How Summer Storms Can Affect Your Sewer Line

Warm weather arrives with typical summer downpours in Spartanburg County. While this rain may be great for watering your grass, below-ground plumbing can slowly be undermined by changing soil conditions and heavy rainfall.

Most homeowners don’t realize how much underground pipe damage can occur during summer weather. Tree root intrusion and shifting ground can take a major toll on your main sewer line during the humid summer months. Failing to recognize the early warning signs can eventually turn a developing problem into an emergency that costs thousands of dollars to repair.

How Upstate Summer Storms Affect Underground Pipes

Spartanburg County has soil that consists primarily of very dense red clay. When this soil is heated during warm spring and summer days, the ground can shrink, creating tiny gaps around underground pipes.

Afternoon summer thunderstorms then quickly saturate the clay. As the soil absorbs water and dries out repeatedly, underground pipes are subjected to fluctuations between swelling and shrinking soil.

This rapid expansion and contraction can cause pipes to shift, split, or even break, especially older clay pipes that may be more vulnerable to movement.

Heavy summer rainfall can also contribute to higher water table levels in a homeowner’s yard. This can increase the amount of water infiltrating damaged pipes from the exterior, resulting in a significant increase in water flowing through the system and potentially contributing to sewer water backing up into the home.

Tree Roots Can Put Additional Pressure on Sewer Lines

In Spartanburg County and throughout the Upstate, we have a variety of fast-growing trees, including oak, Ponderosa pine, and maple trees that thrive during the humid season. During this time of year, thirsty tree roots can begin spreading aggressively in search of water.

Tree roots are attracted to the warm water and organic waste flowing through a main sewer line. Even a minor fissure can provide an opportunity for roots to reach the moisture inside.

Once roots find a broken or weakened area of pipe, they can dig into the opening in search of water and continue multiplying inside the sewer line. Eventually, this growth can restrict the plumbing system enough to cause a serious sewer line backup, including sewage backing up into a basement.

Warning Signs of a Main Sewer Line Problem

Don’t wait for a complete sewer line backup before taking action. Pay attention to these warning signs that could mean it is time to have your sewer line professionally inspected or repaired.

• Gurgling sounds from your plumbing: If you hear gurgling as the washing machine cycles, a toilet flushes, or another plumbing fixture is used, it can indicate excess air trapped in the main sewer pipe.
• Sewage odors coming from drains: A properly functioning plumbing system should keep sewer odors out of your home. If you begin smelling sewage around one or more household drains, there may be a problem within the system.
• Multiple slow drains: If your sinks stop draining properly and the tub begins filling slightly with water before slowly draining, pay attention. When multiple drains become slow at the same time, it often points to an issue with the main sewer line rather than an isolated drain clog.
• An unusually green or waterlogged area of the yard: Leaking underground sewer water can create a particularly lush, moist, or waterlogged section of the lawn.
• Water backing up during heavy rain: If water backs up into your basement during rainfall, your sewer lines should be professionally inspected and cleaned.

If several of these symptoms appear together, schedule professional drain cleaning and sewer-line service before the blockage becomes an emergency.

Start With a Professional Video Drain Inspection

A video inspection of your drains should be done before anything else.

The old days of excavating an entire front yard just to locate a small section of damaged pipe are largely behind us thanks to modern plumbing technology. Professional pipe video inspections in Spartanburg County can pinpoint the cause of a main sewer line backup without unnecessary digging.

A professional plumber can use a drain camera to identify exactly where the damage is located and determine what is causing the problem.

This allows homeowners to make informed decisions about repairs without paying thousands of dollars for unnecessary digging and excavation.

Clean and Prevent: Prepare Your Sewer Lines for Fall

Preparing for autumn while completing your end-of-summer maintenance can help protect your home against major fall plumbing repairs caused by plugged or damaged sewer lines.

Traditional cleaning methods, such as snaking a main sewer line, can do a good job of clearing certain blockages. However, they may only offer a temporary solution, especially when dealing with tough grease buildup or invasive tree root structures.

In these situations, one of the best options is high-pressure hydro jetting.

Hydro jetting uses highly pressurized water to flush the inside of your sewer line, removing grease buildup, tree roots, and other debris and bringing the line closer to its original opening size.

By pairing a full video inspection with hydro jetting and any required pipe repairs, homeowners can address existing problems and help prevent more serious issues during the fall months when rainfall increases, particularly during fall storms here in the Upstate.

Call H3 Plumbing & Drains for Local Spartanburg Service

Don’t wait until a sewer backup results in thousands of dollars in repairs or damage to your property.

Let H3 Plumbing & Drains help protect your home and keep your pipes flowing smoothly. We provide professional, reliable plumbing services throughout Spartanburg, Boiling Springs, Greer, Moore, and Duncan.

Our licensed technicians use high-pressure hydro jetting equipment and the latest video drain inspection tools. Whether you need basic line maintenance or professional sewer line repair, H3 Plumbing & Drains is here to provide upfront pricing and timely service.