How to Unclog a DrainHints & Tips for Clearing Blocked Household Plumbing

Expert Author Ana M Fraser

How Long Will Your Main Sewer Line Last?

Main sewer lines for homes are built to last quite a long time. Nowadays, most of the lines for homes are made out of PVC pipe. If you have never heard of PVC pipe before, you are not alone. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, and this polyvinyl chloride piping is sincerely built to last. If your sewer line is built using polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, piping, then it will likely last 100 years.

If your home and therefore your main sewer line was built prior to 1980, though, there is a good chance that it was built using clay piping. Clay pipes last much less time than PVC pipes do. Clay pipes lasts only 50-60 years.

The lifetimes of these two types of pipes are just estimations though, so there is a chance that you will have to replace your home's sewer system before the 100 year or 50-60 year lifetime that is predicted for PVC and clay pipes.

There are a few ways for you to tell if your home's sewer system is going to need to be replaced before its estimated lifetime. One way to know if your sewer line is needing to be replaced is to go out in to your lawn and see if you smell anything out of the ordinary. When main sewer lines get old, they get brittle and crack. When the pipes get brittle and crack, the sludge that flows through the pipes on a day to day basis slowly start to leak towards the top of the soil in your lawn. When this sludge starts creeping up to the top of your lawn, it will create foul smelling sinkholes. If you see these sinkholes, you definitely need to call a plumber to come check out your main sewer line before the problem gets any worse.

Another example of a sign that your main sewer system may need to be replaced will happen in your own home; in your bathroom at that! If you are getting ready for your work day and you start to hear something interesting coming from your toilet, you may have a serious problem. The sound will be like a strange gurgling sound coming from your toilet, and if you hear that noise, you will have to call a plumber quickly, because your main sewer line may be going out.

Be on the look out for either of these two signs that it is time to replace your sewer system because it is better to catch this issue before it sneaks up on you and ruins your day!

Ana Fraser is the manager at Clog Pro and has years of experience in the plumbing industry in both Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington. If you're ever searching for a Portland Oregon Plumber, make sure to check out her website and consider her for your plumbing and clogged drain needs!

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