Skip to main content

What is a Sewer Backup?


While floods are probably best known for causing widespread water damage to homes and businesses, they can also cause sewage from sanitary sewer lines to back up into houses through drain pipes. These backups not only cause damage that is difficult and costly to repair but also can create health hazards.

Most homeowners and business owners may not realize that they are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their house or sewer lateral – the pipeline between the city sanitary sewer main, usually is located under the street and the building. The sewer lateral is owned and maintained by the property owner including any part that may extend into the street or public right of way. A cracked or weakened lateral or one filled with tree roots can allow groundwater to seep into the system, contributing to the possible sewer backup problems in the future.

These are some of the main reasons for a sewer backup. Let’s discuss them one by one:

Clogs
Just like your drain pipes, your main sewer line can become clogged, which can cause sewage backups in your home. If it is just one toilet, sink or tub that seems to be giving you a problem, it may just be a clog in that drain. If, however, every flush creates a sewage backup in your home, you likely have a blockage in your main sewer line.

Tree Roots
Another common cause of home sewer backups is tree roots. Even if the area directly above your sewer line is free of trees, roots from a neighboring yard could be the cause of your sewer problem.

Tree roots can cause a couple of problems for your sewer lines - they can grow into the pipes and cause cracks and blockages or they may wrap around your sewer line and crush it.

Broken or Collapsed Sewer Lines
If your home is older, your sewer backup could be caused by broken, cracked or collapsed lines. Although plastic sewer lines have now become the norm, older homes were built using cast iron and clay piping that can break down over time and create sewer problems.

If you have any problems with your home sewer backups, call the qualified, licensed technicians at West Michigan Septic Sewer & Drain Service who will quickly diagnose and get your sewer system back to safely functioning. Contact us today through these numbers:

Muskegon:         231-739-7423
Grand Haven:     616-847-1072
Whitehall:           231-893-4252
Holland:               616-392-8988
Coopersville:     616-837-1800
Allendale:            616-895-9080
Twin Lake:           231-828-5595

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cause of Lift Pump Malfunction and How to Detect Problems?

Does your septic system start to stink or overflow? Does it make irritating noise? Your lift pump may be the culprit.  Your septic system may need to lift waste water from a lower pressure area to a higher pressure area to overcome gravity and spatial concerns. A lift pump is used to pump waste to filtering drain fields.  The malfunction could cause waste outflow issues. You may check for possible problems and potential causes for such malfunction:  Leaks  You probably have faulty valve, which cracked or worn down, that does not create enough pressure. This causes waste water to leak back into the septic system. Such leaks could emit a foul odour in the area. Float Issues  The pump will not run when the float, which is used to detect sewage levels, is damaged or stuck.  Extra Water  The pump cannot fully clear the tank in time when there is a problem in a time-dosed system that adds water too quickly. This will result to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Sink & Tube Line Cleaning Necessary in Muskegon, Michigan?

Even though, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may be responsible for making sure public water supplies within the United States to be safe, may not monitor all the time the water coming out on your homes or business offices.  There are times, or on rare occasions, the water may come out to be discolored. Different discolorations of water have different meanings which some are harmless, while others are dangerous. Commonly, water discolorations are caused by sewer and drain problems that only professional plumbers can fix and safely restore your water services.      West Michigan Septic Sewer and Drain Service , your professional and certified expert in septic sewer and drain services with 32 years of experience in serving the resident of Muskegon and surrounding areas, discuss the different discolorations of water and its implications which every homeowner should know:    Brown water: Brown water dis...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sewer Drainage System Preparation Before the Rainy Season

A Sewer System is consisting of interconnected pipelines carrying sewage. The wastewaters from residential, commercial, industrial and storm waters flow through the pipelines going to the treatment facility. Homeowners and business owners are responsible for the installation, repair and maintenance of your own sewer connection point. Once there is a leak and clog in your pipe line, it is your obligation to fix the issue. The three types of Sewer System: ·         Combined Sewer System – is a centralized pipe that collects the wastewater and rain water. The excess water will be directed to the overflow structure. ·         Separated Sewer System – is consist of two different pipes to separate the wastewater from rain water or storm water. The sanitary sewer pipeline is where the wastewater flows while the rain water runs on the storm sewer pipeline. Both pipelines reach the treatment facility for...
Post a Comment
Read more