Main Sewer Line Repair in Stone Mountain, GA

The lay of the land has a lot to do with how a main sewer line fails and how it is repaired. A short line from a house near the street on a level lot is one kind of job. A line that runs a long way back to the street, or one that drops down a hillside, is another. For Stone Mountain homeowners on lots like these, length and grade shape both the problems that develop and the way they are fixed.

How slope affects a sewer line

A building sewer needs enough fall to carry solids along with the water, but not so much that the water outruns the solids and leaves them stranded. On a gentle slope, the pipe can follow the ground at an even grade. On a steep lot, installers often step the line down with fittings or bury it deeper at the top to keep the grade workable. Where the house sits lower than the public sewer, gravity cannot do the job at all, and a pump has to lift the waste.

Trouble that shows up on steep lots

• Soil creep and erosion slowly pulling joints apart on the downhill run
• Thin cover near the bottom of a slope, where pipe can end up close to the surface and get crushed
• Runoff carrying soil away from around the pipe after heavy rain
• Fittings at grade changes that catch debris or crack as the soil shifts

Trouble that shows up on long runs

• More joints, which means more places for roots to enter or alignment to drift
• More length for a sag to develop, especially where the line crosses filled or soft ground
• Clearing tools and cameras that may not reach the far end from a single cleanout
• A larger dig, or several, if replacement becomes necessary

Intermediate cleanouts along a long line make a real difference. They shorten the distance tools must travel and let a crew deal with the line one section at a time.

Inspecting a long or sloped line

A sewer camera inspection on a long run may need more than one access point, and the report should cover the full distance to the public sewer. On a sloped lot, the footage paired with depth readings from a locator shows whether the pipe follows the ground or has spots that are unusually shallow or deep. Comparing depth at several points helps tell a sag from a stretch of pipe that is simply too close to the surface.

Picking a method on difficult ground

Length and slope change which repair is practical. A cured-in-place liner can renew a long run with little digging, but it follows the old pipe exactly, sags and all. Spot repairs suit isolated defects in an otherwise sound line. On a steep slope, open digging through sewer excavation calls for careful trench support and erosion control, and the restored ground needs stabilizing so the next downpour does not wash the backfill away. Where the house sits below the sewer, the pump side is handled through sump pump and sewer pump service. Our Georgia guide to sewer line repair and replacement compares the main methods.

Stone Mountain permits for service lines

Stone Mountain's plumbing permit application covers sewer and water service lines and records them by length in feet, so an accurate measurement of the run is part of the paperwork. A contractor applies with a state license and a business license, while an owner applying personally uses a homeowner's affidavit. The city's Building Department also asks residents to check with City Hall before any construction, even work they believe is exempt, since missing a required trade permit can mean delays and penalties.

Questions about long and sloped sewer lines in Stone Mountain

Why does my long sewer line clog in the same place?

A repeat clog at one distance usually marks a defect there, such as a sag where water and solids settle, an offset joint, a root entry point or a fitting where the grade changes. On a long, gently sloped line, solids also have more distance in which to drop out of the flow. A camera run measured from the nearest cleanout pinpoints the spot.

Does a long sewer line need more than one cleanout?

It helps a great deal. Cables and cameras have practical reach limits, and a single cleanout by the house can leave the far end of a long run hard to service. Adding a cleanout partway along the line, often during a repair while the ground is already open, shortens that distance and makes future clearing and inspection easier.

What if my house sits lower than the street sewer?

Then gravity cannot carry wastewater up to the public sewer, and a pump is normally used to lift it. If the home already has one, its basin, float and alarm need regular attention. If the line drains by gravity and the trouble is backflow from the public sewer during storms, a backwater valve may be the protection to ask about instead.

Get the whole run on camera

For a Stone Mountain home that sits far back from the street or on a slope, Alpha Plumbing and Sewer will trace the full length of a troublesome sewer line and find where grade or distance is behind the problem. The number to call is (404) 409-4448.