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Drain and Sewer Inspection in a Home Checklist

  Drain and Sewer Inspection in a Home Checklist When you’re building a home inspection checklist, drain and sewer inspection belongs near the top of the “systems” section. Unlike visible plumbing fixes, problems in sewer lines can stay hidden for years—until slow drains, foul odors, or water damage appear.   What a “drain/sewer inspection” typically covers   In most home inspections, this does not mean a full excavation or engineering assessment. Instead, it generally focuses on observable conditions, functional testing, and records review, plus guidance on when a specialist (like a licensed plumber or sewer camera technician) should step in.   A solid checklist item usually includes verifying accessible interior drain components, checking how fixtures perform during operation, and assessing any available information about the main line and sewer connection.   Checklist items to add   < ... Read more »

How Heavy Rainfall Affects Sewer and Drain Lines in Chicago Suburbs

 How Heavy Rainfall Affects Sewer and Drain Lines in Chicago Suburbs

How Heavy Rainfall Affects Sewer and Drain Lines in Chicago Suburbs


In the Chicago suburbs, downpours can move faster than stormwater systems were designed to handle. When heavy rainfall hits, sewer and drain lines can become overwhelmed, leading to surcharging (water backing up in pipes), street flooding, and in some cases sanitary sewer backups into basements.

 

While most residents know that “a lot of rain” is a problem, the mechanism is more specific: stormwater and wastewater flows can exceed pipe capacity, hydraulic pressure can rise, and water can find pathways into homes or low-lying areas—especially when drains and inlets are blocked or when the ground is already saturated.

 

Why heavy rain strains sewer and drain infrastructure

 

Many areas in and around Chicago rely on aging underground networks that were built for different rainfall patterns than today’s extremes. During intense storms, the volume of water entering the system can spike quickly, lea ... Read more »

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