Do you have a problem where water has backed up into your home's basement? If so, it could be due to a broken sewer line. While this is a problem that can be fixed, it will take a professional plumber and some potential excavating to get the job done. Here is what you can expect to happen to repair a broken sewer line.
An Inspection
The first thing that a plumber will do is perform an inspection. This will be done by putting a camera into the sewer line to see what is happening in it. They'll look for things like a collapsed pipe, if there is debris blocking the pipe, or if there are tree roots clogging the pipe. In addition to suggesting advice to repair the main sewer line, your plumber may give suggestions to prevent future damage. For instance, cutting down a nearby tree if there are tree roots growing into the pipe.
Snaking
It is common for a plumber to snake your sewer line if there is debris in it. This is done by fishing in a flexible pipe with a blade on the end that spins, which will cut through debris that is blocking the path. This may not fix all problems with debris in the pipe, but it can fix most of them when they are due to clogs caused by items that have gone down the drain.
Hydro Jetting
The alternative to using a sewer snake is hydro jetting. It works by shooting a powerful stream of water into the pipe to break up the debris that is in it. It's the next step to take when snaking doesn't work. This is the ideal method to use when trying to destroy large tree roots that are in the pipe since it creates very high water pressure to break them off and force them further down the sewer.
Excavation
If your sewer line has collapsed, the only way to fix it will be excavation. This involved digging up your yard to reach your sewer line, and then replace placing the old pipe with a new pipe. This is often the case when people have ceramic drain tiles that must be replaced with PVC pipe. The cost of handling this repair may be more than you expect, so it is worth contacting your home insurance company and find out if you can file a home insurance claim to cover it.
For more information, contact a company like Vanhook Plumbing Heating & Cooling.
