By the time a sewer line break causes visible damage, it's usually been developing for a while. The signs tend to show up gradually and in places that don't immediately point to the sewer line, which is part of why breaks often go unnoticed longer than they should.
A patch of yard that's unusually soggy or greener than the grass around it is one of the more common early indicators. It means wastewater is finding its way into the soil instead of staying in the pipe. Odors are another, whether that's a sewer smell drifting through the yard or showing up indoors, which happens as gases escape from the break.
Inside the house, the signs are quieter: drains that have all gotten a little slower over time, or gurgling from a toilet or tub when another fixture is used elsewhere in the house. Neither looks alarming on its own, which is exactly why they're easy to write off as normal wear rather than a sign of something happening underground.
None of these signs guarantee a break on their own, but seeing more than one together is a strong enough pattern to justify a camera inspection. Catching it at this stage is a lot less disruptive than waiting for the yard to visibly cave in or the damage to spread indoors.
There are many things to consider when planning a remodel to your house. Carpet or hardwood floors? Tub or shower in the new bathroom? Breakfast nook or kitchen island? Windrush or Whitewater Bay paint for the dining room? In the midst of all your design decisions, have you given any thought to your drain service requirements during the renovation? Will you need to connect to an existing gas or sewer line? Do you need new water lines installed? Do you know where your pipes are located and how deep they're buried? Having this information is critical in the early planning stages of landscaping or remodeling.
Locating sewer lines outside the home is a crucial part of every renovation. When excavation is necessary, precautions must be taken to protect and preserve underground water, sewer, and gas lines. Our trained professionals can locate these pipes with our state-of-the-art televising and locating services. We can pinpoint the exact location of all pipes, determine their composition, diagnose the degree of corrosion (and potential need for replacement), and identify how deep under the ground they were installed. This information will help you eliminate guesswork and save valuable time and money during the remodeling process.
Since any damage done to existing lines becomes the responsibility of the homeowner, it's important to know exactly what, where, and why you're digging. Trust Drain King to provide you with expert service; rely on our knowledge and experience to guide you through your upgrade. If your remodeling plans need to be adjusted slightly to allow for appropriate connection to pre-existing lines, it's better to know before you get partway through the build. You may want to take advantage of our composite detection services to ensure that your existing lines will support an increased water flow, especially where new lines connect to old. No homeowner wants to reach the completion of a remodel, only to discover it has to be torn out to get to the pipes in an emergency. No one wants to put extensive time, energy, and a great deal of money into a remodel just to see it ravaged in a crisis.
Connecting new water, sewer, and gas lines to an existing source should never be a DIY job. Call a Drain King licensed technician before you begin to plan a home remodeling project. We can help take the guesswork out of your upgrade by working with you during every phase of your remodel.
Have you noticed your water bill increasing, even though your usage is the same? Do some areas of your yard appear soggy or fill with standing water? Do you notice areas of damp or moldy drywall, or wet rings on the ceiling? What about bubbled or stained paint? Have you suddenly and consistently lost water pressure? Does it sound like water is running, even though each faucet is turned off? All of these signs point to a broken water pipe. Don't panic, but DO call (888-391-6241) or contact Drain King right away. We are here to help you, day or night. A speedy repair means less water damage to your property, and less money lost on increased water bills.
Finding the damaged pipe will require a thorough inspection by one of our drain service specialists. While you may be able to narrow down the whereabouts of the pipe breaks, we use a variety of methods to detect and pinpoint its exact location. One technique is Televising, in which we use a high-tech miniature camera mounted to the end of a fiber-optic cable to push through the sewer pipe and identify the precise location of the break. The sewer line can be repaired at the specific spot it is impaired, without having to dig up large areas of your lawn. A similar locating technique uses a transmitter and a hand-held receiver to send sound waves through the ground. When a transmitter is pushed through a sewer line, those sound waves are recorded by an above-ground digital receiver that shows the technician where the pipes are whole, obstructed, or broken.
Broken water pipes are frustrating. They can happen with no warning and cause thousands of dollars in damages and repairs. Some pipes burst because they are made with old or inferior types of materials, and changing water pressures weaken the pipe wall over time. Other pipes burst because they've frozen in winter. As trapped water begins to freeze, it expands in the pipe. If the pipe has any structural weakness, that expansion causes a split or break in the water line, which may not be evident until the pipe thaws out. The easiest way to avoid this is to run a slow trickle of water from the faucet during the night, and to keep the thermostat set at a minimum of 55 degrees at all times.
Whatever the cause, Drain King is ready with a solution.
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DRAIN KING, INC.
Toll Free: 888-391-6241
Office: 763-786-3000
Fax: 763-571-7738
