The plumbing pipes running into and out of our homes are essential, and they will bring in fresh water and take out the sewerage and greywater. Usually, we don't think about these pipes until there's a problem. A broken sewer line can stop the whole plumbing system and bring everything to a standstill. The best way to prevent this from happening is by preventing blockages and keeping the drain clear and clean, and flowing.

A clogged drain and a broken sewer pipe can be challenging to figure out, and they both have a lot of the same symptoms: foul odours and backed up water. However, if you have a drain backing up in more than one fixture, it's probably a broken sewer pipe.

Here are the four ways you can deal with a broken sewage pipe.

Unblock the Drain

Sewer drains can be very busy and have a lot of waste flowing through them, and getting a blockage is not an unusual occurrence. Things like toilet paper, soap and hair scum, kitchen grease and laundry lint can slowly accumulate, creating a backup. A drain cleaning auger can sometimes clean this out, even if it's a more significant blockage. When you have a drain blockage, it usually can be removed with minimal effort. However, if you fail to clear the blockage, it's best to call in a drain cleaning professional because sometimes using a snake or chemicals to clean the drain without experience can cause more damage to the sewer pipe.

Signs to look out for when you think you have a blocked drain:

A gurgling pipes when your washing machine is emptying.
Overflowing gully drains in your yard.
Waste comes back into the toilet bowl when flushed.

Find the Pipe

Finding the blockage location in a drain can go a long way to helping the issue be resolved. Finding property drains isn't always easy and depends on your home's construction. For instance, if you have a subfloor space, the drain could be suspended and be relatively easy to find. If not, it could be underground. Finding the drain is a significant step in being able to repair it.

If you have a wet, muddy area giving off an odour in your grass and garden, it could be a collapsed leaking pipe. If that's what's happening, a plumber's drain cleaning auger won't help much. You'll need professional plumbers with locating equipment to come in, find the broken pipe and replace that section of the drain. Tools like cameras can go into the line and find the exact problem.

Inspect the Damage

A professional plumber with drain cleaning experience will help you precisely understand what happened to your drain and what the damage is. Drainage pipes are made from clay, concrete, cast iron, and PVC plastic and may collapse over time with ground movement. When a drain has collapsed and is in poor condition, it can't take the force of aggressive plumbing augers and chemicals. Trees, bushes, and shrubs close to your sewer lines can wreak havoc and create issues. Tree roots seek water and nutrients and breakthrough pipe joints when given the opportunity. A further problem is excessive toilet paper flushed down the drain, leading to broken sewer pipes.

Repairing or Replacing Broken Drains

A section of drain that's broken or damaged can be repaired sometimes, and it may be relatively easy. On other occasions, it will be much more labour intensive, especially if the drain needs excavation from under driveway concrete. If your drains are old, you may even want to take the opportunity and replace them all and prevent the chance of issues later on. A competent plumber can do most small drainage repairs or replacements in a day.

Plumbers are the professionals who can help keep your plumbing up and running.

If you have a problem with several drains in the property or a foul odour, you need a plumbers help. The thing to do first, switch off the water to the house. It's not something you want to do, but you should not be flushing the toilet, using the washing machine, or emptying plumbing fixtures water down the plug and into the drains.

Next, call a drain cleaning professional. Plumbers will adequately assess the situation and find what has gone wrong. They use specialized drain cleaning equipment that helps them locate the location and source of the problem.

With the help of video drain cameras, they'll show you the problem and what your options are. If your home plumbing drains are old-style concrete or clay, you might want to consider taking the opportunity in replacing all of them with PVC plastic. Replacing complete drainage systems may seem a significant inconvenience as it means that an excavator will dig up your yard. Still, it is essential to remove future problems occurring in some cases.

If the drains are modern and generally in good shape, aside from the crack or blocked section, the plumber should repair just the damaged area of the line.

Broken Drain help:

If you have any of the signs mentioned above, it is good to get a professional plumber in as soon as possible. At King Plumbing, we can identify drain problems with in-pipe video cameras, clean drains and remove blockages.

If you think your pipes may require replacement, it's essential to call a professional. At King Plumbing, we've been helping homeowners in Hobart since 1992. To schedule a look at your drains, call us today at 0413-586-724