How can you tell if you have a sewer drain backup?

A sewer back up is an unfortunate plumbing emergency that can happen to anyone at any time. If you have a sewage issue in your home or business, it can be a scary and smelly experience. Fortunately, these problems are usually fairly easy to identify and fix. A sewage backup occurs when sewage flows from your drains back up into your home or business instead of flowing away from it. This can happen when the plumbing in your home or building becomes damaged or displaced by an excavation or flooding event, or when there is too much pressure in your home’s plumbing system. Sewage backups can be messy, smelly, and potentially dangerous if you are exposed to it for a long period of time. They can also be very costly to clean up – particularly if you have pets or children at home at the time of the backup. In this article, we discuss some of the signs and symptoms of a sewage backup so that you can prevent them next time!

What does a sewage backup look like?

A sewage backup is the flow of sewage from your drains back up into your home or business instead of flowing away from it. This can happen when the plumbing in your home or building becomes damaged or displaced by an excavation or flooding event, or when there is too much pressure in your home’s plumbing system.There are several different types of sewage backups, but they all look the same once they happen. The most common type of sewage backup is a toilet overflow. This occurs when sewage backs up from the toilet into the bowl and then flows from the bowl into the floor. A toilet discharge line sewage backup is when sewage backs up from the discharge pipe into the toilet bowl. A kitchen sink or other plumbing fixture sewage backup is when sewage flows from a broken kitchen sink or other plumbing fixture back into the sewer line.A sewage back up can also occur if your home has an indoor plumbing system with an elevated sewer line (such as a house with a basement or crawl space). This can happen if there is a blockage in the sewer line that forces sewage to back up into the house.

How can you tell if you have a sewage backup?

The first thing you want to do is identify the source of the sewage. This will help you determine how to fix the problem. If you have a toilet that is leaking, then you will want to shut off the water supply to the toilet to prevent further damage to your home and prevent even more sewage from leaking into the home. If you have a sewage discharge line sewage backup, then you may be able to shut off the water to the entire house to prevent sewage from entering the house.If you have a kitchen sink or other plumbing fixture sewage backup, then you will want to shut off the water to the kitchen faucets to stop the flow of water and prevent any more sewage from being released into your home.If you have a sewage line break or other problem with your home’s plumbing system, then you will need to call a plumber to address the issue.

What to do if you have a sewage backup?

First and foremost, make sure you and any occupants of your home stay away from the sewage. You should also leave any pets outside and cover any food you have in the kitchen. If you have pets, you should consider bringing them to a nearby pet shelter during the cleanup.If you have pets, you may want to bring them inside before you start cleaning up the sewage to prevent any accidental contact with it. If you have children at home, you should help them stay as far away from the sewage as possible and remind them not to touch it.The best way to clean up a sewage backup is to use a portable, EPA-approved sewage cleanup system. They are designed to remove sewage and debris from your home’s crawl space or other areas where it can collect. If you live in a home with a basement, you should also consider using a sewage cleanup system to remove the sewage from your basement so that you can clean it up and prevent it from leaking into your home.

Conclusion

A sewage backup can be scary and smelly, but it can also be easily prevented. You can identify a sewage backup by inspecting the source of the back up, shutting off the water to the source of the backup, and cleaning up the sewage using a sewage cleanup system.If you take these precautions, you can prevent the next sewage backup from being even worse than the first one!

Frequently Asked Question

What is the best way to clean out a sewer line?
  • Loosen the cap on the drain pipe
  • Allow any sewer buildup to come out of the drain
  • Gently feed the auger cable into the main line drain
  • Run the auger until the clog is broken up
  • Hose out leftover debris
  • Pull the auger cable back out of the main line drain
​How often should you clean your main sewer line?
A good general rule is to have your home's sewer lines cleaned out every 18 to 22 months. That may be difficult to remember, but think of it as a year and a half to slightly less than two years
How do you clean a perimeter drain?
Consider using a sewer jetter to clean and remove dirt, sand, and yard debris that clog the foundation perimeter drain tile outside your home. A sewer jetter that's powered by your pressure washer can help you flush away the silt and debris so fewer clogs come back.
How long do perimeter drains last?
Perimeter drains or weeping tiles can last for decades. If properly installed, you can expect to have a problem free basement for a very long time. Older clay weeping tiles tended to deteriorate, and become clogged with soil and tree roots, but even these systems lasted for many years.