Sewer Repair What You Should Know

When broken sewer pipes require repairs, they pose a few distinct challenges for their current homeowners -- and frequently even for the plumbing contractors that get called in for the big jobs.

Cast iron was previously the gold standard in plumbing lines, including the lateral line, which is the drain from your house into the sewer main. When this pipe bursts, often the ideal course of action is to replace the existing pipe with new ABS pipe that will not face the same dangers in the future.

Another modern sewer pipe replacement method is called trenchless plumbing. This method makes it possible to repair the sewer pipe without digging a trench. One variety of trenchless sewer pipe repair is called the "bursting method": Contracters will thread a new pipeline through the existing, ruptured pipeline. This further expands the broken pipeline to make way for the new one.

Another trenchless sewer pipeline repair approach is the "lining method." Using this technique, contracters will insert a flexible tube through the existing sewer pipe and inflate it. This lining will then make any breaks in the existing pipe totally moot. Furthermore, the lining can easily be taken out and fixed (or replaced) when needed.

Even with trenchless sewer pipe repair, it is possible for invasive roots to repeat their damage. In addition to repairing the ruptures in the pipe, plumbers may consider blocking root growth in the direction of the sewer pipe for any nearby trees.

The price of sewer pipe repair dramatically varies depending on the company doing the work and how much work there is to do. Some sewer pipes run beneath garages, driveways, or landscaping. Especially under such circumstances, trenchless replacement can be a very desirable option. When choosing a plumber, request estimates from at least two different plumbers. Check that all of the estimates include all of the same work. Contractors often charge significantly different costs for similar parts. Also make sure you get in writing the agreed-upon state of your property once the work is finished. Put another way, if a contracter does have to dig through your lawn or necessitate other cleanup work, it should be agreed upon whose job it is -- yours or theirs -- to clean it up.

Whenever you request an estimate for a sewer repair, have a sense of whether similar repairs will have to be have to be performed in the very near future. Especially in older homes (or newer homes connecting to an older sewer pipeline), it could be worth paying for an entire replacement project instead of little-by-little repairs, so that you won't have to deal with this same problem not long from now. Many plumbing businesses such as sewer repair services Tacoma WA offer a warranty on sewer pipe replacement, some of them for as long as you own the house.