Sacramento building codes require that all drainage systems have a minimum grade of ¼ inch per foot. This means that for every foot the drainage pipe travels, it drops in grade ¼ inch. A flat spot is a section of drain line that has no grade, up or down. A ‘belly’ in the line means that the line dips down and then back up before it resumes the proper grade downhill. The belly will hold water in the line at all times. Both situations can cause line stoppages. In a newer home, both are caused by improper piping installations. There is also a chance that the pipe was installed properly but at the time of the backfill of the piping trench, the pipe was pushed down and is now out of grade. Often, installation mistakes like this go unnoticed because the line never stops up. With the advent of TV cameras for drain and sewer line inspections, we can now accurately diagnose bad drain lines. The way to fix the problem is to open up the floor and properly install a new line.
Something to remember: make sure a sewer inspection is done before purchasing a new home. Very few property owners are aware that they are responsible for the sewer line (sewer lateral) from the building to the city main. Broken, flat, bellied, offset, or root-infested sewer lines can cause sewage to back up into the house or commercial building leading to extensive property damage in the home or business.
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