be found in your basement or even around some of the exterior walls. Depending on the severity of the leak, you might also find standing water in your basement or near the outer foundation of your home.
Changes to Your Yard
When damage to your sewage line occurs outside of the home, it might impact how your lawn looks or feels. The extra moisture from a sewer leak could make your grass more lush, or it could kill off patches of your lawn. You might also notice that areas of your lawn seem muddy or wet, even if it hasn't rained in your area recently.
A damaged sewer line is one issue that homeowners should never ignore. If you have recently noticed any signs that your plumbing system might be damaged, you should schedule an immediate service call with a contractor who can inspect the system and deal with any issues that they find.
Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, Colorado. She studied at Colorado State University and now enjoys writing about health, business, and family. A mother of two wonderful children, she loves traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. If you notice damaged sewage lines on your property, she recommends getting plumbing services as soon as possible. You can find her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.
