Sewer Line Leak Detection in Reno, NV

What is sewer line leak detection?

Sewer line leak detection finds damage in the drain pipes that carry wastewater from your home to the public sewer or septic system. The main focus is the building sewer, often called the lateral, which runs underground from the house to the connection at the street. It also covers drain lines under the slab and inside the walls.

Unlike supply lines, sewer lines are not under pressure. They leak when wastewater flows, and they usually show their damage through slow drains, backups and odors rather than a spinning meter. Detection uses cameras and flow tests to see inside the pipe and pinpoint cracks, breaks, root intrusion and sagging sections. Older parts of Reno, with mature trees and older pipe materials, see many of these calls, as do homes across Reno where landscaping has grown in over drain lines.

How does sewer line detection work?

Most sewer diagnosis centers on a video inspection.

1. Access the line. The technician opens a cleanout, which is a capped pipe outside or inside the house that gives direct access to the drain. If there is no cleanout, a toilet may be pulled or a roof vent used.
2. Camera inspection. A waterproof camera on a flexible push rod travels through the pipe and records video. The technician watches for cracks, gaps at joints, roots, corrosion, collapsed sections and low spots.
3. Locate from above. A small transmitter, called a sonde, in the camera head lets the technician find its position and depth from the surface with a locator. That turns a spot on the video into a mark on your yard or floor.
4. Flow and dye tests. Running water or dye through fixtures shows where wastewater escapes or backs up.
5. Smoke testing. In some cases, non-toxic smoke is pushed into the drain system. It escapes at breaks and through dry traps, which reveals hidden openings and sources of sewer gas inside the home.

What are the signs of a leaking sewer line?

Watch for these eight signs that the main drain may be cracked or blocked:

• Several slow drains at once, especially on the lowest level.
• Gurgling toilets or drains when another fixture is used.
• Sewage backup in a tub, shower or floor drain.
• A sewer smell inside the house or in the yard.
• A soggy or sunken strip of yard between the house and the street.
• Unusually lush grass along the route of the sewer line.
• Frequent clogs that come back soon after clearing.
• Pests such as rodents or insects coming up from drains or near the foundation.

What causes sewer line leaks?

Tree and shrub roots are a leading cause. Roots are drawn to the moisture and nutrients in sewer lines, and they enter through small gaps at joints. Once inside, they grow, trap debris and widen the crack. Neighborhoods with mature trees are especially prone to this.

Pipe material is another factor. Older homes may have clay, cast iron or other materials that crack, corrode or separate at the joints over time. Newer plastic lines can still fail if they were not bedded properly and the soil settles, creating a low spot called a belly where waste sits and pipes stress at the joints.

Ground movement, heavy vehicles over the line, freezing in shallow sections, and grease or wipes that build up and cause pressure behind clogs can all add to the damage.

What can you check yourself?

These simple checks help the provider before they arrive:

1. Note which drains are slow and whether the problem affects one fixture or the whole house.
2. Find your cleanout, usually a capped pipe near the foundation or in the front yard. Do not open it if drains are backing up, since it may be under pressure.
3. Look for wet, sunken or smelly spots in the yard along the line's likely route.
4. Avoid chemical drain cleaners, which can damage older pipes and endanger workers.
5. Limit water use until the line is checked if you have backups.

What happens during a professional sewer inspection?

The technician asks about your symptoms, locates the cleanout and runs a camera through the line from the house toward the street. If the line is blocked, they may need to clear it first so the camera can pass. As the camera travels, they note the type of pipe, the condition of each joint and the distance to any damage.

When they find a problem, they use the locator to mark its position and depth on the surface. You get the video and an explanation of what it shows. Repair options often include a spot repair at one break, pipe lining that seals the inside of the old pipe, pipe bursting that pulls new pipe through the old path, or a traditional dig and replace. Our leak repair page describes how providers choose between them.

What affects the cost of sewer line detection?

Each independent provider sets its own pricing, so ask what is included.

When is a sewer problem an emergency?

Call right away if sewage is backing up into the home, if multiple fixtures will not drain, or if wastewater is surfacing in the yard. Stop using water in the house to prevent more backup. Sewage inside the home is a health risk and can damage floors and walls quickly. A single slow drain or an occasional odor is less urgent, but it is still worth a camera inspection before it becomes a backup.

Related services and nearby areas

If drains are fine but your meter moves with everything off, the problem is on the supply side, which water line leak detection covers. Wet walls near bathrooms can come from drain lines inside walls, so hidden pipe leak detection may also help. Older, tree-lined areas such as Old Southwest Reno and Midtown Reno see many sewer calls, as do older sections of Sparks.