ARE YOU PROTECTING YOUR CLIENTS AND YOURSELF?
Q: Someone suggested having the sewer "scoped" on a home I am purchasing, in addition to the many other fees and inspections I am paying for already, so I am hesitant. I have never heard of this. The house was built in the late '40s. Is this really necessary, and is it cost-effective?
A: This type of inspection is gaining in popularity for potential home buyers, but the vast majority of them still do not have this work done, many with the same reservations as yourself. Is it worth it? Personally, I think it is very cheap insurance. Within the past few years, all homeowners-insurance carriers (except for one) have eliminated the sewer line from coverage, exposing owners and buyers to greater liabilities. In a typical sewer, the building "owns" the sewer line all the way to the tap in the street. This means a repair can involve not only digging up the yard, but also the sidewalk and half the street, along with the ensuing municipal permits and inspections.
A $20,000 repair is not unheard of, and costs can exceed this quite often. Obviously, a home inspector cannot see the buried sewer line, and running the water and flushing the toilet do not test the line adequately. Hydro Physics runs a full color video camera through the underground piping from the building to the city main and produces a full color documented video and a computer generated report of our findings. The videos can be put on a disc or uploaded for you to view.
Q: What are the pipe problems can be diagnosed with your services before buying my new home?
A: A "low area" (a.k.a. Sag or Belly) is where the sewer pipe has lost positive slope going to its destination, i.e. the city sewer main or in some cases a septic tank. With rare exception, sewers flow by gravity to where it ties onto the city's main sewer and becomes their responsibility. If a line is properly installed, it will have a positive slope for the entire duration of its distance. Under normal conditions, sewers are installed with a fall of 1/4" per every one foot of length. Under difficult circumstances (and with the city inspector's OK) a bare minimum of 1/8" fall per foot is acceptable, although not preferred.
A low area can be identified by seeing the sewer continue to hold water after the flow has stopped. Problems begin when incoming water is flushed down the sewer line, and it hits a "blockage" of standing water. Severe low areas cause the water (along with the debris it is transporting) to lose speed and settle in the low area, eventually causing a clog.
Low areas can be caused by a number of factors, such as: shifting soil, poor soil compaction, poor installation, or a broken pipe (usually at a joint) which is settling. Unfortunately, the only way to correct a low area is to excavate the affected area and re-install the pipe at the proper grade. Since this corrective action is so extreme and often costly, it should only be corrected if it is truly causing an actual problem, not just "lacking perfection" for a short distance. For instance, a low area holding 1/2" of water for three or four feet is not "technically correct" per the plumbing code book. However, will this cause a problem? The answer is no. The problem now becomes…how much of a low area is too much?
The best way to find out is to ask the owner if they have had problems in the past. If so, they may have documentation from prior plumbing service calls on the distance out that the clog was cleared. This information, in conjunction with a camera inspection, may help determine if the low area is excessive. There are also other factors which come into play when considering if a repair is needed (i.e. the type of pipe used, water volume used, recent change in depth of low area, degree of tree root infiltration, corrosion build up, grease, etc.) These can all be contributing factors for the collecting of debris in a low area.
Keep in mind that in the best situation, sewers with a low area will need more attention than sewers without one. In addition, low areas may get lower over time until it makes sense to repair it. If we believe a slight low area(s) will not cause you an immediate problem, it may not even be mentioned on our report. It is always recommended by Hydro Physics® that you review your inspection results with a plumber of your choice to make the most informed decision possible based on your individual inspection.
