Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C in Plano, Texas provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Gas & Electric Furnace, and Heat Pumps. Additionally we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane), Ameristar (same company as American Standard) and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC).
Al’s also provides full service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home. Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters. Al’s is near your home in Plano, Allen, and Frisco. We service all homes in southern Collin and Denton Counties with no travel charges.
Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your HVAC System or Plumbing. We will arrange an appointment at your convenience and offer 24/7 Emergency Service.
PLEASE NOTE: The Information In This Article Applies Only To The Dallas, TX Metropolitan Area.
What You Need To Know About The Sewer Pipes
1. Under Your Home & 2. In Your Lawn
If You Have Clogged Drains, You May Find This Article More Helpful: AlsPlumbing.com Whole House Sewer Clog
This Article Describes:
- What you need to know about the sewer pipes under your home.
- What you need to know about the sewer pipes in your lawn.
- Problems you may encounter with sewer pipes as they get old.
- How to reduce the possibility of damage to old sewer pipes.
Under-Slab & Lawn Sewer Pipes Are 2 Separate Systems Working Together To Move Waste From Its Source To The City’s Sewer Lines
- Waste lines under your home originate at each source (sinks, tubs, toilets)
- Waste lines continue under the slab to larger pipes (sewer main line).
- Under-slab pipes end at the edge of the house.
- Under-slab pipes connect to the pipes buried in the lawn.
- Lawn sewer pipes in the lawn move the waste to the city’s sewer.
Based On The Home’s Age, Different Materials Were Used
Under The Slab And In The Lawn
These materials often wear out and begin leaking or fail as they age. Until around 1975, Cast-Iron sewer pipes may be under the home. Also until around 1975, Clay sewer pipes (same material as clay flower pots) may be in the lawn.
Around 1975, PVC (white plastic) sewer lines became the material of choice, replacing both cast-iron and clay. PVC pipes last a lot longer and are far less prone to problems than pipes made of earlier materials.
Image Source: Dreamstime Image Source: Dreamstime Image Source: Shutterstock
CAST-IRON PIPE CLAY PIPE (in the lawn only) PVC — used since around 1975 for both under the home & in the lawn
Some homes may have replaced sewer pipes under the home, or in the lawn (particularly the clay pipes in the lawn). If your clay lawn sewer pipes have been replaced with PVC, there is very likely a “Sewer Clean Out” opening (see man’s hand in photo above). You will be able to see the white, screw-off cap. The Sewer Clean Out will be close to the house, so may be covered with mulch or rock.
Why Sewer Pipes Wear Out Or Fail
- Cast-Iron rusts from the inside toward the outside. Over time it’s common that it rusts through. Once this occurs, leaks begin.
Shown: Cast-Iron Sewer Pipe Rusted All The Way Through The Metal
Photo Source: Shutterstock
- Clay Sewer Pipes Leak A Little At Their Connections. This Attracts Tree Roots. In search of more & more water, tree roots often infiltrate the connections to the extent they damage the pipes. Tree roots often create whole-house sewer clogs.
Shown: Clay Sewer Pipe Destroyed By Tree Roots.
Photo Source: Dreamstime
How To Know If A Sewer Pipe Is Leaking?
If You Begin To Notice A Musty Or Foul Odor at a certain location in the house (or lawn) which does not appear to be present elsewhere, it’s time to have the pipes inspected by a professional.
- Hydrostatic Pressure Test
An inflatable ball is inserted into the sewer main line to block water flow. The sewer system is filled with water up to slab level. The water level is observed for up to 15 minutes. If the system; 1. Does never fills to slab level or 2. If the water level begins to drop, leaks are present.
- Video Camera Inspection
Video camera equipment is used to perform a visual inspection of the sewer pipe. The camera is inserted into system to see and analyze the condition of the pipes. Exact locations of problems can be identified.
Image Source: YouTube Embedded Video
SHOWN: Click On Arrow Above To See A Sewer Line Being Inspected With Video-Camera Scoping
What Are Expansive Soils And How They Affect Homes In DFW
Expansive soils are found most everywhere in DFW. Expansive soil increases in size as it gets wet. The wet & expanding clay soil pushes upward on the home’s slab foundation, causing the slab to move upward where the soil is wet. When overly dry, the clay turns into dust and cannot support the home’s foundation properly. The closer toward the center of the home, the less that soil-moisture changes. This causes the edges of the foundation to move up and down while the center stays stationary.
Click Here To See A Diagram Of How A Slab Moves Due To Expansive Clay Soil: Slab Foundation Movement Due To Expansive Clay Soils
This recurring movement:
- Can break water pipes (they are attached to the slab from underneath).
- Can break sewer pipes (also attached to the slab).
- Can damage the foundation (causes cracks in the slab and cause the house to become uneven — which damages the brick and the interior).
Shown: Heaved and Cracked Concrete At The Location Of A Slab Leak
Photo Source: Dreamstime
Minimize Soil-Moisture Movement Slab Damage
By Controlling Moisture-Level Near Your Home’s Foundation
Eliminate Rain Water Falling Near The Edges Of The Foundation (to minimize large increases in soil moisture-level).
- This is accomplished with Rain Gutters to catch and move the water away from the foundation. Allowing rainwater to fall right at the foundation causes tremendous changes in soil moisture-level. The more the moisture-level changes, the more the slab moves.
Image Source: YouTube Embedded Video
Rain Gutters Are Very Important For Homes Built Upon Expansive-Clay Soils. They keep water away from the home’s foundation.
- It’s equally important to have Gutter Downspout-Extensions to carry the water at least 3 feet away from the foundation.
Provide “Foundation Watering” During Hot & Dry Weather
It’s equally important to “water” your DFW home’s foundation when the soil around the home becomes too dry (this is mostly during summer). This reduces the chances of damage to the foundation and water supply lines & waste lines due to downward slab-movement caused by low soil-moisture around the edges of your home.
Many automatic irrigation (lawn sprinkling) systems are designed to water the foundation (if it was part of the original installation). If you are not sure if yours does, contact a contractor to inspect the system and make any needed recommendations for upgrades required for the system to water the foundation.
For Those Without An Automatic Lawn-Watering System
You can set up an automatic foundation-watering system with the items below. Soaker hoses should be 18″ from the edge of the foundation. All four sides of the foundation need soaker hoses. If you have a home with a lawn that drops off in one direction, that side will required notably more watering than other sides due to how well that side will drain water away.
North exposures will need the least watering, west will likely need the most watering. The soil moisture-meter will tell you what you need to know to determine how long each side of the foundation needs to be watered.
THESE 3 ITEMS CAN CREATE A FOUNDATION-WATERING SYSTEM
- Weeper-Hose
- Automatic Garden-Hose Timer
- Soil-Moisture Meter
How Much To Water The Foundation?
Many Soil-Moisture meters (like the one above) have a “scale” showing how moist or dry the soil is. They provide the easiest way to know if you are watering the foundation enough, without water too much.
The hotter the weather is, the more you will need to water the foundation. The frequency and duration of watering will change as the seasons do. During the coldest part of winter, it’s possible you will not need to water the foundation at all. Simply allow the meter to tell you how much moisture your lawn currently has.
Reduce Tree Root Damage To Clay Sewer Pipes
By Giving Trees All The Water They Need
Trees getting all the water they need are far less likely to damage clay sewer pipes in search of water. Install a sprinkler or weeper hose around the trunk roughly midway between the tree’s trunk and the outer edges of the branches overhead. A soil-moisture meter won’t be highly effective for this effort because the tree’s roots are much farther down.
Click Here For An Article Advising How Much To Water A Tree: Deeproot.com How Much To Water A Tree
Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C in Plano, Texas provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Gas & Electric Furnace, and Heat Pumps. Additionally we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane), Ameristar (same company as American Standard) and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC).
Al’s performs under-slab and lawn sewer pipe leak detection, repair, and replacement services. Call Al’s today to schedule to discuss leak detection and repair services to avoid possibly having your sewer system fail due to deterioration due to age, rust-through of cast iron pipes, and tree-roots damage.
Al’s also provides full service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home. Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters. Al’s is near your home in Plano, Allen, and Frisco. We service all homes in southern Collin and Denton Counties with no travel charges.
Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your HVAC System or Plumbing. We will arrange an appointment at your convenience and offer 24/7 Emergency Service.