Sewer lines are a crucial part of your home plumbing system, carrying wastewater from every fixture, drain, and appliance. The sewer line is buried under your yard or driveway, leading out to the main sewer line that services all the homes in your neighborhood. Sewer lines can last between 50 and 100 years or longer, depending on the conditions of the property and the materials used to make the pipe. As a homeowner, you must understand the life cycle of sewer lines, the wear and tear your sewer line incurs, and the signs that your line is reaching the end of its useful lifespan to protect your home against future flooding and sewer backup issues.
Sewer line technology has evolved over the years, and the material used to create the line has a direct impact on its potential lifespan. If you know when your home was built, you can get a fairly accurate idea of the type of material used for your sewer line.
If your home were built between 1860 and 1940, it would likely have had cast iron sewer lines. Cast iron is a tough material, but it is vulnerable to corrosion, which can lead to leaks and sewer line blockages.
After WWII, when metal was in short supply, Orangeburg pipes became popular. These pipes were created by layering wood pulp with pitch to create a lightweight solution. Unfortunately, Orangeburg pipes were susceptible to damage and are considered to have the shortest lifespan of any sewer line material, lasting between 30 and 50 years.
By the early 1970s, Orangeburg pipes had fallen out of favor, and clay was a viable alternative. Clay pipes are pretty effective but prone to tree root damage. They can last up to 60 years, but homeowners must be wary of trees in their yards or near the property. Fortunately, in the 1980s, PVC piping became the more widespread plumbing line material. PVC is a flexible, lightweight, and durable material with an estimated lifespan of 100 years or more.
Knowing what material was used for the sewer lines connected to your home will help you understand their expected lifespan and whether you may need to consider a replacement soon.
Throughout its lifetime, a sewer line faces a number of potential challenges. Although it may seem like an easy job, just carrying water and waste materials to the sewerage plant, the line is deeply buried under your yard and driveway, which can create a challenge. The weight of the soil above your line can change due to compaction from parked vehicles, buildings, or even droughts. Should the weight of the soil become too heavy, the pipe may start to collapse.
Additionally, if the soil shifts due to drought, erosion, heavy rainfall, or even construction work nearby, the pipe can also shift or become dislocated. This can allow wastewater to leak into your yard or introduce obstructions preventing water from flowing correctly through the line.
While trees in your yard or neighborhood look attractive, they can also challenge sewer lines. The length of tree roots is typically many times the size of the tree trunk's diameter. This means that if a tree has a six-inch diameter trunk, the roots may span 12 or even 18 feet long. Tree roots continually seek water to provide nutrients to sustain the tree. Unfortunately, sewer lines can be a source of this water. When a tree root encounters sewer pipes, it can easily cause a breach and grow inside the pipe. This causes further damage to the pipe and a blockage.
Humans can also directly impact the wear and tear on sewer lines. Although fixture drain pipes have a larger diameter compared to sewer pipes, they are still only designed to carry wastewater, human waste, and toilet paper. So, if you put grease, oil, paper towels, sanitary products, or even flushable wipes down the drains and toilets, you could create a clog.
Depending on the material, a well-maintained sewer line can last up to 100 years, but there are specific challenges at every stage of this life cycle. Understanding where your sewer line is in its life cycle can help you anticipate any potential problems.
The success of a construction project hinges on using the proper techniques, and a sewer line is no exception. The primary concern at this stage is not wear and tear but the potential for installation oversights. If the pipe is not graded properly or the sections are improperly connected, it can disrupt the water flow.
This is why a sewer line must be installed by a skilled crew who can ensure adherence to the local building standards. Periodic inspections during the first few months can identify and rectify any issues early on.
Just like a new appliance or a new pair of shoes, your new sewer line will need to settle in over the first year. Small obstructions may occur due to remnants from the construction phase, such as debris or dirt, that are inadvertently washed into the drain.
For this reason, the sewer line must be regularly inspected during the first year. Identifying and eliminating minor blockages now will prevent significant issues in the future.
Nature creeps in, and as the environment around home grows, young trees can expand their root system, and settling can happen. It is always a good idea to consider the location of your sewer line before planting any new trees, and it is possible to employ root barriers to redirect tree root growth away from the sewer line.
A sewer line will have seen plenty of use after a decade, and this is when regular household waste and external factors such as shifting soil could lead to a minor misalignment or blockage.
If your sewer line is approaching its 10-year birthday, now is an excellent time to consider hydrojetting to clear any blockages and ensure smooth water flow.
At this stage of the life cycle, signs of material fatigue will start to show, particularly if the pipe is made of clay. The line may start to have cracks or leaks that can pose a sanitation risk, putting your property at risk of damage.
Fortunately, camera inspections can provide a noninvasive way to check the sewer line's condition. The technician can identify compromised sections and provide a repair or replacement solution.
As your sewer line ages, material fatigue will start to become more obvious with collapses or major blockages. The wear and tear of decades of use and neglect from earlier issues could compromise the pipe.
A complete replacement may be necessary at this age, but this will allow you to swap out an old sewer line for a pipe made with modern, more durable materials.
If your sewer line is functioning well, it will likely work largely unnoticed, but there are some potential signs to watch out for that can indicate a problem on the horizon.
If there are back-ups in multiple fixtures inside your home, an issue with your sewer line could be developing. Blockages are inconvenient and could lead to a burst pipe or raw sewage flooding your home, which can be a costly and extensive repair issue.
Insects, rodents, and other pests can damage your sewer line. They can enter through even a small gap or crack in the pipe, causing drainage problems and posing a health risk.
If your sewer line is well-sealed, it should not produce any odors. So, if you start to smell an unpleasant odor, you could have a leak or blockage. A smell of raw sewage or a rotten egg-like odor could indicate trapped gas that needs to be addressed quickly.
Depending on the issue, it may be possible to repair your sewer line, but if it has been severely damaged or is reaching the end of its useful lifespan, it will need to be replaced. Fortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll need to dig up your entire yard and driveway. Trenchless repiping methods are fairly simple, requiring a hole at each end of the line, so the new line can be fitted as the old line is destroyed. So, if you are putting off addressing your sewer line issues, as you have concerns about ruining your yard, don’t despair, as your plumber may be able to use trenchless repiping to avoid property damage.