Scheduling regular sewer line inspections can help prevent major headaches down the road. According to This Old House, you should have a sewer line inspection annually. This gives you the chance to discover issues early and take care of them before they turn into emergencies. With this in mind, here are some of the top issues that sewer line inspections frequently catch.

1. Root Growth

One annoyance sewer line inspections regularly uncover is root overgrowth in the pipes. If you have a lot of trees or shrubs near your home, their roots can make their way into cracks and joints in the sewer line. At first, a little root growth might not cause any harm. However, over time, those roots expand and intrude more into the line, eventually blocking flow and creating backups.

2. Pipe Damage

During a sewer line inspection, a camera is sent down the full length of the pipe. This allows the technician to check the pipe's condition and note any cracks, holes, misalignments, or other damage. Small defects you might miss can cause major headaches down the road in the form of leaks, backups, and even full-on collapses. Identifying areas in the line that are eroding or have broken connections lets you repair or replace those sections before total failure.

3. Buildup

Even if your pipes appear intact, an inspection might detect serious buildup. Materials like grease, soap residue, and minerals in water can coat the walls of pipes over time. This buildup narrows the width of the pipe, impeding flow. Poor flow due to the accumulation of gunk often leads to clogs and backups. Sewer line cleaning services enable the early removal of accumulating grime!

4. Damage

The most valuable thing sewer line inspections provide is information to determine when pipes need total replacement. After examining the full scope of damage, a technician can advise if repairs will suffice or if total replacement is the wiser route. Since sewer line replacement is a major project, you want to tackle it proactively before failure happens.

Nobody wants to think about their home's sewer lines or deal with problems stemming from them. However, ignoring pipes can have disastrous consequences. Protect yourself by scheduling periodic sewer line cleaning and inspection services. Contact our team at Hopke Sewer & Drain Inc today to get started!