Goettl technician fixing piping under the sink

When Should I Replace My Sewer Line?

Before we go any further into this post, let’s make one thing clear. If you’re asking when you should replace your sewer line, we assume that you mean when should you schedule a professional sewer line replacement. Because if you’re asking us when you should grab the shovel and the toolbox to replace your own sewer line, the answer is simple—never! This is a job for experienced, licensed plumbers only, so work with our team.

Remember, your sewer line is buried on your property. That means that you cannot give it a quick visual inspection the way that you might inspect exposed pipes in your home. What you can do, however, is learn to recognize signs of trouble with your sewer line, understand some basic facts about how it works, and contact us at the first sign of trouble. You’re not going to be going through sewer lines regularly, but there’s a good chance you’ll need to replace yours at some point.

Signs of Trouble

Your sewer line is responsible for taking the waste and wastewater from your drainage system and removing it from your property. That means everything from food scraps handled by your garbage disposal to what you’re flushing down the toilet. Given that, it is probably not too surprising to hear that foul odors are a sign that your sewer line is in trouble.

Now, if you smell foul odors coming from your drains, they may just need to be cleaned. The smell of sewage is pretty unmistakable, though. If you smell it in your home or on your property, you’re not going to be able to ignore it—nor would you be tempted to.

Another sign of trouble, and one that would be paired with this odor, is spongy spots on your lawn. If your sewer line is leaking, then it may saturate your lawn. In fact, it may even make patches of your lawn thrive by fertilizing them! Those healthy patches certainly don’t mean that this is a benefit to you, though.

When to Replace

In some cases, it is going to be possible to fix a leaking sewer line. Maybe there is just a bad connection, or a single point of concern that can be dealt with.

However, in other instances, a full replacement will be necessary. Perhaps corrosion has hit the entire pipe hard. Maybe the pipe isn’t fully corroded yet, but is made of outdated materials that are at a greater risk of such problems than the durable plastics commonly used today. If that’s the case, then replacing now while everything is exposed makes more sense.

Ultimately, you want to get your sewer line replaced before disaster strikes and you’re left with a very unhygienic cleanup project on your hands—well, hopefully not literally on your hands. It’s not always possible, but alerting us to trouble when you first notice it will help.

Schedule your sewer line services with Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We Do Things the Right Way, Not the Easy Way.

Testimonials

What Our Customers Say About Us

Veronica CernaVeronica Cerna
17:32 21 Mar 24
Our experience with Goettl and in particular their Inspector Nacho has exceeded our expectations. His inspection was thorough. We felt comfortable expressing our concerns and his positive response put our mind at ease. We thank him and the Goettl crew for taking care of our AC plumbing and repair needs and their support to us as customers.
Amanda RehmannAmanda Rehmann
17:23 21 Mar 24
Rudy and Chris came out and were SO helpful. They went above and beyond to help me with water damage and working with my insurance. Highly recommend!
jaime enriquejaime enrique
16:46 21 Mar 24
Robert BaylorRobert Baylor
16:42 21 Mar 24
Val CastanedaVal Castaneda
15:57 21 Mar 24
We had a stubborn clog in our shower that we were at our wits end about. Decided on calling Goettl and we’re very pleased at the service from beginning to end. Very prompt and professional. Andrew was great and explained everything and our options very clearly. We were very pleased with service today. Thank you so much!
Gerald WiestGerald Wiest
16:49 19 Mar 24
The water softener (which is outside) was ruined by the recent weather. Rudy and Chris were able to diagnose the problem and replaced the softener on same day. This was critical to avoid any plumbing problems in the house. We appreciate their professionalism and attention email to detail.
Mr crab son wakandaMr crab son wakanda
16:31 19 Mar 24
Abdiel did a very good job
Keith RobbinsKeith Robbins
16:24 19 Mar 24
Thank you Jason Cruz very professional and I sighed up for the monthly plan at just $14.95 a great value I learned so much from your vist. Saved me $130.00 yessssssss
Robert PenaRobert Pena
16:16 19 Mar 24
C J (CJ)C J (CJ)
17:42 11 Mar 24
I got a quote for over $3,000 for the last expensive water heater replacement. Way over priced. Will not be using you guys, nor recommending you either.
Gray Garland JamesGray Garland James
17:33 11 Mar 24
Roy is outstanding: professional, thorough, friendly! He understood our HVAC ducting issues and devised the appropriate solution. He was very personable and it was an absolute pleasure to work with him!
Heather HassellHeather Hassell
17:31 11 Mar 24
Chuy Flores with Goettl plumbing and Air, is an absolutely awesome professional plumbing !! If i could give him more than 5 stars i definitely would!!! Chuy is very respectable and knowledgeable in the HVAC industry and gets the job done the right way!! !!!
Desiree FraireDesiree Fraire
17:28 11 Mar 24
Jehad came to my home today and helped me to get a great system in place for my old home. We are getting an upgrade at a good price. He is a great tech.
Marilyn AndersonMarilyn Anderson
17:23 11 Mar 24
Roy was professional and knowledgeable about what needed to be done. Service was performed quickly and efficiently with no surprises.
Ashley RogersAshley Rogers
23:25 08 Mar 24
We had Goettl come out and service our ac units.The Billy McDermott, the technician. Was great. He explained the process and then did the work. I would recommend Goettl and Billy!
Angelia HahnAngelia Hahn
17:58 08 Mar 24
Peter was awesome and explain everything very well.
Thomas FraustoThomas Frausto
16:03 08 Mar 24
Ruby and Chris were very professional and thoroughly explained what they were doing. They left the area just as they found. Excellent service!
Allison De PaoliAllison De Paoli
23:40 07 Mar 24
Very knowledgeable
mark rodriguezmark rodriguez
23:17 07 Mar 24
Carlos,was absolutely the best. Professional to the max, honest and respectful. Answered all my questions.
Lynnie MichelleLynnie Michelle
17:38 01 Mar 24
Great service from Rudy and Chris
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