Plumbing is so complex that there are inconveniences, nuisances, and disasters.

A sluggish drain is a nuisance. A broken sewer line can be a catastrophe, promptly necessitating very costly repair. It can lead to:

• Drainage problems
• Sewage backups
• Mold growth
• Destruction of the structure of your home

What Is a Collapsed Pipe?

A “collapse” happens when a pipe weakens and becomes too broken down or disjointed and fails, leading to a partial or full blockage. It hardly ever happens overnight or to new piping. Most collapses are foreshadowed by warning signs like small leaks or regular blockages.

Sewer Line Collapse Overview

There may be many factors that are believed to lead into a sewer line pipe collapse and here are some of the most usual suspects:

• Corrosion and degradation by age
• Excessive weight of load on the pipe
• Incorrectly installed
• Rare maintenance and cleaning
• Tree root invasion
• Soil movement
• Extreme weather conditions
• Exposure to harsh chemicals or acidic soil

What to Do If You Suspect Your Sewer Line Has Collapsed

Don’t wait! Call Day & Night Plumbing in Albuquerque or a plumber in your area. The situation doesn’t improve and a collapsed pipe can:

• Endanger the foundation of your home
• Make a mess of home, yard and environment
• Cause sewers and drain backups
• Flood your home

Advances in new technologies, such as trenchless repair and cured-in-place piping, can even allow us to quickly repair a line with little to no excavation needed.

A diagnosis can be made and a plan for repair can only be developed by an onsite visit. And the longer you wait, the more likely the cost of repairs will only escalate.

But what should you look for? What can do something before your plumbing nightmare disrupts your life?

These are among the main offenders of causing sewer pipe collapse, alone or combined.

Corrosion & Age-Related Deterioration

All does not last forever. Your sewer lines may be good for 50 to 100 years, but the damage from hard water and caustic chemicals will eventually cause them to corrode.

All these pipes decay with time, resulting their ability to collapse. Acids, solvents and saltwater can corrode metal pipes until they break under pressure.

Soils that are acidic or pollution runoff (sewage is an example) can raise the pH in water and thus result in corrosion. Homes are more likely to have pipes that fail if they were built before the 1980s.

Common culprits in older homes are tile, clay and the infamous Orangeburg piping of wood pulp and coal tar.

Metal pipes are a big step up from Orangeburg and clay, but age and the elements rust them out. In such embodiments, PVC pipes may be less susceptible to chemical erosion compared to metallic plumbed machine parts but are more likely to experience shorter life spans in locations where UV exposure is particularly high.

In the best case scenario though, these are the estimated lifespans of sewer pipe materials that have been most commonly used in Albuquerque:

• Cast Iron: 50-75 years
• PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): 50-100 years
• ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene): 50-100 years
• Copper: 50-75 years

Excessive Weight or Pressure on the Pipe

Filling in too much weight on top of the soil around a buried pipe can cause it to sag, shift, and to break down.

Trucks or heavy equipment can cause soil to shift, applying large amounts of force on the pipes under your slab. If you are having construction work done near your house, take steps to protect old pipes.

High water pressure can also result in pipe failure. Your plumber can test your line’s pressure and adjust if necessary.

Improper Sewer Line Installation

Improper installation can include:

• Using low-grade materials
• Poorly connected joints
• Improper backfilling of the trench
• Inadequate slope for drainage
• Not enough support for pipe runs over long distances

The plumber should grade the soil and check for obstacles like roots or rocks before installing. Sometimes lines are buried too close to the surface or in soil that isn’t stable. Shoddy trenching can cause weak spots in the line.

Lack of Maintenance & Inspection

Pipes have to be regularly cleaned and maintained, so that no clog develops. Grease, hair and other gunk and debris can also create partial or complete blockages that are so severe the pipe collapses under its own weight (or when water pressure from heavy rains gets factored into the equation as well).

Arrange for professional inspections on a regular basis, particularly if you’ve had recent flooding or other water damage. Plumbers will help identify weak spots in your piping network and act before they collapse.

Tree Root Invasion

What did we learn about trees in basic biology? The trees have roots which:

• Anchor themselves
• Absorb water & nutrients

This continued quest for water — especially in drought-plagued Albuquerque — makes your water (and sewage) pipes a tempting target for thirsty trees.

They snake their roots into subterranean plumbing to grow and multiply and press with ever greater force against a pipe until it gives way. They can destroy any piping system such as iron and stainless steel. So if you have mature trees growing close to your water or sewer lines, wacth out. Book preventive maintenance and root removal to keep your lines safe.

Soil Movement

Earthquake, mudslide, passing train and other forces can move soil enough in the affected terrain to create significant shifts that result in cracked pipes and collapsed infrastructure.

This typically occurs during flood events, in which the water-soaked soil loses strength and sinks or shifts. If you live in an area with a high risk of soil movement, hire a plumber to give your system a checkup once or twice a year.

Extreme Weather

It’s the sort of place where temperature extremes are notorious, and occasionally a swing in temperatures of only 50 degrees can lead to tremendous trouble. High deserts can experience large temperature swings. Cooling quickly, when the warm air hits a cold metal tap, it shrinks and creates a vacuum, sucking water out of pipes until they burst.

Sustained subzero temperatures can freeze the ground: Frozen ground is not good for your pipes. Heat at the other end of the temperature spectrum also can result in excessive expansion by plastic piping, followed by a busting as a consequence.

In summer, watch exposed pipes for signs of bulging or leaking. If you live in a place where the weather is cold, or tends to change, then your pipes are likely to have a reduced life expectancy.

Final Thoughts

These and other issues can happen simultaneously, or more than one factor might be working against your plumbing lines at the same time. If so, well your poor sewer line never had a shot. It definitely will collapse, and probably at the worst possible time. Make sure you schedule regular maintenance to head off any potential issues. By proactively caring for your pipes and hiring the experts to perform inspections, you can reduce the risk of pipe collapse and maintain your system in top working order.