Sewage backups are unpleasant and can be costly to fix. While everyone hopes they never have to deal with one, it does occasionally happen. Before it happens, here are a few things you kneed to know about the consequences and how to be prepared.
When a sewage backup occurs, you may find yourself in a position where you don’t believe you can do anything about it. However, homeowners can do things to ease the suffering when this problem occurs. A homeowner should never try to put the tank back up by themselves when removed for cleaning or maintenance purposes, as this could cause structural damage and severe health issues.
There are many reasons why a sewage backup occurs. However, the best way to prevent it is by taking certain precautions, such as not flushing large or heavy objects down your toilet and contacting a qualified plumbing expert to schedule routine inspection and maintenance on your plumbing system.
What causes sewage backups?
This is a question that many homeowners have been asking for years. While many different factors can cause the problem, the most common are roots in the sewer line, stormwater, and wet-dry cycles. A few ways that sewer backups can occur are:
- Tree roots growing into the sewer line
- A tree falling onto the sewer line
- Construction on a nearby property that causes a blockage in the main line
- External force breaking the main pipe
What to do when your home is affected by a sewage backup?
In a sewage backup affecting your home, knowing what steps you should take is essential.
- Turn off the main valve
If you see anything other than clear water coming out of the sink or shower drain, turn off the main valve immediately and use a plunger to clear it out. In addition, you may want to turn on a bucket underneath the overflow pipe to catch any overflowing water. If you notice that the water contains visible debris, your plumbing has an issue.
- Clean up flooded space
When there is a sewage backup, it can be dangerous to enter the contaminated area without the appropriate safety gear. To clean up the flooded space, use a shovel, face mask, rubber gloves, and a vacuum to remove standing water, debris, or sewage. The cleanup process is long and tedious, so it’s essential to have the necessary safety gear on hand before entering any contaminated area.
- Don’t use your toilets or sinks
During a sewage backup, the water in your pipes becomes contaminated by human waste. To prevent it from back flowing into your home’s system, you must first turn off the main water supply before unclogging a toilet or sink drain and refrain from using your toilets or sinks until the problem is fixed to prevent making it worse.
- Call a plumber
The best thing you can do after a sewage backup occurs is to call a professional plumber. This professional will know what steps will be necessary to restore the plumbing system and proceed. The plumber will arrive with specialized knowledge and experience to remove debris and sewage from the drains and lines.
In some cases, the plumber may have to replace a damaged pipe. To reduce the risk of a sewage backup occurring again, the plumber may recommend that you schedule routine inspection and maintenance of your plumbing system. This will all depend on the reasons why it happened.
Do you suspect a sewage backup?
Get in touch with All A’s Plumbing right away to get immediate assistance if needed. We can determine the cause and stop and fix the sewage backup for you in a quick and efficient way.
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