Fast Facts About Your Home’s Sewer System

Do you know what’s lurking inside your drain? No, it’s not alligators — but there still might be a buildup of materials or sewage causing ongoing damage to your home’s sewage system. This might sound innocuous, but it’s absolutely not. Consider that an average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of wasted water per year. Lest we forget, we’re paying for those drops. Without knowing firsthand that your sewer system has been properly inspected and maintained, there’s no way to know how much money you’re literally flushing away into the ground.

How do you know whether or not your home’s system is up to snuff? Well, sewer repair is, thankfully, a well-understood industry. Most of what you need to know is already out there, and most of the rest is something that any plumber or sewer repair contractor will be more than happy to help with.

Below are some fast facts about the industry that’ll bring you up to speed and point you in the right direction for getting your home’s sewage taken care of.

• Experts agree that no matter how well maintained or constructed, a sewer should be inspected once it reaches 40 years of age or more.
• There are almost 400,000 men and women currently working as plumbers in the U.S., meaning that you won’t have any trouble finding one to perform an inspection for you.
• Electric water heaters are designed to last about eight to 10 years while traditional water heaters last about six to 10.
• Fixing your home’s leaks can easily save you 10% or more on your energy bill.
• A shower head dripping at a meager 10 drops per minute will leak 500 gallons a year, which can increase your energy costs by upwards of 10%.
• CIPP systems are designed to last 50 years or more, and may take between one and 30 hours depending on your home’s pipe diameters, curing systems used, etc.

If you haven’t had a drain or sewer inspection performed during the lifetime of your home’s sewer system, it might be time to. Just consider paying for each little droplet of water that gets out of your pipes, regardless of how they escape. Leaks in the basement are the same as leaks in your wallet.