Everyone loves a well-maintained older home, and from the fanciest painted lady Victorian to the sleekest MCM, there’s a lot to love. The thing is that they can look great, have new roofing, kitchen re-dos, and you can sock-skate on those hardwood floors, but there can be big problems kicking around with the plumbing – specifically with your sewer line. Any plumbing problem can be expensive to fix if maintenance is deferred or an existing problem allowed to fester long enough, but sewer line repair or replacement can make your wallet feel as if it’s gone a few rounds with Muhammad Ali in his prime.
Signs of a Problem
Plumbing starts at the property line, and This Old House points out that your lines can be made of everything from tarpaper (yes, really) to lead to fired clay, cast iron, or galvanized steel and plastic depending on the age of the home. The biggest clue that you have a sewer line problem is when every fixture in the house seems to drain slowly. If the problem is confined to one fixture or one area, you can – with the help of the Dummies site – remove or unclog the sink trap. If the problem is unabated, or you notice some of these other signs, it’s time to call a plumber.
- Foul smelling drains or even backup coming from tub, sink, or washer drains.
- All drains in the house running slowly or drains backing up with drainage from another fixture. Such as running the sink and having water back up in the tub.
- Overflow from your access valve – these are mostly present on post-1978 homes, but a repipe means that your older home might have one.
If you notice any of these signs, you could need a sewer line repairs or replacement in order to protect your home from damage.For more information visit us website page. You can also follow them on Twitter for more updates.
