A blockage in your sewage drain can cause real troubles, particularly due to the fact that the wastewater from your home will not find a vent to move out. In case you discover a sewage backup in your basement, you must not panic at all. Simply follow the steps mentioned below to have a fair idea of the same:
- If you find that there is a presence of standing water, overflow, or basement flooding, you will need to switch off the electricity in that region.
- Next, you will need to turn off the water connection. Then, you will have to wear protective gear such as boots and face shields to deal with the sewage water.
- You will also have to stop using the sinks and toilets to ensure the toilet isn’t overflowing.
- If at all you are not able to make it out, make sure that you call for professional assistance.
Sewage backup causes are plenty, and it causes an unpleasant smell. If you are not treating sewage water properly, it may cause several disorders. This may even go so wrong that it can harm your pets as well. Therefore, the best measure you can take is to remove all your kids and pets from your home until the process is over!
Also, hiring a professional who can take care of your trouble is the most wonderful thing that you can consider doing! However, if the damage is not that severe or the flooding has not occurred beyond your capability, you can start doing things yourself to settle them down.
Sewage backup causes that can hurt your home:
Buildups in the pipes, clogs, and improperly flushed items in your toilet – be it your paper towels or one-time used wipes may cause a sewage backup that can harm the drainage system at your home immensely. This happens certainly because it prevents the water from flowing through the right channels. It doesn’t always occur due to reasons caused by men, but it may even be a result of a strong storm or some natural calamity at your location. Well, listed below are some of the common sewage backup causes that would probably affect your home severely:
- An aging sewage system
With pipes that have been aging fast, it is real trouble. It is essential to understand that previously the sewage systems were made of clay pipes and cast iron. It used to break down and crack easily, leading to flooded basements. Indeed, it is very crucial to make sure that you inspect these sewer lines from time to time.
- Tree roots causing sewage backup
Trees and shrubs would pave their paths to the cracks beneath the sewer line in search of moisture. This would even cause damage to the pipes leading to a sewage backup. One should address all these issues immediately and take necessary precautions to prevent the tree roots from making such leakage.
- Heavy rain
Another important cause for sewage backup is due to heavy downpours. Heavy rain may overburden the sewage lines. If a public sewer cannot handle the rainfall, the water may flow into connected pipes. As a result, it may put your whole home into water backflow, thereby causing serious trouble for your whole home.
- Clogs
If you do a proper root cause analysis for a sewage backup, you will be able to figure out that it is the clogged pipes in most cases. If the sewage pipes or the main line of your home is blocked, it can cause serious trouble to your property as a whole.
Now, these clogs are caused due to a lot of reasons. It can accumulate hair, solid particles, or even grease that makes it difficult to route their way successfully into the drains.
Bottom line:
The best way to prevent a sewage backup is to ensure that you are disposing of the paper products properly. Also, you must install a backwater prevention valve. You must even restrict pouring the grease from the drain.