Excess water can flow backwards into your home’s sewer line and overflow into your basement if there is more water than the sewer system can handle. If your area is prone to sewage overflows, safety measures are available.
A sewage or sewer backup occurs when basement sewer or drainage water enters your home through a toilet, sink, or shower. A sewage backup can result from pipe corrosion, tree roots clogging the system, or incorrect sanitary items, toilet paper, rags, fat, grease, or oil disposal.
Poorly routing gutters, rainwater, or groundwater into the sewer system can also result in sewer backup into the home due to excess water swamping the drainage system. The private line on the property is often the source, although the sanitary sewer system can also overflow and backfill into the public line and private dwellings.
Why Do Sewer Blockages Happen?
There is a possibility of reducing risks by finding early warning signs. These signs are vital for an efficient sewer drainage system.
- If you have a sewer backup, your drains smell foul. A restricted flow of wastewater in your pipes causes an odour. Rather, it becomes stuck in one place for an extended time, emitting a foul stench. Consider how many bacteria are in your pipes and released into your home.
- Standing Water Around Floor Drains – Floor drains are common in basements, laundry rooms, and attached garages. Sewer lines frequently back up into these places before backing up into your toilets if you have these drains. Water gathering at these drains indicates that wastewater is not flowing freely and is backing up. Despite the clog, the flow of water has continued. If you discover this problem, call a plumber immediately because a partial blockage may flood certain areas of your home.
- Gurgling Noises – As you may know, gurgling noises may indicate a slow drain. You may have a backlog in the main sewer system if you hear gurgling or bubbling in the toilet when using an appliance. When you run the bathroom sink, water backs up into the shower. Even if you hear a tiny gurgling after flushing the toilet, you should be aware that something is wrong. You can clear a blockage yourself if there is one. If there is a backlog, you may need to contact a plumber.
- Sluggish Draining Water – A clogged sewer line can cause slow-draining drains and toilets. Determine whether the backup is in a single drain line or the main line by using another drain or toilet on the lowest level of the house. If the drain works properly, the backup will most likely occur in a single drain. When you notice and hear slow draining. Using chemical drain cleaners can be hazardous and degrade your pipes, increasing the likelihood of a future backup. Consider plunging or snaking the drain to clear a large clog.
How Do Drains Work?
Water levels that might result in sewage backing up into a home make sense for residences in flood-prone or heavy rain-prone areas.
Sewage can enter a residence through a variety of channels, including:
- If community treatment facilities or parts of the sanitary sewer system are flooded, sewage can flow back into residences.
- Rapid and heavy storm drainage can cause water and sewage to back into your home in areas where the stormwater and sewer systems are connected. Inquire with local city officials to see if your sewage system is linked to storm sewers.
- If a septic system in a rural home is covered by water, it might seep back into the house.
To lessen the likelihood of sewage backing up into a property, homeowners should plug any areas where sewage can flow in during periods of heavy rain or flooding.
Sewage not only damages building components and carpeting, but it also contains large concentrations of bacteria, protozoans, and other diseases that can be harmful to one’s health. Because water seeks the lowest level, a backup can develop if the level of sewage or floodwater is higher than the drains in the home. Those in the basement are included.
Lifelong Protection
Backflow or backwater check valves in the main sewer line are installed in many newly built homes to decrease the possibility of sewage backup into the home. The check valves have a flapper that only allows flow in one direction. Ensure that check valves are inspected regularly to ensure they are clean and functional. If your house has a backwater check valve, it is normally located on the floor near the main sewage cleanout.
Slice or knife valves are occasionally fitted in dwellings. In most cases, the valves are reached through a hole in the basement floor. They may be turned off in the event of flooding or sewage backup. Once closed, a slice valve prevents sewage flow in either direction, preventing the use of toilets and water in the home.
In an existing home, you can install backwater valves. Install an interior or exterior water backflow check valve in your sewage system by a licensed contractor. There is the possibility of installing backflow plugs in floor drains if a backwater valve is unavailable. These plugs contain a ball or float that prevents water or sewage from backing up into a home while allowing water to flow into the drain. These plugs can be left in place all year.
When Should Drains Be Installed?
Many factors influence whether or not to plug toilet, shower, and washing machine drains. If you reside in a region with a high risk of flooding and water levels are projected to rise over the flood stage, get the right size plug for your home’s drains. Be sure to immediately flood is imminent; plugs may be in short supply.
Examine the lowest levels of the house, particularly the basement, to see what is connected to the sewer system. Showers, bathtubs, sinks, washing machine drains, and toilets are all potential sewage entry points into a residence. If lower-level facilities are not required, drains can be closed.
Remove floor grates or plumbing fixtures and measure the diameter of the pipe to determine what size drain plugs you require before heading to the hardware store. Because each home and drain are unique, do not assume that your home has a set size for each application.
How to Prevent Sewer Backups in Your Home
Sewer backups can cost hundreds of dollars to repair since they damage your floors, electrical systems, furniture, walls, and other possessions. Sewer backups, on the other hand, can do far more than just harm to your money; they can also cause anyone who comes into contact with the water to become seriously ill or even die. Preventing sewer backup damage can reduce costs and repercussions.
If you find mould or other indicators of sewer backup or water damage, it is recommended that you contact a professional for both a diagnostic and cleanup. Reztor Restoration is IICRC-certified and employs technicians that have completed both the Water Damage Restoration Technician (WRT) and the Applied Structural Drying Technician (ASD) courses. When you call Reztor Restoration, rest assured that you will work with highly qualified personnel you can rely on at an affordable price.
Service for Cleaning Sewer Backups
Preventing flood and sewer damage to your property is the most effective defence. Some systems are underground and cannot be inspected without the assistance of a professional team. Hiring a flood damage prevention business to evaluate your house for dangers and damage is well worth the expense. The savings will be significant.
You can do numerous things to avoid sewer backups, such as the above. However, assistance is available if a sewage backup has caught you off guard. Flood damage prevention and repair services can help you mitigate water damage to restore your property to its original condition.
Reztor Restoration will assist you if you require immediate sewage backup cleanup and restoration. Our expertise can provide you with numerous options and assist you in reaching an agreement with your insurance carrier. It will enable you to get your life back on track as quickly as possible. We provide sewage cleanup and repair services 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to minimise damage to our client’s property.
We immediately start sewage, water damage, and flood cleanup services when we get on the scene. We employ the most advanced procedures, employees, and equipment to get your home clean, safe, and dry as soon as possible. Call us at 1800 739 867 to learn more about our services and to have one of our rapid-response teams sent to your location.
