All the drains in your home lead to one main sewer line, which goes into the municipal system or to your septic tank system. Knowing the location of your sewer line is crucial, especially when issues arise involving clogs, backups or breaks.
At this point almost all homes have a sewer cleanout. The only houses that don't are older homes in which a cleanout wasn't installed originally. But even if you're in an older home that was built without a sewer cleanout, it's likely one was needed at some point and was installed.
This information is often available through your local property assessor's office or land registry. Contact Local Authorities: Reach out to your local public works department or utility company. They can provide information about the location of sewer lines in your area and may offer maps or diagrams.
Your home's sewer cleanout is a crucial part of your plumbing system. You'll usually find it outside, about 1 to 3 feet from where your house meets the ground. Look for a pipe sticking up with a cap on top that might have a square knob or notch for turning.
You have many drain lines in your home. Because all drain lines eventually connect to your main line, if you have an issue with your main line you will experience issues with many drains. That's why backups happen.
A standard home will usually only have one main drain that leads to the public drainage system.
Generally speaking, you're going to find that most main sewer lines will only last somewhere between 50 and 100 years before you need to do a main sewer line replacement. You could very well have a broken sewer line on your hands right now and not even realize it.
You will likely pay around $350 to $650 to have a plumber unclog a main sewer line unless you have complications like serious damage to the line.
You may spot a 3 to 4-inch diameter pipe peeking out of the slab floor of the basement. The sewer drain pipe could be made of plastic or cast iron; it might be copper or brass in rare cases. The stub-out will have a screw-in plug coupled with a square-head lug on it, representing your access to the main drain.
Check your water bill: The easiest way to check if you have a septic tank is to check your water bill. If there is a sewer charge listed on your bill, then you are connected to the municipal water system and don't have a septic tank.
The most optimal way to inspect the inside of your sewer line (other than digging it up and cracking it open) is to contact your local plumbing company for a sewer line video camera inspection.
All wastewater from your house is carried to the municipal sewer line by one main drain pipe that typically runs horizontally, but with a slight downward slope, under the lowest floor in your home out to the municipal sewer main or out to the septic field.
Call City Maintenance or Visit Your Local City Hall
Local municipalities often have sewage and property maps that can help you locate the sewer line on your property.
In most cases, home insurance will cover sewer line damage from specific events. This includes extreme weather (excluding earthquakes and floods), vandalism, fire, and damage from vehicles or falling objects.
Unless your house is on a combined drains system, it needs separate drain connections to collect wastewater and rainwater. Homeowners and landlords are responsible for checking they have separate drain connections from their home.
Trenchless sewer repairs, such as pipe lining or pipe bursting, are typically 30-40% less expensive than traditional excavation and less invasive. Traditional excavation, which involves digging a trench to access the damaged pipe, is usually more expensive and can cause significant damage to your yard.
For instance, residential sewer line depth ranges from 18 to 30 inches. However, city sewer line depths are different. Your city's sewer lines must always be deeper than the deepest residential pipe to allow waste to flow downhill. As such, these lines can go as deep as needed.
Roto-Rooter's most popular service is clearing sewer lines using an auger strong enough to cut through tree roots. This service typically costs $400 to $600. Unclogging a branch line, or plumbing within the home, costs $350 to $500 on average. The technician uses a smaller auger to snake a drain in your home.
Life Expectancy of a Sewer Pipe
Old homes, or homes built prior to 1980, will most likely have clay sewer pipes. Clay sewer pipe life expectancy is approximately 50 years. PVC pipe, which became more prominent after 1980, typically lasts longer – approximately 100 years.
Many warranty providers will offer coverage for outside valves, spigots, and showers. Coverage for exterior drain pipes and sewer pipes is standard, though it may limited to within a specific distance of the home or access point.
Sewer pipe cracks are serious problems that can lead to property damage, soil pollution, and mold-related health issues. Sewer gas leaks can also cause people to experience headaches, dizziness, sinus infections, and more.
Sewer work is expensive because of the labor-intensive process involved, which includes excavation, pipe removal, and installation of a new one. It requires significant manual labor and expertise, driving up the overall cost.
Most people should have their sewer lines cleaned every 18 to 22 months or every year and a half to two years.