Blog

The Main Causes of Sewer & Drain Repairs

When a sewer or drain backs up in your home, it’s fair to say some kind of blockage is at work. As annoying as that can be, you notice the problem immediately which then enables you to fast action to get the problem resolved.

But what happens when a sewer or drain line cracks, leaks, or comes apart and needs to be repaired? That’s not as easy to detect, at least not right away.

Here are the most likely causes of sewer and drain problems other than blockages:

• Broken or cracked pipes caused by shifting soil, frozen ground, and other factors.

• Corrosion. Time, chemicals, the pipe material itself, and other factors have caused such a high level of internal corrosion that the pipe has cracked, broken apart, or collapsed.
• Bellied pipe. One or more sections of pipe have collapsed and have formed their own waste collection areas that will only continue to grow until the problem is fixed.
• Leaking joints. When the seals that connect sections of drain or sewer pipes break, water escapes into areas around the pipe, underground, or inside your home. These joints must be repaired or replaced to stop the damage.
• Tree or shrub root invasion. The slightest crack or separation between underground sewer lines can allow tress and shrub roots to enter and feast on the nutrients that inhabit human waste matter.  Once access has been gained, roots will only grow while new ones enter until the pipe is completely blocked – unless the problem is identified and corrected sooner.
• Lack of ongoing maintenance.  Most sewer and drain problems can be avoided with ongoing maintenance and inspections.  Here at Messmer Mechanical, we employ dedicated video inspection cameras to find problems in the making, or problems in the early stages of development. That enables us to take the necessary action before the problem becomes bigger and costlier to repair.

For sewer and drain clearing, repair, and replacement at its best – along with ongoing maintenance – contact Messmer Mechanical today.