The main sewer line is the most critical element of your home’s plumbing system. All of the wastewater and sewage in your home will flow to the main sewer line. The responsibility of this pipe is to serve as a highway to allow waste to reach your home’s septic system or the city sewer line. 

Many factors influence the integrity of your main sewer line. Things such as the age of the line, the material and means that were used to construct it, and the amount of waste running through the line all influence the longevity of its lifespan.  

Common problems with main sewer lines:

• Blockages caused by foreign bodies or build up of material within the pipe.

• Bellied pipes, where a section of the main sewer line has sagged down, making it difficult for waste to move forward, and causing frequent back ups.

• Broken, collapsed, cracked, or misaligned segments of pipe.

• Leaking pipes caused by broken seals at connection points.

• Corrosion of pipes, this is typically seen in systems where the main sewer line was made with materials other than PVC.

When your main sewer line becomes damaged, or clogged, you will see this problem causing issues in other areas of your home. Warning signs you may have a blocked or broken main sewer line include:  

• Unexpected interactions between fixtures – Such as your sink backing up when you flush your toilet

• Frequent clogs in multiple fixtures – If your showers, sinks, and toilets are considerably slow at draining, or at not draining at all; this is cause for concern.

• Septic water pooling inside or outside of your home.

• Abnormally green, lush patches of grass – if a sewer line is broken or leaking, the extra moisture and nutrients leaked from the pipe will often cause the grass to grow greener in the surrounding area. 

• Gurgling Sounds – if the main sewer line has a reduced path to be able to move water and waste along, prolonged gurgling sounds can be a sign of a potential problem.