Why is My Sewer Backed Up?

To learn how to handle a sewer backup better, you will first need to learn what causes a sewage line to backup. Also, you will learn how to better maintain your sewer lines and prevent it from backing up, and causing damage to your home.

Sewer lines can back up in sanitary main sewer lines which are under the municipality's responsibility, and in the lines between the buildings and the street's main line which are under the property owner's responsibility.

Overflow of Sanitary Lines

It is common that heavy rain will fill the sewer lines faster than the lines can be drained. In these cases the sewer lines fill up due to insufficient system capacity or overwhelming water volumes. This will lead to a multiple sewage backups as the water back up through residential floor drains and overflows.


Man-made Destruction

Another common cause of water blockages within the city's system is man-made destruction and vandalism. City maintenance workers often find objects such as rocks, bricks, solid objects and debris that have been stuffed down manholes leading to stoppages and causing sewage backups.

Sewer Pipes Blockage
There are different causes for pipes and sewer blockages. Some are simple to find and easy to prevent, and some are hidden and can hardly ever be detected before the damage happens.
Structural defects happen due to system deterioration in both pipes and manholes. These defects include problems with sewer service lines such as pipe collapse, sags in the line, cracks, and offset joints. Structural defects can develop overtime and cause damage to the system, leading to a serious overflow that will require reconstruction of sewer lines.

Is Pipe Bursting the Answer?

Pipe bursting: often called trenchless technology may be the best solution.

Two holes are dug; one to expose your horizontal Sewer pipe near the front of your house, and another near the curb (or lowest point) of your sewer main. We run a steel cable through the old pipe, fuse together 20' sections of HDPE pipe into the desired length. At this time, a large cone-shaped hardened steel breaker head is inserted through the pipe and is pulled by hydraulic rams ( 30 ton pulling capacity) splitting the old pipe and creating a channel large enough for the new HDPE sewer pipe. We connect it at each end, add cleanouts, backfill the holes, replace the sod and patch the asphalt or concrete. And, not forgetting clean-up.


Not only does this save the invasive digging but also saves the cost of repairing or replacing a driveway and landscaping. If any other plumbing company tells you that you have to dig up your yard it's because they don't want you to know this technology exists, or don't have the equipment and expertise for trenchless technology. That's not to say that this is the wrong way to replace a Sewer line. It should certainly be looked at as one of the solutions. Our experienced crews will excavate, install, and clean up the work area so that it looks like we were never there.

Stages of Sewer Damage

1. Roots have entered the sewer system, causing partial stoppage. This can usually be cleared by cabling or water jetting. However this would only give temporary relief.

2. Roots have clogged the sewer system causing serious damage. This can be fixed permanently by replacing a section of your sewer Pipe, or water jetting to cut out the roots and Pipe-lining to repair the break.

3. Roots have caused the sewer to collapse or have severely damaged the pipe. This usually causes a catastrophic stoppage. Sewer rehabilitation will be required.

4. Complete Replacement: In the unfortunate event that your sewer line has sunk (due to ground movement or settling and cannot be cleared by cabling or water jetting it may need to be completely replaced. Lining the pipe will not help a sunken pipe or remove a "belly" in a sewer or drain line. We have two solutions available to

Are You Still Contemplating Trenchless Sewer Repair?

Why Trenchless?

1. No destruction to your landscape.
2. Substantial cost savings.
3. Restores structural integrity, prevents root intrusion and increases flow capacity.
4. 50 Year Warranty.

Trenchless Sewer Repair technology has produced an alternative to sewer repair frequently referred to as Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP). CIPP is where a pipe is constructed "inside the current passage" with certain epoxy resins creating the structural strength of new pipes without damage to structures, floors, hardscape, or landscaping. This method has been in use now for over 25 years. There are two primary types of applications, the 'pull-in-place' (PIP) process and the 'inversion' process.

The extreme advantage to this approach, versus inversion, is that the Invisible Excavation can structurally epoxy line multiple angles and provides the option of only lining the area in need of repair. Invisible Excavation does NOT have to line whole length of the pipe from the point of entry to the point or needed repair which means significant cost savings and flexibility. The other most common method of CIP lining is Inversion, which is an alternate, less innovative method, where the liner itself rolls out from the point of entry as it is filled with water, air or steam and a single time cured-in-place, the end is trimmer to allow for flow.

The Lowdown of Sewer Pipeline Repair

The last thing our house needs is a set of broken and damaged sewer pipes. Not only does it cause a lot to fix the problem, it also has the ability to burn a large hole in our wallets. Fixing it sounds very daunting, as there is the impression that the task is a very difficult one to accomplish. However, one needs to know that you do not need to have any advance skills and knowledge in plumbing in order to perform your very first sewer pipe repair.

1. You must first gain access to the broken sewer pipe. If it is found beneath a concrete floor, use a saw specifically designed to cut through the surface of concrete. Create a square pattern as you cute. After doing so, smash the area with a sledgehammer. The small bits of broken parts must then be removed using a prying bar. Use a shovel to remove any unwanted particles or dirt. This is the first step to sewer pipe repair.

2. Analyze the pipes and come to a conclusion as to what type of repair you must do in order to fix the problem. Take note of any tiny punctured holes and remedy them using repair clamps and gaskets. If there are any cracks too big to be unnoticed, then pipe removal is required.

3. The use of repair clamps can be considered. To use such tool, you must first remove any particles surrounding the sewage pipe. Put the clamp gasket on top of the puncture and open the clamp using its hinges. You must then slide the bolts of the clamps inside the opening of the bolt and use a wrench to tighten it shut. After doing the task, test the effects of your efforts by turning on the water and allowing it to flow through the pipes.

Some Sewer Repair Tips

It is always best to seek the help of a professional when we are having sewer problems. However, a lot of us prefer to solve the problems ourselves because of the amount of money we believe we can save. In most cases though we just dive in without any action plans thus causing even more problems. Sewer repair is not as easy as it sounds. You need skills and the appropriate training to be able to effectively and efficiently do it. To help and guide you in doing sewer repair on your own, just follow the following tips and advice.

First, get a hold of the plumbing codes in your area. Normally, you can get these from your local authorities. These plumbing codes enable you to determine just how deep along the pipes you are allowed to dig. So you need to be aware of these codes before you start doing anything to avoid unnecessary problems and issues in the future. It is also for safety purposes.

Second, in repairing damaged sewer lines which are under concrete foundations, you need a cutoff saw, a diamond blade, a metal cutting blade and a heavy hammer to get through the concrete. Use a diamond blade on the cutoff saw to cut through the concrete. If you reach or encounter the steel bars on the concrete, you need to switch the blade to a metal cutting blade. Using a heavy hammer, pound on the already cut concrete to break them into chunks so you can easily remove them from the hole you are trying to dig.

Third, if the damaged sewage is leaking into the street or into the neighborhood, it is advisable that you contact the sewage system services in your locality immediately to ensure that it does not become hazardous to the community. Seek their advice as well on how to get the damaged pipe repaired or replaced..

Sewer Repair for You

You may have learned to love your maple tree like family, by watching it grow strong over the years. However, not only does the outside look strong, but the roots are strong as well and capable of doing damage when invading your sewer lines. Many homeowners find that their backed up sewer lines are a result of the root system of a large tree in their yards or front lawns.

This is a common occurrence, as the roots of a tree will look for nutrients and moisture found in a sewer line. If you suspect that roots from that maple tree have invaded your sewer lines or want to prevent this from happening in the future, the best choice is to call a professional to inspect the situation, and locate a problem or potential issue in time.

Sewer repair in New York may be costly, including damage to your sewer lines, plumbing, water heater, and drain cleaning. However, if you have large trees in your property, a call may save you tons of money in the future. Trained professionals are able to locate sewage problems and by using specialized equipment such as transmitters to locate and trace the lines.

Plastic and concrete sewer lines are more difficult to trace because they are non-conductible materials, which do not send a signal. Because of this, fiberglass reels, and video monitoring equipment may be necessary. A professional plumbing company will be skilled in doing this type of work.

Many times, when damage is already done by tree roots, it may be necessary to excavate deep to fix the problem and repair the sewer. However, there are other ways in which to fix this problem. One way is by power rodding. Power rodding is used to solve problems such as drains backing up, slow draining fixtures, and clogs in the home or sewer system. Different equipment will be used for this job, depending on the length of the cable and where the clog is located.