Do you want to prevent sewage backup in your home? Here’s what you need to know and do!
One of the most disastrous incidents that every homeowner dreads is the sewage backing up in their home. When the sewage system overloads due to clogging or blocking of flow, the wastewater is pushed back into the home through the drains of basements, toilets, and even shower and sink drains.
The sewage backup can damage a house and make the indoor environment hazardous due to the leakage of biological and chemical waste in the sewage line.
Causes of Sewage Backup
The three common causes of sewage backup are as follows:
Clogging
Sewage backups are often caused by the clogging of the sewer line wither in your home or across the area’s sewer network. This cause the wastewater that was supposed to flow into the central public sewer system to push back into your home. Clogs can be caused by major debris or something as minor as hair, accumulation of grease and cooking oils, or solid waste that the pipes are not equipped to carry.
Blockage
Blockage of the central sewer system is another common cause of sewer backup in your home. Blockage is often caused by tree roots as they grow and penetrate the pipes. The roots end up cracking or creating holes in the pipes and sometimes wrap around them. This causes serious blockage of flow and allows the sewage to back up.
Broken and old sewage lines
Old homes and towns often experience sewage backup because of the deterioration of sewage pipes and drain. If the sewage system isn’t upgraded or maintained, it can lead to blockage and then ultimately, backup and leakage.
Way to prevent sewage backup
- Don’t wash cooking oil or other greasy liquid down the drain. Grease and oil solidify in the sewage pipes and lead to clogging and blockage. The same is the case with food scraps, coffee beans, eggshells, debris, rock particles, hair, and other items.
- Do not flush anything except toilet paper. Your sewage pipes are only capable of flushing down the human waste and toilet paper. If you flush down other items like garbage, paper towels, sanitary products, medicines, plastic items, etc., it can damage the entire sewage system.
- Replace old clay and cast-iron drain pipes with plastic pipes. Plastic is impervious and doesn’t allow tree roots to penetrate.
- Install a backflow or backwater prevention valve to protect your home from damage in case of a sewage backup. Prevention valves don’t let the backup from the main sewage line to enter into your home.
Sewage back up is a serious issue, and it can damage your house significantly. That’s why you need to contact a Professional Restoration Company after such an incident occurs.