September 11, 2024
Discovering sewage backup within your sink or bathtubs is a frightening and sickening truth. It’s an enormous pain but also highly detrimental to health due to the harmful bacteria and diseases sewage may carry. If wastewater has begun backing up into areas where you’re preparing food or bathing, you will want to take fast action. Here’s what you need to know about the causes, fixes, and prevention of sewage backups.
What Causes Sewage Backups?
Knowing what causes sewage backup will go a long way in helping you address the issue.
Sewer Line Clogs
- Description: Foreign objects, including food particles, hair, feminine hygiene products, and paper, can clog sewer lines.
- Action: If only a single area of your house is affected, the problem can be at the secondary lines. A full house backup usually indicates an issue with the main sewer line.
Tree Roots
- Description: The roots of trees can penetrate sewer lines and crack, break, or block them.
- Impact: These roots may block sewage flow and result in backup in your home.
Broken Sewer Line
- Description: Sewer lines structurally deteriorate and can no longer sustain the flow of waste.
- Impact: Sewage will no longer move because of a broken line, which also causes backups.
How to Deal with a Sewage Backup
If you find yourself facing a sewage backup, here is what to do to limit the amount of damage you incur and to begin to make repairs:
Avoid Using Plumbing
- Action: Avoid using sinks, toilets, and other plumbing until further notice.
- Reason: Continual use would exacerbate the backup by increasing the pressure on the blockage.
Shut off the Water Main
- Action: Shut off the water supply to your residence.
- Reason: It will prevent further water and waste from entering the sewer and aggravate the backup.
Call in an Emergency Plumber
- Action: Call a professional plumber without delay.
- Reason: A plumber can assist with the backup by reinstating the function of your sewer line.
Camera Inspection Request
- Action: You will want your plumber to run a camera through the sewer line.
- Reason: This is a non-invasive process that will indicate what exactly caused the blockage in the pipe and the best way to go about the repairs.
Prevention of Sewage Backups
The best strategy to handle sewage backups is to prevent it. The following are ways in which you can keep your plumbing healthy:
Be Careful What You Put Down the Drain
Rules: The only things that should go down your drains are water, human waste, and toilet paper. Do not put food solids, grease, hair, paper towels, wet wipes, or feminine hygiene products down your sink or toilet drains.
Schedule Annual Plumbing Check-Ups
- Purpose: Regular check-ups keep your plumbing healthy and catch emergencies before they start.
- Benefit: Professional plumbers have specialized tools and techniques to efficiently assess and maintain your plumbing.
Consider Routine Sewer Cleaning
- Purpose: Sewers are cleaned routinely to prevent major blockages of sewer lines.
- Methods: Pressure washing or rooter service can clear potential blockages before they develop into major issues.
5 FAQs About Sewage Backups
Ques 1. How do I know if I have a sewer line clog or a different problem?
A plumber might use camera inspections to diagnose the issue, whether it is a clog, tree roots, or a broken sewer line.
Ques 2. Can I repair a sewage backup myself?
Small blockages are manageable using a plunger, but huge backups must be given to the professionals so that further damage cannot set in and restoration can be properly done.
Ques 3. What do I do if sewage is backing into my home?
Stop using all plumbing fixtures, shut off your water main, and call an emergency plumber immediately.
Ques 4. How can I stop tree roots from harming my sewer line?
This can be avoided with regular cleaning and maintenance of sewers. Tree roots can also be serviced and removed before they pose a significant problem.
Ques 5. Are there any warning signs at an early stage of a pending sewage backup?
Slow draining and gurgling emanating from the drains and odors are warning signals at an early stage that you are experiencing blockages or other issues with sewer lines.
That’s why being vigilant and proactive regarding your plumbing maintenance is so important. You can help prevent an extremely messy and potentially very harmful sewage backup. For a comprehensive inspection today or a skilled plumbing service, contact Magnificent Plumbing and Rooter.
