When any portion of the sewer lines gets obstructed or damaged, wastewater is prevented from draining away from your house. And if this problem is not resolved immediately, it can result in flooding and sewer backup.
Massive, uncontrolled flow of water and waste is a nightmare to any homeowner in Five Dock as it wreaks havoc on the furniture, walls, floors, ceiling, electrical infrastructure or the entire house itself. Indeed, repairs are pretty expensive! Thus, at the first signs of sewage backup, contact the professional plumber nearest you.
Know the Early Signs
How do you recognise sewer backup? Before that happens, be wary by keeping an eye out for the warning signs and so that you’d be prepared to do minor repairs before the problem gets worse.
- Rotten stench
If you start to smell foul odour like sewage coming out of the basement drains, kitchen sinks or tubs, it could mean pipes or the sewer line itself is clogged. Before sewage is being pushed back up, check where the stench is coming from.
- Poor draining
When multiple fixtures start draining slowly like kitchen sinks, bath tubs and laundry lines, it’s very likely that a clog is occurring in the main line, so you’d better check that out, too.
- Water backing up
A problematic sewer line causes water to back up either in the toilet or sink or both. A gurgling sound is also produced as this happens. Worse is when the water has reached your yard and starts flooding the area.
Tips to Avoid Sewer Backup
Follow these doable tips so that you can avoid backing up of your sewer, and steer clear of costly repairs.
- Clear sewer lines
Hire a professional team to do sewer line cleanout using a large vacuum to remove all blockages. Experts recommend sewer line clearing every 3 to 5 years even if there’s no problem in the system.
- Install a mainline backwater valve
This device helps prevent backing up of sewage when the main sewer line is already overloaded by automatically closing as the sewage backs up from the main sewer. However, if you don’t have a sewer backup valve at home, have an expert install plugs with backflow devices instead.
- Don’t plant trees close to the sewer lines
Roots could grow into the pipes and cause damage or blockage.
- Never treat your plumbing system as a garbage bin
Only human waste should go into the pipes. Even toilet paper can still cause clogging once they don’t disintegrate totally. Oil, grease, fat, soap bits, food bits and hair strands should not find their way into the drain as they have the proper place to go – not down the drain.
- Replace antiquated lines or pipes
This may cost you some fortune but it will be worth it if you enjoy a hassle-free plumbing system for a long time.
Takeaway
We often overlook the sewer system in our property. Most times, we see blockages as normal issues we can DIY right away. However, when we ignore these problems and only fix what we notice, not looking into the root cause, the sewer line may end up in a serious, smelly sewage backup. Five dock plumber companies advise household homeowners that prevention is always better than repair. After all, maintenance is less expensive compared to fixing. Therefore, knowing how to avoid sewer issues is more important than knowing how to fix them temporarily.
