If there’s one thing we know for sure, sewer inspection and cleaning can be really, really disgusting. It’s the kind of thing that the vast majority of homeowners don’t even want to think about, much less schedule. But as a homeowner, a regular sewer inspection is critically important to not only the structural stability of your home but also the health of you and your family.

Keep reading for a few tips about why sewer inspections matter so much.

• If you have an older house, there’s a good chance that your pipes are older as well. Aging pipes will eventually disintegrate, and without a sewer inspection, you’ll never know it since the plumbing is out of sight.
• When pipes break down, it can cause water to pool in certain areas. Standing water that builds up and has nowhere to go is bad news because it can create wood rot. That causes the wood to decay faster, and next thing you know, you have a structure that’s falling apart.
• Worse yet, standing water is a great place to breed infestation. Raw waste and sewage can carry a number of different kinds of bacteria, which can create huge health risks. Plus, standing water tends to be a fertile area for pests to gather.
• We’re big fans of trees, but not so much of their roots. Tree roots can get in the way of sewer lines and inexorably break through them. Broken pipes are a major pain in the neck for any homeowner.

If you begin noticing slower draining in sinks and bathtubs, you may have a larger issue than a simple clog. The vast majority of sewer line issues happen gradually and slowly. But when you schedule sewer inspections on a regular basis, you’ll never have to worry about a broken pipe or blocked line sneaking up on you out of nowhere.