It is not fun to deal with sewage backups as it is quite troublesome in your homes. Sewage backup is very smelly and filthy and dealing with it on your own, is an unpleasant job. There are many causes of sewage backups and it is important to get rid of them efficiently and quickly. The sewage backup does not cause devastating damage like fire or flood but its present sanitation problems along with health risks. This may further result in property damage and personal health issues.
Whenever sewage backup happens, power off electric and gas supplies, if the trouble exists in the basement. Because the heating system is fix in the basement and tend to affect by backup. You should call a plumber and cleanup service for fixing the problem. The water from sewage is contaminated with bacteria and virus, can cause health issues. Wear rubber gloves and protective mask before entering the affected area.
Mostly the sewer lines are hidden, and it is hard to find where the trouble exists. Contact a professional plumber who will detect the problem with his experience and who cleans sewer backups using proper tools and equipment.
Common causes of sewage backups are tree roots, a clog or collapsed sewage pipes. Sometimes the tree roots grow into your sewage lines and make hole and blockage, or they may grow around the pipes and crush them. The tree roots may be from your or neighboring yard.
If your one or two toilets or flush are giving problem, then the clog is in the linked lines. But if all sewage lines are creating problem then your main sewer line clogged.
Do not use your flush as garbage bin and stop flushing tissues, diapers and other dirty things down your toilet. Use your garbage disposal wisely to avoid clogging your sewer lines.
Grease and oil can easily harden within your drainpipes and create clogs hard to eliminate. If this happens you need to treat your pipes hydro jetted.
In older homes, pipes were used made of cast iron and clay, which tend to break and collapsed with matter of time.
In colder season, frozen sewage pipes become a high risk to the property. When water in pipes freezes in cold weather, it has nowhere to go and blocked the pipes or made cracks. This temporarily blocks your entire drain system until the water melts, or a plumber solve the problem.
All these warnings are signs that you have to start the maintenance and cleaning up of your sewage lines. Regular maintenance prevents big sewage hazards and costs. A professional plumber uses a video camera inside the sewage line to detect the cause of backups. You should schedule the maintenance after every year or two, to avoid a small problem turn into a major repair.
There is sewage backup insurance available for homeowners, which is different from flood insurance policy. The sewage backup insurance covers damage caused by drain and sewer backup only and may not available in high risk flood damage areas. Many people do not have much knowledge about sewage backup coverage as they have never claimed for it.
