Myths Related To Sewer Line Replacement & The Truth Surrounding Those Myths

You may have heard various myths and misconceptions about Pittsburgh sewer line replacement. When facing a failing or clogged sewer line, it’s important to understand the facts to make the best decisions. Here are some common myths about sewer line replacement with the real truth behind them.

Myth 1: It’s A Quick, Easy Process

A failing sewer line that requires replacement is rarely a quick fix. Replacing your home’s sewer line is a major project that requires permitting, digging, laying pipes, connecting plumbing, and extensive cleanup. The process can take over a week, depending on the scale of the project and the challenges encountered. While professionals can make the process as smooth as possible, you should expect a lengthy interruption.

Myth 2: It’s Always An Outdoor Issue

While tree roots entering pipes are a common outdoor cause of sewer line failure, indoor plumbing issues can also be the culprit. Cracked drainage pipes inside the home, leaks around joints, a failing connection to the outdoor sewer line, or poor venting can all cause indoor backups and lead to full sewer line replacement. An inspection is needed to pinpoint indoor vs. outdoor causes before assuming it’s an outdoor-only issue.

Myth 3: It Doesn’t Require Any Preparation

Failing to prepare your home and property for sewer line replacement can lead to preventable damage or unnecessary obstacles. Marking underground utilities, removing items around the dig site, clearing pathways to the outdoor line, arranging a temporary bathroom, shutting off water valves, and more prep work is crucial. Professionals will provide a checklist of exactly what you need to do ahead of time for the process to go smoothly.

Myth 4: It’s Always The Homeowner’s Issue

Some cities maintain public sewer pipes that connect multiple properties, while homeowners maintain private lines from the home to public pipes. If the issue arises in public sewer lines, repair costs may fall on local government rather than homeowners. An inspection can determine if failure arose in public lines before assuming you must bear the full replacement cost. Many factors determine responsibility.

Myth 5: It Can Wait

Putting off a full sewer line replacement when serious failure signs appear can lead to extensive damage. Backed up sewage can flood the home, raw sewage can spill into the yard, trees and plants can die from excess moisture, and health hazards arise from contamination. Proactive replacement when first noticing major persistent clogs, sewage backups, slow drains, gurgling sounds, and surface sogginess can prevent greater damage.

Myth 6: It Means No Landscaping Disruption

Since sewer line replacement involves outdoor digging, landscaping replacements almost always follow. Patios, walkways, irrigation systems, yards, gardens, trees, shrubs, and other landscaping get damaged or removed entirely during the digging process. Prepare for significant landscaping repairs or full re-landscaping costs after the sewer replacement work is complete. It’s rarely a landscape-friendly process.

Myth 7: You Must Do It All At Once

For major sewer line replacements impacting large areas, doing all the work at once causes extensive disruption. Staggering the project in phases might be possible depending on the layout. For example, doing one portion spanning the front yard this month and the other under the backyard next month limits impacts at once. Discuss phasing options with contractors rather than assuming all work has to happen simultaneously.

Arming yourself with the facts around these common sewer replacement myths helps set proper expectations. Sewer line replacement is a major, disruptive, time-consuming, costly project but an unavoidable one when your home’s waste removal is failing. Preparation and realistic expectations can lead to smoother project management, so your family can get your plumbing back to full function.