Sewer line repair and replacement can be very expensive. A lot of homeowners are unaware of things they can do to prevent major problems with their sewers. Here are a few tips to save you money.
Maintenance
Homeowners usually wait until there are signs of a problem before they call a professional. If your basement is flooding or backing up, you might have to have a plumber cable your sewer once or twice a year. This can get expensive. Having a sewer line camera inspection can diagnose the problem so that it can be fixed and you can stop wasting money on cabling.
Don’t Cover Up Access Panels in the Basement
Typically when you need a sewer camera inspection it is a situation that is time sensitive. Selling a house or sewer back up are the most common. If a home inspector can’t find the access panel it could delay the sale. If the sewer is backed up and you can’t find the access panel they cannot diagnose the problem. Often this leads to a situation where the drywall needs to be torn down in order to gain access. Fixing the drywall and repainting is a headache and costs more money. Also, if the access panel has to be opened and cabled, the cable will rotate in and out causing sewage to be thrown all over the walls.
Why do access panels get covered up?
The most common reason is that it’s the contractor that wasn’t thinking ahead or a homeowner that finished their basement and didn’t know it was important.
Pro Tip:
Remove your cap accesses every few years. Do not over tighten them. The pipe is has no pressure and therefore the cap doesn’t need to be over tightened or glued on the pipe.
Yard Vents
It’s important to know where your yard vents are located. Some homes have more than one. Just like basement access panels, access to the yard vents are often needed in time-sensitive situations. Keep yard vents free of plants and vegetation. Free and clear and accessible. Many times they are hidden under grass or landscaping. If your landscaping needs to be disturbed, it can be costly to have it repaired. So if you’re getting new landscaping or hardscaping, do not let them cover up your yard vents.
It’s understandably easy to forget about sewer maintenance. It’s not something most homeowners think about, so hopefully these tips can save you money in the future. If you have any questions or concerns about the sewer system in your home, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
