One of the most unpleasant and health-threatening messes you can find in your home is a sewer backup.
A sewer backup happens when wastewater cannot drain away from your house due to an obstruction or a damaged area in the pipe. Thanks to this obstruction, wastewater will fill your sewer lines and drain pipes and eventually cause a sewer backup in your property. It is exactly as unpleasant as it sounds. Exposure to this unsanitary mess poses serious health hazards and causes significant damage to your home.
Continue reading to learn more about these backups.
What Causes a Sewer Backup?
There are a couple of causes of sewer backups, including:
- Tree Root Blockages and Damage — Like all life, trees and shrubs must seek water to survive. These roots can make their way into sewer line cracks and cause extensive damage. Both the damage and roots typically start small, but as time goes on and the roots grow, so does the crack in the pipe. Roots can travel a long distance, making their way deep into the pipelines, only making the problem worse.
- Blockage in the Sanitary Main — Blockages can occur in a city sanitary main, and if it is not detected in time, the sewage from the main can back up into your home or business via floor drains. This is usually a slow process but can occur at a rapid rate.
Is Sewer Backup Harmful to My Health?
There are many bacterial, viral, and parasitic contaminants found in sewage that can be detrimental to your health, including:
- Salmonella
- Various types of Coli
- Rotavirus
- Norovirus
- Hepatitis A
- Giardiasis
- Various types of worms
- and more.
How to Protect Your Home Against Sewer Backup
Nobody wants to deal with a backup. Here are two things you can do to prevent a sewer backup from happening that won’t cost you a cent:
- Properly Dispose of Grease — As cooking oil and fats cool down, they begin to solidify. This means if they are poured down your sink they can solidify in the drain, your line, or the sewer main and can eventually cause a clog. Instead, pour liquid oil and fat into a heat-resistant container, like an old can kept in your freezer, and dispose of them properly when full.
- Be Mindful of What Goes Down the Toilet — Make sure you and anyone that lives with you (or uses your bathroom) are mindful of what they put down the toilet. Things like paper towels, feminine products, facial tissues, diapers, and wipes (yes, even those claiming to be “safe to flush”) should always be thrown in the garbage and never the toilet. These items take years to deteriorate and can cause major problems.
Contact Restoremasters Today
If you have found yourself in the unfortunate situation of having a sewer backup in your Salt Lake or Utah County home in Utah, call the professionals at Restoremasters to clean up the mess. Our skilled technicians have years of experience in the mitigation, clean-up, and restoration fields and are ready to help you when an emergency strikes. Whether your home is affected by fire, flood, mold, sewer backup, or another disaster, experience the Restoremasters difference and contact us today.
