A collapsed drain pipe is a homeowner’s nightmare. This is more than grabbing your plunger to unclog your toilet, sink, or bathtub drain. Fixing a damaged drain pipe is also an added cost, especially if you leave it in disrepair.
Signs of Collapsed Drains
So how can you know if you have a collapsed drain? Here are 11 key signs to look out for.
1. A Damp Wall or Floor
Do you notice excess moisture on your walls or floor? It could signal a broken or leaking drain pipe. Wastewater accumulates around the crack and condenses on otherwise dry surfaces.
2. Damp or Soaked Lawn
If you find wet patches or puddles in certain areas of your lawn, they could point to a broken or collapsed drain. As the ground around the leak absorbs the wastewater, the soil becomes saturated and accumulates in standing pools.
3. Backed Up Sewage
When wastewater finds a blockage in the drain, it follows the path of least resistance–back into your house. Check the lowest drains for wastewater, such as basement drains or lower floor bathrooms and sinks.
4. Mould Patches
A leaking pipe is a common cause of mould because of increased humidity in your home. If the mould keeps coming back after you clean it, its underlying cause could be the damaged drainage pipes.
5. Indents on The Ground
As the soil absorbs wastewater from a damaged drain, it weakens and sinks. Check for sunken areas in your lawn or pavement, as they may lie directly above the broken sewer line.
6. Slow Drainage
A slowly draining sink or shower is normal once in a while, and a plunger will do the trick. But the pipes could experience blockage or damage if water drains much slower than you expect and the usual unclogging methods don’t work.
7. Bad Smells
Nobody wants to smell raw sewage in their house or garden, but this is a telltale sign of a collapsed drain. Look for other signs accompanying the smell, like damp walls or mould.
8. Fast-Growing Grass
Sewage is harmful to us but nutritious for plants–your lawn, in this case. Leaks from cracked or broken drains feed the grass and make it grow faster than you can mow it.
9. Rodents
Rats make their home in the main sewer lines, but they can travel along the pipes and squeeze into your property if they find a crack. If your local exterminator can’t clear the rodents out permanently, there could be a gap in your drain pipes.
10. Insects
Certain critters, like fruit flies and cockroaches, love drain pipes. If these insects crawl through the drains, they can signal wastewater leakage in your property.
11. Cracks in The Concrete
The excess water can ruin a property’s foundations if damaged drains stay unrepaired for a long time. Even worse, they can create a sinkhole that severely damages your home.
What to Do When You Find These Signs of a Collapsed Drain
If you spot any of these signs, please don’t try to fix the problem yourself or ignore it and hope it goes away. Call an experienced plumber for assistance. Ask for a thorough drain inspection to find the damage and repair it at an affordable cost.
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