Whether you’re buying a home in Louisville or Elizabethtown, KY or already own one, you need a sewer line inspection. To protect your investment and the health and habitability of your living space, you should schedule this service every 18 to 22 months. At Absolute Services, we’re sharing several important reasons why. All Of Your Wastewater Pipes Empty Into Your Sewer Line Every fixture, drain, and plumbing-connected appliance in your home empties into your sewer line. The health and integrity of this pipe impact the health and integrity of your entire wastewater system. If your sewer line has a full or partial blockage, nothing will work as it should. A damaged sewer line can lead to: Foul drain odors Blocked or slow-moving drains Malfunctioning appliances Pest infestations When waste and wastewater cannot reach your septic tank or the municipal sewer system, it will eventually back up into your home. Identify Problems With Tree and Weed Root Encroachment If you have trees in your yard or if your neighbors’ trees abut your property line, their roots might encroach upon your sewer pipe. Sewer pipes offer an unlimited supply of moisture and nutrient-dense materials. Trees can send out lateral roots with tips that are just millimeters wide. Tiny cracks and other imperfections in your sewer line provide viable points of ingress. Once in sewer pipes, tree and weed roots can grow exponentially. These intrusions expand cracks and other openings. As a result, waste and wastewater enter the surrounding soils. Intrusive roots gradually fill the interior of sewer pipes and prevent solid and semi-solid waste from passing. During a sewer line inspection, we can locate areas of encroachment. We can also determine the best strategy for eliminating tree roots based on the condition of your pipes and their current damage. Assess the Age and Condition of Your Sewer Pipe Scheduling a sewer inspection before purchasing existing construction can help you avoid costly plumbing problems in the future. This assessment will tell you how old a sewer pipe is, whether it’s been encroached upon before, and how much sediment and corrosion are present, among other things. This way, if a property needs a new sewer line or a costly intervention, you can account for these needs at the negotiating table. Identify, Prevent, and Successfully Treat Stubborn Pest Problems Damaged sewer pipes invariably attract pests. When cracked, these structures emit rank, sewer gas odors that alert rodents and other critters to the accessible waste and moisture. Rodents can climb into cracked sewer pipes and use them to enter homes via toilets. The odors, waste, and pooling water around a sewer pipe can also attract cockroaches, ants, and other insects. If you have a stubborn pest problem and can’t seem to find an effective treatment, having your sewer line inspected and repaired could be the best course of action. Fulfill Your Duty of Care Homeowners are responsible for keeping their properties safe and free of known hazards. A damaged sewer line is hazardous. Cracked sewer pipes fill the surrounding areas with dangerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These organisms contaminate local soils and can infiltrate vegetable gardens and outdoor water features. If your sewer pipe is seeping, people in your household and on neighboring properties could get seriously ill. Having your sewer line inspected and repaired as soon as possible will limit your risk of premises liability claims. Protect Your Home’s Foundation Your sewer line travels underground from your home to your private septic tank or the municipal sewer system. A portion of this pipe passes beneath your home’s foundation. If this pipe section ever cracks or fails, you’ll have a wet slab and problems like: Cracked or crumbling concrete Elevated humidity Stubborn mold and mildew problems Widespread settlement issues Foundation damage caused by a cracked sewer line can affect the integrity of your home all the way to its roof. Over time, you’ll find branching drywall cracks, warped floors and sub-floors, crooked window frames, and loose shingles and flashing. Scheduling sewer line inspections will allow you to catch and correct pipe leaks before these and other damages occur. Protect Your Landscape Homeowners throughout Elizabethtown are increasingly investing in grandiose landscape designs. If you’ve built an outdoor kitchen, a dining patio, and a swimming pool, the last thing you want is raw sewage in your yard. When sewer pipes are offset, crushed, or cracked, the resulting spillage often makes landscapes look especially verdant and lush. However, this spillage is toxic and ongoing. It will eventually lead to standing pools of water, wet, marshy spots, and terrain that’s all but impossible to traverse. Save Money With Sewer Line Inspections Among the greatest benefits of regular sewer inspections is the ability to save cash. These inspections allow plumbers to spot and correct minor problems before they’ve spiraled out of control. They also give homeowners more options for repairs. With early intervention, you can avoid major excavation projects and have your damaged sewer pipe fixed with a trenchless technique instead. What to Expect During a Sewer Line Inspection Sewer line inspections are minimally invasive and quick. Rather than unearthing sewer pipes and manually assessing them, we use tiny, cutting-edge cameras. These cameras travel the length of sewer pipes and provide clear footage of their interiors. Sewer line cameras can also include clog detectors and waste-flow monitors for additional insights. How Long Does a Sewer Line Inspection Take? Having your sewer line inspected takes just 30 to 60 minutes. During these routine appointments, our plumbers send cameras into sewer lines via plumbing cleanouts or other major access points. We look for heavy build-ups of sediment, evidence of insufficient sewer line cleaning, offset or collapsed sections, and cracks. If you’re scheduling a sewer line inspection to verify the integrity of a sewer pipe before purchasing a home, you can have a copy of the resulting report. If you’re scheduling an inspection due to existing sewer line problems, we may be able to resolve your issues on the same day with rooter service or hydro-jetting. Rooter Service Rooter machines have clog detectors, waste-flow monitors, and sewer line cameras. They offer an all-in-one solution to sewer line blockages and whole-house backups. During rooter service, we send thin, flexible augers into plumbing cleanouts along with cameras that collect footage as they travel the length of sewer pipes. When activated, the sharp tips on our augers break through built-up waste, tree roots, and other obstructions. Low-pressure streams of water flush all loosened debris toward the sewer main. Hydro-Jetting Hydro-jetting flushes sewer pipes with high-pressure jets of water. Plumbers can perform hydro-jetting with pressure levels as high as 3500 psi. Hydro-jetting sloughs off tacky, tarry waste on pipe walls, breaks through tree and weed roots, and clears out all silt, sand, and sediment. It works well on newer sewer pipes with limited wear-related damage. We proudly serve Elizabethtown and the surrounding cities with top-notch plumbing services along with serving your HVAC and electrical needs. Our offerings include drain cleaning, gas lines, water heaters, and sewer line repairs, among many others. To schedule a sewer line inspection for your home, get in touch with Absolute Services today. 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