Common Causes and Prevention of Sewer Backups
Common Causes and Prevention of Sewer Backups
Each year, thousands of homeowners find themselves dealing with water damage caused by a sewer backup when they least expect it. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the flooding, the cleanup for this can be particularly difficult. While it’s certainly a situation that can be taken care of by trained professionals, it’s still important for homeowners to prepare themselves for the unexpected. Below, Action 1 Restoration has shared some information that can help you understand more about dealing with and avoiding this type of disaster.
When a sewer backups happens, the wastewater that is used in your washing machine, toilet, showers, and sinks will push back into your home rather than going down the pipes as normal. Unfortunately, this means dangerous wastewater causing damage to your home when you least expect it. By understanding more about the causes of this type of disaster, you may be able to potentially prevent it from happening in your own home. This can pay off by making your home safer and teaching you tips for keeping your pipes healthy and running efficiently.
Although trees are beautiful and add privacy around the outside of your home, they can become dangerous when their roots grow into your sewer lines over time. This can cause a multitude of problems, including a sewer line backup right into your home. The only way to remedy this is by calling a professional to cut the roots away and then repair the sewer lines where they were damaged.
If you have trees close to your home, have a plumber take a look at your sewer lines to see if they are in good shape. By being proactive, you may be able to catch a problem with tree roots before they begin causing real damage. Although this may mean taking trees out of your yard, it can be worth it for the safety of your pipes.
In most homes, clogged sewer lines are the main culprits behind sewer backups. Unfortunately, these can happen easily when residents’ flush things that cannot break down in pipes or put fats, oils, and food waste into the sink on a daily basis. When combined with hair and other debris that can naturally fall into the pipes, it’s easy to see how a major clog can happen over time. The best way to prevent this is by being careful with what you put down your drains. This means never putting grease in the sink, disposing of coffee grounds in the garbage, keeping hair out of the bathtub drain, and not flushing things that won’t break down in the sewer.