Your home may be hooked up to your city's main sewer system, but you are responsible for the sewer line that connects your home to that sewer system. This means that if the sewer line were to collapse, you will need to handle having this crucial plumbing line repaired. Here is what you can expect to happen if your home's sewer line collapses.
The Sewage Backup
You'll know that you have a plumbing line that collapsed due to all of the sewage lines backing up into your home. Toilets will not flush, bathwater won't have anywhere to go, and sinks won't drain. All of the water may come up through the lowest drain in your home, which is likely in the basement. This can lead to a lot of sewage that needs to be properly cleaned up.
The Inspection
A plumber will come out to your home to inspect your sewer line. While you may think that identifying a collapsed sewer line will be quite obvious, the key is figuring out where the pipe collapsed. A camera can be placed in the sewer line to measure how far into the pipe the camera is able to go. This will pinpoint exactly where the pipe collapse happened.
The Excavation
You'll need to dig up your backyard in order to reach the sewer pipe. This part of the process can be the most expensive and time-intensive aspect. Thankfully, your plumber should have been able to identify where the collapse happened to minimize the amount of land that needs to be excavated.
The Repair
Believe it or not, but the easiest part of the whole process is going to be the actual plumbing repair. Your plumber will be able to swap out the collapsed pipe with a new line made out of strong PVC material, which will hold up much better than ceramic drain tiles or metal that became damaged.
The Payment
Know that it is common for home insurance to cover the costs of having a sewer line collapse repaired. Not only will it cover the repair of the pipe, but the cost to repair your landscaping and parts of your backyard that were damaged in the excavation process. You'll need to pay the deductible on your home insurance, but it can end up being a much smaller percentage of what it would be to pay for the repair out of your own pocket.
For more information, contact a plumbing contractor in your area.
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