Sewage line backups can cause many problems in your home and cost a lot of money in repairs for the damages. A sewer backup is certainly no fun, but it can easily happen to anyone.
Here Are Some Common Causes of Sewer Backups:
- Tree roots are a big problem. They often grow into pipes, creating cracks or holes.
- If you have an older home, deteriorated lines or drains can break. The deterioration of pipes makes it easier for tree roots, shrubs or other items to easily puncture and eventually break lines.
- A line can become clogged from an overload of toilet paper or other items not meant to be flushed down a toilet.
- Clogs are also caused by hair, food, grease, soap scum and other solid materials not meant for a wastewater pipe. More than 90 percent of the time, the reason for clogs is that the line has not been properly maintained or serviced.
- Sometimes a city’s sanitary mainline can develop a blockage, and if it isn’t detected in time, it can cause sewage to be forced back into your home through the floor drains. This is usually a slow process, allowing you time to call a professional to assess the damage.
- In rare cases, a sewer line can be crushed by outside contractor work.
- On a septic tank system, the tank may need to be pumped.
- After a very heavy or large amount of rain, lines can become overloaded and cause a temporary backup.
A clog can lead to a raw sewage backup coming out of the drains, causing significant damage and an expensive sewer line repair or replacement.
How do you know when there is a problem with the sewer line? The most common red flags are:
- Water backing up out of a drain or the toilet plumbing
- A gurgling sound coming from the drains
- Sometimes the backup will break the seal under the toilet, and water will show as a leak around the toilet
- Slow-flowing drains
If you’re experiencing one or more of these signs, call in a professional plumber to check and service your mainline. Korrect carries a safe and low-priced enzyme product, rather than chemicals, which can solve your sewer backup and prevent problems in the future.
It is also important that you have adequate homeowner’s insurance, including sewer backup coverage in the event of damage from a sewer backup. For most insurers, sewer backup coverage is affordable. If your home has been damaged severely and is uninhabitable, your homeowner’s policy might provide coverage for “Loss of Use,” which will reimburse you for food, lodging and other living costs that you incur due to not being able to live at home. Contact your insurance agent to see what your options are.