Professional Sewer Line Repair in Houston

The job of your residential main sewer line is to take wastewater from your home’s drain lines and deliver it to the city sewer system or a septic tank. An old-fashioned, galvanized steel sewer pipe can last up to one hundred years, and many steel wastewater pipes in the historic districts of Houston are that old—or older. Much of our sewer line repair and replacement work in Houston takes place in those older parts of the city like Montrose and the Heights. 

Older sewer lines that have long ago had their protective galvanized coating washed away begin to rust from the inside out. Shifting soil beneath the sewer line can cause it to sag in the middle, creating a “belly” that can trap waste or crack if it sags far enough. 

Sewer lines that haven’t been adequately maintained and cleaned regularly can become choked off by years of accumulated cooking grease, hair, pasta, and every other bit of awfulness that ends up in our drains. 

Once upon a time, sewer line repair meant digging up your yard along the entire length of the sewer line to find leaks and assess the pipe’s condition.

Nick’s Plumbing refers to this process as “Open Yard Surgery,” and it isn’t necessary unless you’re replacing the entire sewer line. Thanks to ever-advancing technology, Nick’s Plumbing can visually inspect the full length of the sewer line with a high-definition snake camera without moving a single shovelful of soil. We can re-line the entire length of your sewer line from the inside, only digging a small access hole over the actual pipe break.

What are the Signs I Need Professional Sewer Line Repair?

  • Sewage Backs Up Inside the House

Easily the most recognizable symptom of sewer line issues, this real-life horror movie begins when wastewater and raw sewage back up your toilet and bubbles up out of the sink or shower drains. You’re not going to be able to clear this backup with a plunger or a bottle of Drano®, as waste-spewing plumbing fixtures indicate something’s really wrong with your plumbing.

  • Sewer Gas Odors

 There aren’t many worse odors than those that come from inside a sewer line. The smell of sulfur anywhere near a plumbing drain can signify a sewer line blockage –which prevents wastewater from reaching the city sewer connection. The odor can also be attributed to a broken sewer line, as raw sewage will escape from the sewer pipe beneath your home. Yuck.

  • Visible Leaks in Exposed Pipes, Water Damage Where Pipes are Hidden

Aging drain and sewer lines can begin to show evidence of wear and fatigue at any time. The pipes usually remain almost entirely intact, whereas the fittings and couplings that join pipes together are prone to fail first.

For homes built on slabs, detecting a sewer line leak with a video camera inserted into a sewer cleanout port or drain is the only way to confirm damage to the line. For homes with pier and beam foundations, visible evidence of sewer line leaks may come from beneath the house that can be repaired without extensive “open yard surgery.”

  • Puddles/Ponding Water/Extra Green Grass

Puddles, water ponding, and extra green or lush spots on your lawn signify that there is already a sewer line leak, causing wastewater to pool above the break. Of course, the presence of wastewater and raw sewage will create a stink and likely attract flies and other insects. Coming in contact with sewage from a broken sewer line is extremely dangerous to humans and your pets. Get a licensed, professional plumbing company to come out, perform an inspection, and recommend the best way for you to seal up that sewer line.

  • Cracked or Broken Slabs, Pier and Beam Shifting

Cracks or breaks in your home’s concrete slab foundation or shifting of pier and beam supports in older homes could indicate that your sewer line is in dire condition. Leaking sewer lines will cause the soil beneath your home to shift even more than expected, causing the sewer line and your foundation to sink and crack. 

Catching the leak before it has a chance to do thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home is essential when dealing with foundations.

Nick’s Sewer Line Repair Services in Houston Include:

Sewer Line Cleaning/Clearing

Clogs in drain and sewer lines may be further down the pipe than your plunger or manual drain snake can reach. Nick’s Plumbing uses motorized plumbing snakes with a range of up to 150 feet and high-definition video cameras to inspect your line before and just after using the snake.

Sewer Line Root Repair

If the root damage to your sewer line only affects a few feet of sewer line pipe, Nick’s can replace that damaged section for far less than the cost of a sewer line replacement. Root damage repair can usually be remedied by removing and replacing only the affected area of the pipe, making the repair much cheaper than replacing the entire line.

Trenchless Sewer Pipe Re-Lining

If your existing sewer line has several cracks or breaks, a pipe re-lining may be the best solution for you. Instead of digging up the entire yard to replace the whole sewer line, a felt and fiberglass sleeve with an epoxy resin applied to it is inserted along the entire length of your sewer line. Once the sleeve is in place, high-pressure air jets expand it, and the epoxy adheres it to the walls of the sewer line, creating a brand new “pipe within a pipe.”

Sewer Line Replacement

Everything comes to an end, including the lifespan of your old, galvanized steel drain and sewer pipes. If your home was built before 1980, there’s a strong chance your drain and sewer lines are made of galvanized steel. Have one of Nick’s Plumbing’s professional plumbing techs assess the condition and make-up of your sewer lines and help you decide on the best method of repair or replacement for your home.  

Why Choose Nick’s for Your Sewer Line Repair in Houston?

Nick’s Plumbing has been doing business in Houston Heights since 1979, and we only employ licensed, experienced, and background-checked plumbing technicians. Call us today for an evaluation of your sewer liner repair needs, and find out for yourself how Nick’s Plumbing delivers the plumbing results Houston residents count on.

Call Nick’s Today; We’re on the Way!

 

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