Atlantis Plumbing has repaired or replaced thousands of sewer lines in and around Atlanta. Over 70,000 satisfied customers trust Atlantis Plumbing. Call us today for a Free Estimate.

Sewer Problems and Tips for Homeowners In Atlanta

As any homeowner or business owner knows, clogged sewer lines and drains can become a major plumbing problem. Sometimes it's not apparent how extensive the problem is, until properly evaluated by a professional. When a simple clog becomes a sewer system issue, many property owners become frustrated and stressed. But your problem doesn't have to turn into a nightmare. Learn to recognize what could go wrong with your sewer system, and know when to call in our licensed sewer contractors.

Sewer Backup

Sewer lines can back up into a home or business, cause structural damage to a building and become a serious health hazard.

Your sewer system may give some warning signs that it's about to back up. A gurgling noise coming from the kitchen drain or toilet could indicate a clogged drain somewhere in the system. Don't hesitate to call us at this point. Without the help of a professional, blocked drains just get worse and cause more problems.

Sewer Roots

Sewer roots are a common cause of sewer backup. Trees growing less than ten feet from a sewer system will take advantage of any tiny crack in a sewer pipe. Attracted to the nutrients and moisture in the pipes, they will grow towards the water vapor in the ground until they reach the damaged pipe and fill the space with masses of roots. If the tree roots grow unchecked, they expand and can eventually break the pipe. At this point the pipe is structurally damaged and needs to be replaced.

Some sewer pipes are more likely than others to have problems from tree roots. Old clay pipes are the most susceptible to damage, and newer ABS and PVC pipes the least likely. Plastic pipes have tight joints, but over time all types of sewer types can be damaged by tree roots.

Clay Sewer Lines

Homes built before the 1950s often had clay sewer lines. Some of these older pipes were manufactured in three-foot lengths with a joint at one end. The pipe was laid in the trench with one end of pipe slid into the next, and packed with mortar. Because of the number of joints in clay sewer lines, and susceptibility of the mortar to deteriorate, they are very susceptible to leaking.

This weakness also encourages tree roots to grow into the joints, feeding off the water in the pipe and eventually blocking the sewer line. You may not realize your home has clay sewer lines until you experience sewage back up, or notice water is not draining properly from the sink.

If there is a problem, our sewer experts at Atlantis Plumbing can inspect the line with a sewer camera to locate the clog or the break, and determine if it's caused by tree roots or collapsed clay pipe segments.

Broken Sewer Lines

There are several warning signs of a sewer problem. Have you noticed an area of your yard where there is leakage and a sewer smell? Is there a section of lawn where the ground has shifted under the grass or under the pavers? Or, are there places where grass has an especially lush color? In any of these instances, a main sewer line crack, clogged drain fields or a broken septic tank may be the issue.

If a sewer line is broken, the break can cause backups, overflows and blockages when debris and tree roots breach sewer pipes. With older traditional methods, this can be an expensive and time consuming repair. But we can deploy our cutting edge technologies, like a video inspection of your system with a sewer camera, and find the exact location of the break. After the inspection, we can diagnose and pinpoint the location and may not have to dig a long trench to expose the entire length of pipeline; instead we may be able to perform a trenchless repair.

Trenchless sewer repair

Trenchless sewer line replacement only requires one hole to enter the ground, and another to exit. This not only eliminates expensive lawn replacement but allows the work to be completed faster, using methods such as pipe relining and pipe bursting.

  • Pipe relining - creates a lining in an existing pipe to coat the inside and create a new pipe.
  • Pipe bursting - pulls a new pipe through the damaged pipe to replace it.

    • Call us today for a Free Estimate of your sewer problems. Join the over 50,000 satisfied homeowners.

    We offer sewer services in the greater Atlanta Metro, including:

    Fulton County, Bartow County, Cobb County, Paulding County, Cherokee County, Gwinnett County, and Douglas County.

    Acworth GA, Atlanta GA, Austell GA, Cartersville GA, Doraville GA, Douglasville GA, Hiram GA, Kennesaw GA, Lawrenceville GA, Lithia Springs GA, Loganville GA, Mableton GA, Marietta GA, Powder Springs GA, Rockmart GA, Roswell GA, Smyrna GA, Tucker GA, Villa Rica GA, Vinings GA, Woodstock GA, and surrounding communities.