11 Signs of A Collapsed Drain and How To Fix It

Most drain systems have existed for more than 20 years and are usually made from earthenware pipes which are vulnerable to cracking and other types of damage. A very common problem that occurs is having a collapsed drain. A collapsed drain can become a very serious problem.

When your drain fails to direct water flow away from your home, it can severely damage the foundations and compromise their structural integrity. It is very important to be able to identify this problem immediately. So how will you know if you already have a collapsed drain and what can you do about it?

Signs of Having a Collapsed Drain

1. Regular blockages or sewage backups – both of these are not always a sign of a collapsed drain, but if these start happening regularly it’s a likely sign that you have a collapsed drain You then need to arrange for a professional to survey your drains as soon as possible.
2. Damp Floor or Walls – a collapsed drain severely disrupts water flow and can direct it to many different places. This usually occurs on your home’s walls or on the floor and it can lead to the formation of mould, which creates an unhealthy living environment for everyone living inside your home. Therefore its vital that if you see damp floors or walls you quickly have your drain repaired Slow Drains – slow drains are not only signs by a blockage somewhere along your pipes but this can also signify a collapsed drain. A collapsed drain can even cause an additional blockage to within your pipes which worsens the problem even more.
3. Rodent Infestation – rats usually live in sewer systems and a collapsed drain can provide an entrance point for them into your home.
4. Sewage Smell in your Home – detecting a foul sewage smell from your drains are usually caused by backups and blockages. But if the smell persists even after cleaning your pipe, the problem can then be caused by a collapsed drain. This smell can also come from your damp floor and walls due to a collapsed drain and even from the soil around your home.
5. Subsidence or Soil Erosion – if you notice that the soil around your house is subsiding or eroding, this may be caused by water escaping from a collapsed drain.
6. Cracked Walls and Sagging Floors– as we have mentioned, a collapsed drain can compromise your home’s structural integrity. This usually shows itself as cracks in your house’s walls. This can be caused by the soil underneath your home to be uneven because of soil erosion or uneven soil expansion due to having an uneven amount of water in them. Having an uneven soil underneath your foundation causes it to move and be damaged. Another sign that this is happening is through sagging floors.
7. Old Drain Pipes – having a collapsed drain due to old drain pipes is very common in older buildings. When this happens, the best thing to do is to replace the whole drain completely.
8. Freezing and Melting of Water in the Ground – during winter, when water in the ground freezes, it expands. When the weather becomes warmer, the ice on the ground will melt. This causes the ground and the drain itself to expand and contract.
9. Tree Root Intrusion – tree roots grow into the direction of the source of water. Because of this they usually grow into drain pipes and cause them to break or crack. When not repaired immediately, it can eventually lead to a collapsed drain. The tree can be removed or a new drain line can be installed as a solution to this issue.
10. Misaligned Pipes – misaligned pipes cause water leakage. This can cause soil erosion which leads to a collapsed drain.

Collapsed Pipe Repair Options

If you are a DIY-type of person, there are a variety of tools that you can buy to keep your drain equipment functioning properly. Wide cutter tools that are used to remove grease and other blockages. Drain gun kits are powerful, hand-held devices that quickly clear obstructed pipes. For convenience, drain cleaning machines are also available that offer everything necessary for a well-running plumbing system in one case, including cables, attachments, and even gloves.

There are many draining companies that offer different kinds of services that can prevent, diagnose and repair a collapsed drain. You can call them to ask for professional advice on what is the right thing to do when you see the signs mentioned above. The range of services that can offer usually includes:

1. Rooter and Cleaning Service – a collapsed pipe can impede the flow of your wastewater, This is a big inconvenience so before doing the actual repair of your collapsed pipe, your wastewater must flow properly as soon as possible. Regularly cleaning your drain pipes can also help prevent a collapsed drain from happening in the future.
2. Video Camera Inspection – When the drain pipe has been cleared and is already flowing freely, a video camera inspection can now be done to properly assess the damage, come up with a solution and plan ahead of the actual repair.
3. Hydrojetting – usual cleaning services just punch a hole through the blockage to get the water to flow. Hydrojetting, however, is a more permanent cleaning solution. This uses high-pressure water to clean the inside of a drain line, removing not only the blockage but also any kind of buildup that may have occurred. This process can even remove tree roots that have caused damage to the pipe.
4. Pipe Lining – usual drain pipe replacement methods use trenching. They dig around the house to expose the drain pipes and then do the replacement. Pipelining, however, can provide a replacement to the existing drain pipes without the need for trenching. It accomplishes this by creating a new seamless plastic drain pipe within the old pipe.
5. Pipe Bursting – an object made of metal, which is called the pipe bursting head, is pulled underground to simultaneously break the old drain pipe and pull a new HDPE pipe in place. Even drain pipes made of cast iron can be broken using this method.

Water drainage is one of the most important prevalent problems in a house. Even if you don’t have a collapsed pipe yet, its best to do regularly clean and check your drain pipes to prevent them from collapsing in the future.

The inconvenience caused by regular cleaning is nothing compared to the inconvenience that will be caused by a collapsed drain. When you do notice the signs of having a collapsed pipe, it is best to seek professional assistance from a reliable draining company immediately to diagnose and fix the problem.

As we have mentioned, a collapsed pipe can have severe negative effects not only to your home but also to the sanitation and hygiene of the people living on it.

If you’re looking for a high Wycombe plumber, we’re able to help with any of your plumbing issues. Simply email us and we can help you fix it!