How To Fix A Sewer Leak In Your Yard
Do you have a sewer leak in your garden? While you might be glad that it wasn’t a leak in your home, a broken pipe that causes a sewer leak can still cause a lot of problems for you. If there is a leak, wastewater will start to flood your yard. This can bring an unpleasant stench that will linger for days after the problem has been resolved. As well as this cleaning up the issue can cost a lot of money and can take quite a long time too.
To make sure that a leak like this doesn’t become a neverending nightmare, you do need to make sure that you are detecting the issue early. By doing this, you can make sure that the damage and thus the issues are restricted and contained. So, the first step is to make sure that you are noticing signs that there could be an issue.
You might think that a leak is going to be fairly obvious. However, don’t be so sure. Leaks can grow slowly and won’t reveal themselves fully until it is far too late. So, let’s explore the signs of this type of leak before we even start to think about how to fix it.
Signs Of A Leak
Smells And Appearances
Believe it or not, the first sign of a water leak somewhere underneath your lawn will not be a submerged section of grass. Instead, there will be changes below the surface which will subtly impact the grass around your garden. If you look around your yard, you might spot peculiar markings. The most common signs will be indents in the lawn or grass that appears to have sunk in.
If you notice these signs before the problem grows, it is possible to fix the issue before it gets out of control. You can’t actually see the pipe underneath your lawn, so inspecting the grass is always going to be your best bet when identifying an issue.
You might have guessed that a sewer leak is going to bring nasty and unpleasant smells. You would be right. If you have a leak in the sewer pipes you are almost certainly going to smell it. While subtle at first, a stench that smells like something is rotting beneath the surface is definitely one of the most common signs to watch out for. Things aren’t always too far gone by this point and if you notice a smell, you should be acting immediately.
Check The Water Flow
If you want to check whether there is a leak and you can’t see any signs, you can explore the flow of water through the drainage system at your property. If there is any change to drainage flow on any of the toilets or shower drains, this is sometimes a sign of a break in a waste line.
Water flow refers to how much water drains out in a set time period. Has it slowed down dramatically or is anything gurgling? If this is the case you probably do have a broken pipe which is catching waste (i.e. toilet paper, food, etc…) causing the drainage to dramatically slow down.
Get The Pros
You might, at this point start to look for DIY solutions to dig up a sewer pipe outside or underneath your home. You will probably be eager to avoid calling in an expert service if you can avoid it. However, it’s likely that you won’t be able to fix this issue yourself. Only if it is in the yard and very obvious would you want to tackle this challenge. The reason is without line locating equipment and a sewer camera you may end up digging up your whole yard before finding the source.
A professional plumber would first, identify whether there is actually a leak from a sewer line in your yard. Then, they should be able to give a few options on how to fix the problem.
Be aware that there is not always an easy answer here but an expert will always take the best course of action to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
The Fix
Drain lines drain, using nothing more than gravity. So if you are able to indicate where the drain line has a break allowing water to escape. Dig down to expose the pipe removing enough of the dirt around the pipe to give yourself room to work. Cut out the section of broken line making sure your cutting at least 1′ past any deteriorated pipe. Cut a section of new pipe that is exact to what you removed. Compact the soil underneath where the new piece of pipe is going to go, making sure that it is pitched correctly to the local building codes so that it drains. Attach the new section of pipe using two banded no-hub Fernco’s. Check the flow of water and make sure there are no leaks, backfill, compact the dirt, and then you are done
We hope this helps you understand both the signs and the solutions for a sewer pipe repair in your yard. Remember, if you act quickly you can avoid most of the damage and potentially keep the problem from entering your home. It’s easy to underestimate the issue with drainage and try and fix it with some simple solutions. If you do this, sometime it will only be a matter of time before the problem gets a lot worse.
