What causes sewage to backup?
The bad news: backups happen.
The good news: we can help tell you why backups happen, which in turn can help solve the problem. Let’s cover a few possibilities why your sewage is paying a return visit, shall we?
It’s a clog
Just like your drainpipes, your main sewer line can become clogged. No surprise there. And typically, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but in some cases, it can lead to a sewage backup. 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. However, if every flush creates a sewage backup in your home, you likely have a blockage in your sewer line.
Broken or Collapsed Sewer Lines
Do you happen to have an older home? Then 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. Fortunately, there is plenty of technology today that can replace sewer pipes with a system that causes minimal disturbance in your yard or home. In fact, we’ve written a few articles about this!
Tree Roots Can Cause a Sewer Backup
Most sewer pipes lie just beneath the surface of your lawn. You know what else is on your lawn? – trees! So, as your trees grow, their roots can unfortunately penetrate your sewer line, which ends up clogging it. That’s where we can help. With the use of sewer video inspection, we’ll be able to look directly into your pipes and find the problem.
I know what you’re thinking: wait, I don’t even have any trees on my lawn. Well, even though you may not have a tree near your sewer lines, tree roots can cross property boundaries and may be located far away from their source. If you have a sewer line that’s been infiltrated, the roots will need to be cut away and the pipe repaired or replaced.
Do you have a question about your sewer line? No problem. Simply call your Louisville or Lexington Dauenhauer, any hour.
