It’s raining, it’s pouring, and your storm drains aren’t snoring. They’re backing up—right into your home. Sewer backup is a troubling issue that can send wastewater backup through your drainage system. When you have a clogged drain line, sewer backups from the city sewer system can even come through your toilets and shower.
A clogged sewer line isn’t just gross. It’s also a health hazard for your entire family, making it an urgent plumbing issue that requires a professional’s expertise. Right Solution Plumbing can help clear up the mess for residential and commercial sewer backups in California.
This blog post explores the common issues of sewage backups in drain pipes during heavy rains while providing prevention tips and solutions to these unpleasant issues.
What Does It Mean When a Sewer Line Backs Up?
The drains in your home move waste and used water away to either dispose of them or put them through treatment. When you flush toilets, take a shower, wash the dishes, or use the garbage disposal, the wastewater flows through the drain line.
It then goes through your home’s sewer pipe to either shared community sewer systems or a private septic tank. When a sewer line backs up, it flows in the opposite direction. Rather than going to the shared sewer systems or septic tank, it comes back through your plumbing system.
When a backup occurs, it can impact the storm sewer or sanitary sewer. Floor drains connected to these sewer lines where water runs off during rain will usually just have water flow back up. However, shared sewer systems for human waste may allow raw sewage to come up through basement floor drains.
If you have backup from your sewer lines, it’s an urgent matter that needs attention from professional plumbers. Sewage can release airborne particles filled with bacteria and viruses that can make you ill. Call for repair services immediately when waste flows back into your home.
Causes of a Sewer Backup During or After Heavy Rain
When sewage is coming through your sewer line, you may wonder what’s causing it. Understanding how it happens can help you determine the right actions to take.
Heavy Rainfall
When rainwater is flowing heavily, it can quickly overwhelm city sewers. As the ground becomes too saturated, this water has nowhere to go. This is why it’s always a good measure to have your sewer line maintained to prevent clogs that make it even more difficult to drain the water.
Tree Roots
Tree roots will always grow in the direction of water, which is why they commonly obstruct drainage systems. As tree roots grow, they block the flow of water, backing up the sewer pipe.
Signs of a Clogged Sewer System
Before your sewer lines back up into your home, you may notice signs of drainage issues. Never overlook a foul odor, particularly one akin to rotten eggs, coming from your drains. It’s one of the biggest indicators of sewage overflowing into your home.
Another more obvious clue is standing water. When water begins pooling around your drains, it’s a sign that it isn’t flowing as it should. Cleaning drains can help ensure the water flows where it needs to go rather than back into your home, causing property damage. Gurgling sounds and slow-draining water may also arise, which could indicate an obstruction that could soon cause backflow.
Ways to Prevent Sewer Line Backup
Summer storms can easily lead to excess water, creating a challenge for both city and septic systems. You can prevent backups by taking the following steps:
Install a Check Valve in the Basement Floor Drain
Call a professional service to install this valve in your basement drain to keep water flowing in just one direction: out of your home.
Have a Sump Pump Installed
This pump collects any excess water and pumps it away from your home. It’s especially useful when summer storms saturate the area.
Regularly Maintain Your Drains
For basement drains and beyond, regular drain cleaning can keep the way free and clear for water to see its way out and away from your home. Over time, drains collect hair, grease, food particles, and more, leading to blockages. Avoid using harmful chemicals that can damage your underground pipes. A plumbing company will have safe methods for cleaning your drains and sewer pipes.
Reconsider Your Landscaping
Protect your main sewer line by teaming up with your landscaping company. Proper grading should be used to encourage natural water flow away from your home when it rains. Keeping your gutters clean and ensuring they help move water at the right angles will also prevent pooling, which can affect drains during big rain storms.
Don’t forget about your trees either. Certain trees can cause issues for home sewer lines. Plant trees that have slow growing root systems to avoid these problems down the road.
Install a Backflow Preventer
The valve is one of the best safety nets for any home as it shuts off when it detects water flowing back in the direction of your home.
Use Caution with Bathroom Habits
Whether there’s heavy rain or not, always practice smart habits in the bathroom. You should only flush toilet paper and your own bodily waste down the toilet. Use a bathroom trash can for feminine hygiene products, diapers, and wipes.
Know When to Call for Help
If heavy rain is causing waste to flow back into your home, don’t wait to call a professional plumbing crew for emergency sewer service. Before things even get to that point, make a habit of scheduling routine maintenance to clean your drains and have a sewer inspection conducted.
Materials will naturally build up in these pipes over time, though having things maintained can prevent clogs and keep things flowing smoothly. By taking a proactive approach, you’ll minimize the expense and the damage done to your home and protect your family from exposure to dangerous elements.
At Right Solution Plumbing, we provide plumbing maintenance, drain cleaning, sewer line inspection, repairs and replacements, as well as emergency plumbing services. Contact us anytime for an emergency or inquire about our other services.
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