Signs of a Sewage Backup & Prevention

What Are Potential Signs of a Sewer Back Up in Your Basement?

Wastewater will back up into your basement first because it has the lowest drains in your house. But if you know what to look for, you will be able to spot an impending sewer backup problem before it becomes a major catastrophe.

• Foul smells coming from your drains. Your drains and pipes are designed to carry wastewater and smells away from your home, this is a certain telltale sign.
• Bubbling toilets or drains. This is a major red flag that wastewater is not flowing through your pipes as efficiently as it should. This is indicating the drains are not functioning correctly and you should a drain cleaning company ASAP.
• Multiple slow or clogged drains or toilets. When you are seeing slow draining or blockage issues throughout your house, that is an indication that your main sewer lines are backing up.
• Strange fixture issues. If you use the washing machine and your toilet bubbles, or you flush the toilet and water backs up into your shower, those are primary symptoms of a sewer blockage.
• Pro Tip: If you have a floor drain and it does not have any water in it you may smell an odor. Put some water into the drain to fill the p-trap and this will block the odor from backing up.

Sewer Back Up Prevention Tips

The best way of dealing with backed up sewage in your basement is to prevent it from ever happening.

• Maintain your sewer lines in your yard. Most homeowners don’t realize it’s their responsibility to maintain the pipeline between the house and the city’s sewer main. A pipe that’s cracked, deteriorated, or filled with tree roots will allow groundwater to seep in.
• Dispose of grease properly. Don’t pour liquid cooking grease, fats, and oils down drains, which cannot easily be broken down in the wastewater treatment process as well as can solidify in cold weather.

• Dispose of paper products properly.
  • Feminine products
  • Paper towels
  • Diapers
  • Cloth rags
  • Hazardous household chemicals
• Consider plastic piping. Tree roots can’t break through plastic piping, and therefore create a more secure line.
• Clean drains regularly. Flushing one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of white vinegar and warm water instead of crystal or chemical drain cleaners.
• Correct illegal plumbing connections. Depending on where you live, it may be illegal to connect French drains, sump pumps and other flood control systems to your sewer.

• Consider a backwater prevention valve. Installed onto the sewer line in your basement, a backwater valve allows sewage to go out but not back in. When installed and maintained correctly, it can serve as a final line of defense in sewer backup prevention.
  • Pro Tip: Check your insurance policy and make sure you have a back up rider of at least $10k or more. You will be surprised how much it costs for the mitigation, rebuild and your lost contents