Sewers back up in a home! Most of the time, we don’t really think much about them – unless there’s a problem in our home. Does your toilet need flushing? Is your sink clogged? Sewers circulate wastewater, but this type of system is highly complex. Urban infrastructure such as sewers is essential for maintaining a healthy and safe environment. Water-borne diseases cannot spread if wastewater is carried away. They prevent flooding by carrying away wastewater. If your home experiences a sewer backup, this can be very alarming. Immediately, you should go for the sewage cleanup service from a reputed and trusted company.
These four familiar sources of sewer backup in homes will help you find out what is causing the clogged drain in your bathroom. So let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Blockages
The most common cause of a sewer backup is clogging in the drain pipes or underground main sewer lines. A blockage can be caused by grease, hair, or other solid materials. If your basement sump pump fails, clogs can also occur.
Tree Roots
Underground pipes make up sewer lines. Rocks and roots can be found nearby. Due to the long roots of trees, they may grow toward a leaky pipe. A tree root may grow around a pipe and cause a sewage backup if it reaches the pipe. Regardless of whether you have trees on your property, trees in your neighbors’ yards can still pose a threat.
Cracked Sewer Pipes
The chances are that your pipes will be damaged if they are old. You may experience a sewer backup as a result of this damage. Most cast iron and clay pipes are prone to cracking after a short time.
Rain
Heavy rain can cause a sewer backup. It is not uncommon for the city’s sewage system to reach maximum capacity after heavy rains in a neighborhood. Flooding within the sewer system can cause excess water to travel to the sewage pipes that are connected to your house. Backflows of water in your sink are signs of sewage backing up in the main sewer line.
Quick Fixes for Sewer Backups
Use a Plunger
Drain openers are easy to use and widely available. A plunger works well on most drain clogs, including toilets and sinks.
Buy a Liquid Drain Cleaner
How to unclog a bathtub or sink? However, you should not use them in toilets. Liquid drain cleaners will eat through a toilet’s wax seal and cause leaks.
Release Pressure
First, turn off the main water supply. Look for your sewer cleanout line in the yard. Three to four inches long, it’s white and sealed with a screw-on cap. You should be able to drain any water backing up into your home once you remove the cap.
Chemical Drain Cleaning
Assisting with tree root blockages is an effective way. Copper sulfate is sometimes recommended for killing tree roots by repeatedly flushing it down the toilet. However, copper sulfate is not safe for septic systems, and some municipalities do not allow its use. Flush a root-killing foam containing the herbicide dichlobenil down your toilet. The foam kills tree roots within a few hours after adhering to the pipes. Even so, it may take a few months for dead roots to be removed entirely from your sewage system.
Final Words
A clogged sewer drain can be one of the most frustrating plumbing issues a homeowner can face. To keep a household running smoothly, fixing this is also one of the essential things to do. We hope these four common causes and solutions to sewer backup in homes will help you avoid this issue.
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