Toronto Plumbing Tips: Common Signs of Sewer Pipe Damage

Broken sewer pipes can grow into larger, more costly and severe problems later on if left undetected, as is often the case with Toronto homeowners. However, by knowing the common signs of sewer pipe damage, you can act proactively and catch these indicators before your pipes fail completely, saving you from intensive renovations.

If you notice any of these signs in your home or on your property, it may be time to have your sewer pipes inspected by the Toronto professionals.

Sudden Spike In Your Water Bill

The most telling sign that your home’s sewer pipes may have begun to break, if they are not broken already, is a sudden, unanticipated increase in your monthly water bill. This warning sign is also the most reliable, as it provides a physical record of increased water consumption on your property, where other signs can come from an array of other plumbing problems.

If you water use has been kept at a regular rate from month to month, and you still notice a spike in your water bill, it is likely that there is a leak or break somewhere in your home sewer pipes. As this warning sign is highly conclusive, you should consider hiring a plumbing specialist to inspect your sewer pipes right away, before damage can progress into larger issues. Sewer pipe repair solutions exist to resolve any cracks or fissures in your sewer pipe.

Decreased Water Pressure Or Flow

Other obvious signs of major plumbing problems, such as breaking sewer pipes, are decreased water pressures and water flows. It should be noted, however, that these two terms do not mean the same thing, and either can be measured to help detect a damaged sewer pipe.

Water flow is the physical liquid amount, or volume, of water you receive from your pipe fixtures (sinks, shower heads, etc.); a decreased flow likely means that extra water is leaking out at some point in your plumbing system, such as your sewer pipes. Water pressure, contrarily, is the physical force that pushes water out of your pipe fixtures; expanded, cracked or burst pipes can significantly lower your home’s water pressure.

Musky or Unnatural Odors

Breaks in your home’s sewer line will likely have a few adverse effects on your home, some of which are foul, musky odors. These unflattering odors are often a product of excess moisture in your home’s walls, floor surfaces or lawn, such as moisture pockets caused by sewer pipe corrosion.

If you are hesitant toward contacting a plumbing professional to inspect your home’s sewer pipes, or wary of costly home pipe repairs, don’t be. Today’s innovative trenchless technologies can fully repair old or damaged sewer pipes, and eliminate these foul odors with excellent speed for an unbeatable price. With pipe bursting techniques, they can even replace your broken pipes!

Lawn Indentations

Lawn indentations can also be the result of a broken pipe, as the increased moisture content of your lawn and unexpected water presence softens the soil and allows for warping. Even small dips in your lawn can be indicative of more serious problems underground.

It’s important to take note of these indentations and act quickly when you see them. These indentations are one of the only ways to visually diagnose sewer pipe problems under your lawn.

Lush Grass Concentrations On Your Lawn

As cracks and other damages to sewer pipes release unwarranted volumes of water on your property, one common indicator of these pipe damages is the presence of lush, dense grass concentrations. In addition to lawn indentations, these grass concentrations are the best visual signs of broken sewer pipes under your lawn. In fact, many lawn indentations caused by broken sewer pipes are filled will rich grass concentrations.

Do not fear sewer pipe repair for pipes under your lawn. With trenchless pipe repair methods, you no longer have to dig out and replace damaged pipes! Instead, trenchless pipe experts can use a Perma-liner, liquid epoxy solution to reline the insides of your damaged pipes, reinforcing them for years to come.

Persistent Clogging

One relatively simple warning sign of a broken sewer pipe is persistent clogging in your Toronto home’s drain systems. While these clogs are often attributed to gunk and sludge buildup in your home drain pipes, they can also result from greater sewer pipe problems. If you have tried clearing buildup in your drain pipes, and still cannot find the root of your clogging problem, or it persists after thorough cleaning, it is likely that you have a break in your sewer pipes.

When your sewer pipe transports waste from your home to a municipal sewer system, improper waste can become stuck in your sewer pipes and clog these pipes.

This “improper waste” includes many things homeowners often negligently throw down their garbage disposal, including:

• Extremely fibrous food products
• Plastics or plastic wrappers
• Paper products, such as plates, paper towels and containers
• Animal bone and cartilage

Damp Spots Inside Your Home

When checking your home for a sewer pipe break, it can be helpful to look for moisture spots and dampness within your home, and even damage to other plumbing systems. These wet spots are a common result of sewer pipe cracks and leaks, and you should act quickly should you encounter any. The sooner you act, the less severe your home’s sewer pipe damage will be.

Failing sewer pipes can also affect the other plumbing systems in your home, as they increase or decrease pressure throughout your pipes. Sometimes, leaks in other pipes can be the result of extreme sewer pipe buildup or breaking.

Negligence Or Old Age

Sewer pipe negligence can also lead to pipe breaking, as minor, unnoticeable factors can develop into serious plumbing problems in the blink of an eye. With regular inspection of your home’s plumbing performance, you can catch these minor issues before they develop into total sewer pipe failure; without, you’re just waiting for the inevitable.

Tying in slightly with negligence is the role of age. Simply stated, your home’s current sewer pipes, along with anything else in your home, will decline in quality with age. This is especially true for clay pipe systems established in homes built before 1980, which are due for replacement.

Conclusive Self-Inspections And Professional Examination

Detecting these warning signs is made much simpler with regular, routine self-inspections of your home pipe systems. Here at Mister Plumber, we recommend inspecting your home’s pipe performance once every month, and hiring a professional inspector annually. Why is this important? Because it can help you prevent the problem from growing out of hand, and instead allow you to find solutions while damages are manageable.

If you are still looking for trusted plumber, Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade, drain cleaning, backwater valve installation, lead pipe replacement, re-piping and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and offers a fast response and free estimates.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530