Sewer leak

Sewer leak is one of the most dangerous problems which need to be fixed immediately, otherwise, it will cause too many troubles for you. The early detection of the issue, helps you to prevent the ruin of your whole drainage system, however if you noticed some leak and ignored it for some days, it will spread and infect more areas in your drainage system. That’s why it’s very important advice for you, to call a professional company to examine your sewer system once you notice any kind of leak even if it’s not too big one in order to save yourself and your home from a bigger problem.

Sewer leak

A leaking sewer pipe:

Do you have a sewer leak? A leak in the sewer can be a serious problem, in financial and especially health. The most common way by finding out that something is not right with your sewers is by smelling horrible odours, coming from the sewers. The smell is something that you cannot ignore and you do not need somebody to explain to you that is from the sewers. Once you smell a problem in the sewers, you will know. The smell is similar to human body disposals after being collected for a long time. It is indeed a very horrible smell that can’t pass unnoticed. What you should do in this case? Try to get it sorted as soon as possible.

How to detect a sewer leak:

The most common way to identify a sewer leaking pipe is by the smell. However, can be cases when the weather is very cold and the odour is not as heavy as it is during the summer time. Of course many times the smell can be coming from the neighbours’ sewers, which can be felt thanks to the wind that makes it look like is your own sewer.

Sewer leak soil:

So, another way to identify a sewer leak is by seeing the ground being all wet in that area. You will notice that the ground is wet or more soaked than the rest. There may be filthy wastewater on the surface, so make sure you keep away from that. Depending on how often you have been using the water at home, the kind of the soil you have and how deep in the ground the pipes are buried, the soil where a sewer leak is, will get swampy or just wet. So, try to avoid that area as much as you can.

Can a sewer leak make you sick?

Do you think that a sewer leak has only those disgusting smell and nothing else? You have not been informed as should be on this matter. On a sewer leak, you have a very big chance to have direct contact with the wastewater. The wastewater is full of germs and bacteria that can cause to you from simple diarrhoea to fever, strong headaches and parasites in your intestines. So you can be treated from a couple of days’ sick to a chronic disease, or sometimes death.

Sewer gas leak symptoms:

Another main problem you will be having with a leak in the sewer pipe is the gas coming from there. For some people is so hard this smell that can make you vomit, but the main problem with the gas are the chemicals that are contained in them. Apart from the fact that is flammable, the gas from the sewers if is being inhaled by a large amount, it can cause dizziness, strong headaches and in some cases, you may faint. What you need to do while waiting for a sewer installation company to arrives, you should open the windows in your house, so fresh air may be able to come in.

Sewer leak dangers:

So, in a gas leak situation who is the one who may danger? Is it just you and the people who live in the house or your surroundings also? The wastewater coming out from a sewer leak can be dangerous for everybody who may get in contact. Your neighbour is the person most likely to have problem with your sewer’s pipe leak because he is the person who is closest to it, but what can cause serious problems here are the animals. Animals may have direct contact with the sewer leak, which they will get infected. The infected animal or bird then is much easier to spread the infection to people, since it is very hard to detect on it, and it can be spread in a larger area. The same way goes for the mosquitoes and the flies. They may live short, but their large number and the way the can multiply can very easily spread a serious infection on the people of that area.

Report a sewer leak:

In order for you to be safe and sound, you must report a leaking issue as soon as possible. When reporting a leaking issue, you must include everything not right you have noticed on the sewers. You need to fill up with as many details as possible, so the sewer service will be able to acknowledge the emergence of the situation you need the assistance with.

Fixing a sewer leaking pipe:

It depends on where you have leaking problem on the pipe. You may be having a leaking sewer pipe in the foundation, in the garden or in the basement. In every case, a different method in order for the leaking to be fixed needs to be used. Most of the times this is not something you should try to do it yourself, so better leave a professional with proper tools to do it.

Leak around sewer pipe basement:

The leak in the sewer in the basement is one of the pipes that is one of the easiest to be fixed. It can be very easy identified because the pipes in the basement are the ones that are exposed in most of the cases. The gas and strong odours will be not as strong as if the leak was outside of the house because nothing stays in the pipes. In any case, you cannot ignore that fact and you must have it fixed straight away for health reasons.

Leak tight sewer systems:

Are the pipes in your sewer system too tight? When in the past you decided to get cheaper sewer pipes who were much tight and much cheaper, you didn’t think that is more common to cause you a problem. Tighter sewer pipes are getting clogged more often, with the result you have to apply more pressure to unclog them. With this process to be done a few times, the pipes will eventually dislocate and a leak will be caused. So in the end, you will have to spend more time and money in order to have it sorted than if you have installed right from the beginning wider pipes.

Roof leak sewer vent:

The sewer vent after time can be damaged and cause a leak under the roof. If you will be not able to identify the issue fast, it can cause you a problem with your house’s roof, so you will have to spend much more on fixing it. What you can do is replace the ending part of the sewer vent, which has been destroyed and is causing the leaking. Another thing you can do in this situation, which you will not have to uninstall anything from there, is once you clean it properly you apply silicone around the area that has been damaged.

Sewer backup leak:

Have you experienced the water backing up from the sewers? It means that you have a problem with your septic tank. After time, the sludge from the waste disposals that are going down the drains to the sewers is going through a septic tank. This is where all the sludge is getting collected. What you need to do is to get a sewer service in order to have the septic tank pumped for you. If you pumped it recently in a short period of time and you are still having issues with water backing up in the house you need to get sewer service to make a further examination in your sewage system.

Sewer gas leak from the toilet:

If you are experiencing a gas leak coming right out from the toilet, it is possible that the pipe connected to the toilet is dislocated. Depending on the water pressure applied it may not cause further wastewater leaks, but you need to fix it straight away. You can unscrew the part that goes down the central sewers, so you can have a look at what is causing it. It may be just a little loose so, apply Teflon tape and screw it back together.

Sewer gas leak smoke test:

How is it possible to find one or multiple leaks of sewer gas in the house? Well, you can feel the horrible odour coming from the sewers, but without any other sign will it be possible to identify the place where is the leak? It is very simple but is not something that you should try yourself. Sewer services are using smoke in order to detect sewers leaks in the pipes. How does it work exactly? The put through the vent in the roof down the sewers an item that causes a smokescreen. They plug the holes in the drains, so the smoke will have no other way out apart from the vent and of course from the place responsible for the gas leak. Sounds very clever, doesn’t it?

Sewer leak dye:

Another way to be able to locate the sewer leak is by using a leak dye. The sewer leak dye is a chemical that is going down the drains with help of the water, changing the colour of it. With the dye, you can see inside the pipes flow of the wastewater that is going down sewers. But most important if there is a leak on the pipes, it will definitely pinpoint the location of it and how large is the damage on it.

Sewer leak detection equipment:

Have you though how many different equipment are being used in order to detect a sewer leak? Imagine you have no idea where the sewer pipes are and you do not have time to look for the building’s plans. The sewage services have a tool that locates the place and the depth that the pipe is located. If you can’t locate it, how you were meant to start digging? Even if you would find accidentally the pipes you may break them cause you wouldn’t expecting them to be there.

Another tool that is being used down the sewer pipes, it is a cable with a camera. Sometimes sewage services must check inside the pipes for possible leaks, clogs sludge collected and water flow. Is there a better way to look up close than using a camera?

Sewer leak plumber:

Depending on where your sewage system has a leak, you may consider a plumber. If it is a sewer leak inside the house or in a place that is not deep inside the ground, getting a plumber will be the fastest way to have it sorted. However, just as we said what a normal plumber will be able to do with your sewer leak will be limited. So, are you sure that you no other issues with your sewage system so it can be fixed easily?

Sewer leak check:

Once brand new sewer pipes have been newly installed or a leak has been fixed, they need to be checked. The sewage company needs to make sure that they did a proper job with your sewage system. The best way to check for possible leaks is by doing the smoke test. They will fill up the pipes with smoke, so they will be able to see if are any leaks in the drains or an area that has not been properly isolated and can cause serious problems in the future. After all, always when a job is finished must be double checked in order to be sure that has been done correctly.

Sewer leak in the front yard:

Have you noticed a sewer leak in the front yard of your house? It will not affect just you, but everybody also living in the area. The damaged pipe is possible to be caused where the area’s main sewer pipe is located. The only people who will make a full diagnosis on this matter is a sewage service company. The front yard of your house is being used as the final part of the pipes before they join the city’s sewers. Once the issue has been identified by a professional, you will know where you are standing at the moment regarding the sewer leak. Also, you should expect a lot of work for the sewage company to come to do for you. However, there may be some cases where you noticed the sewer leak in the front yard which is definitely not something that should be considering you financial because the real problem will be with the area’s sewer pipes. Guess it was your lucky day that day, wasn’t it?

Sewer leak under foundation:

The house’s foundation, known also as a concrete slab, is the base of the house that is holding it into place. But when a sewer pipe is installed is going under the foundation. Why is that happening? Because by the sewage pipes going under the whole house the wastewater will be able to leave the house more effectively. So in order for that to be achieved and the wastewater will not stay inside the pipes, the pipes need to have the right tilt pointing downwards. Because of that, under the foundation, you have limited access to the sewage pipes. Concrete is not the same like soil which you can easily dig up, fix the problem and put the soil back on. With the concrete, you may need to use tools to break the slab of your house in order to go to the sewer pipe. That is why in this case, you must be 100 per cent sure of the exact location of the leak, before taking further actions. In order for that to be achieved you need the right tools, which possible only a sewage installation company has what is necessary for this job. Of course, once the leak has been fixed and the pipes have been tested for other leaks, new concrete needs to be applied on the top in order to prevent other damages and bring back the slab in its original situation.

Sewer leak covered by insurance:

Most people have homeowners’ insurance for their houses. Well, like every insurance depending on the policy you have signed up for, can cover for different things and problems you are facing. And also like in every case, before you get to claim the money for the cover cost they need to investigate it if you have the right to claim. The insurance, if you have a policy for sewer problems, probably will not cover you for damages that have occurred outside your house area. But it may cover you for a leak repair under the house’s foundation. Also, for a new installation without the right permission and the emergence of the problem, the insurance company may not cover you. In other cases, it can be caused by not the right repair you did in your clogged drains by yourself or a local plumber. If it is the plumber’s or your fault on the sewage pipes, the insurance company will definitely not cover you for the problem that needs fixing. So, the best thing to do is read very well the insurance’s policy you have paid for. Is better to know when you need it, before taking further actions that may end up cost you more than you have expected.

Sewer leak isolation:

What is the purpose of the isolation in the sewer’s pipes? Well, without having the pipes isolated, the pipes do not have the right purpose, do they? After time, the isolation between the pipes may lose its strength and needs to be replaced. That why the leak in the pipes has been caused. Once the leak on the sewer’s pipe has been located and the previous isolation that is causing the problem has been detected, the old isolation needs to be removed. Once removed, the area needs to be cleaned and new isolation material (usually silicone) applied. Then the leaking on the sewer pipe would have been fixed.

Sewer leak seal:

So, you have identified a sewer pipe that is leaking and you want to try to fix by yourself temporarily. You do not want to have serious problems and to get a sewage service for a small job so you decided you want to give it a try. What you need in order to seal it is either silicone applied where the leaking is or epoxy putty. However, before applying you need to make sure the area you are applying on is perfectly dry and clean of dust and dirt. Otherwise, it will come off. Once applied you need to leave it overnight without pouring any water down the drains in order to dry off. This should have sealed the pipe and temporarily solved your sewer leaking problem.

Sewer leak under mobile home:

In a mobile home, the sewer pipes are easier to operate, since they are above the ground. It is also easier for a sewer leak to be identified, so you can have it sorted easier. Once you have identified the leaking area, you can look closer at the issue. You may need to replace the pipe or use silicone on the connection area, in order to isolate the leak and have the problem sorted.

Rv sewer valve and hose leak:

There may be cases when you have a problem with your RV’s valve or its hose that is leaking. This is happening because the rubber ring inside the valve is old and loose, or the connection with the hose is broken. Before you take any actions, check if it is just dirty inside and that’s why it cannot get connected properly. If this will be not able to sort your problem, all you can do is to replace it. You can possibly find those parts in a gas station, or in a shop with plumber parts.

Sewer leak replacement cost:

When it comes to cost about repair or replacement, can be many different factors which make a difference in the price. The width of the pipes, the length of the sewage system and the materials that are supposed to be used, play the main role on the factor about a sewer leak cost. If you want to know more about pricing, contact us and we will give the best solution in your situation for the right price.

Has this article helped with what to expect on a sewer leak? For further questions, contact us and we will be happy to help you.

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