What Causes Sewer Backup?

Sewer backups in your home or business are a terrible misfortune. They are disgusting, smelly, and dangerous for your health. 

That said, there are ways to avoid emergency calls during the Thanksgiving period and the Christmas season. 

After the 2020 dumpster fire with COVID-19 and impact in Chester County, PA, you may want to have peaceful holidays with your family. 

Therefore, spot the early signs that could lead to a sewer backup and act immediately.

​Here is what you need to know.

Unfun Facts About Sewer Backup

A sewer backup rarely happens instantly. In most cases, it usually occurs over time. Usually, it begins with a slow drain. 

Hence, if you notice a slow drain, there are a few things you can do to remediate the problem immediately:

• Take a plunger and try to dislodge whatever may be obstructing the drain.
  
• Contact a plumber to do preventative maintenance.
  

You may have a more severe problem if your bath or shower tub backs up when you flush your toilet. It is a visible clue that something terrible is about to happen.

What can be the potential root cause?

Here is what we observe:

• Your sewer line may be too old and may have cracks or collapsed.​

• Tree roots may have pierced your sewer line.

• The stormwater line may be combined with your sewer line. This is a higher risk to see a sewer backup occur in the event of heavy rain.

• The absence of backflow valves.

• Flood control systems like sump pumps and French drains may be connected to your sewer line and cause an overload.

• Flushable wipes stuck in the pipe. If you like to use flushable wipes, it is better to trash them. Flushable wipes do not disintegrate when in contact with water.

• “Lost objects” that were flushed or went down the drain and lodged themselves in an area of your piping system.

What Can You Do to Avoid a Sewer Backup?

There are preventative measures you can implement to prevent a disaster from happening. If you are unsure about your DIY skills, contact a plumber for help:

• Depending on your home’s year of construction, check if you have a backflow valve. They are required by code, but not all houses have a valve, especially older homes. These valves are safety guards. They will prevent wastewater from moving in the wrong direction towards your home. If you do not have a backflow valve, consider contacting a plumber and have one installed.

• Contact a plumber periodically every year to audit and inspect your home. Typically, a plumber will check the sewer cleanout. Depending on the circumstance, if the cleanout is full, you will need to contact the municipality and ask them to come and repair it.

• Every month, do drain maintenance. Fill up your sink or bathtub with a volume of hot water and sodium bicarbonate to keep your drain clear.

• Do not flush flushable wipes. If you have accidentally flushed an object, contact a plumber to ensure that the item is gone and not stuck in your pipes.

These are simple measures that can help reduce the risk of a sewer backup. However, despite these measures, in the occurrence of a sewer backup, here is what you need to know.

In Case of a Sewer Backup

In the event of a sewer backup with an overflow of the toilet bowl or tub, if you can, try to safely shut off the electricity in that area. 

At this point, leave the problem to professionals for your safety. Do not try to contain the water coming out.

The water coming out of your toilet or tub is contaminated by human waste.

Immediately contact an emergency plumber and a restoration company to take care of the repairs and cleaning. Restoration companies have the training, experience, and equipment to deal with overflows.

Do not let contaminated water settle. It would make things worse.

What Will Restoration Companies Do?

Restoration companies will think in terms of safety, containment, and remediation. These are the three most important aspects of their job.

The restoration technicians involved in your sewer backup will make sure your family is safe. They will wear their full gear composed of professional air masks, plastic boots, gloves, and overalls.

Once the personal protective equipment is on, getting the water out is essential. 

While working on the triage of salvageable personal items, professional pumps and special vacuums are used to extract the water.

All pumps and vacuums send the contaminated water to a truck that collects water and solid waste.

Once the contaminated water is controlled and depending on the sewer backup’s nature, a snake or auger is inserted through the sewer cleanout to clear up and dislodge the clog.
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Once this first phase is completed, the cleanup and remediation process can start:

• Carpets that have been saturated must be removed. ​

• Rugs, furniture, and other items must be removed, cleaned, and disinfected. ​

• If contaminated water has reached your walls, these sections must be removed and replaced.

• The area is thoroughly cleaned with EPA approved products with a broad killing spectrum. ​

• Dryers and dehumidifiers are used to ensure the water damage does not create issues with the building’s structural integrity and avoid mold development.

• Once all surfaces are thoroughly dried and entirely cleaned, new drywall and carpet are installed.

More Food for Thoughts

As usual, being prepared is essential, and speed is critical. Therefore, “expect the unexpected” is the best piece of advice to homeowners. ​

To ensure you are prepared for a sewer backup, check out your insurance policy and understand if sewer backup is covered. If you are unsure of the coverage, call your insurance agent to ask for the coverage specifically, as it is additional coverage on the policy.

Finally, connect beforehand with a restoration company representative, and do your due diligence of the companies near you. In case of an emergency, you need to trust the company that will work with you and understand their process.