The unwanted, unplanned residential sewer back up in Houston occurs more than you think. And of course it always happens when you have friends or family over for a get together. Suddenly the kitchen sink won’t drain and you watch as carrot peels and egg shells float around in your dirty drain water. You flush the toilet and before you can summon a proper expletive, water and sewage is cascading onto your bathroom floor. It is not uncommon to look in horror as sewage is sitting in your previously pristine bathtub due to a plumbing back up.
So, how can you keep these untimely and upsetting instances from occurring? Why do sewer back ups occur? Let’s take a look at some of the causes.
If you house is forty years old or more, it is quite likely that your sewer pipes under your slab and under your house are cast iron. Over time this cast iron pipe deteriorates, corrodes and breaks up. The pipes have collected grease and debris and this reduces the flow of sewage. It is like cholesterol in your blood stream closing off your veins. This can cause a sewer back ups. You can test your cast iron pipes for leaks by having a Hydrostatic test done. See more on sewer line Hydrostatic testing by clicking this link. http://www.churchservices.com/en/cms/?16
Use your garbage can instead of your disposal. Don’t put down your disposal and sink grease from cooking bacon or other meats. Don’t put eggs shells, carrot peelings or potato peelings down your disposal. If you can scrape off your plates and pans into the garbage before rinsing them in the sink you can avoid a lot of back ups and the expense to clear them. Remember the sewage in the bathtub? Yuk.
Guess what a lot of people flush down their toilets in Houston? Guess what causes lots of back ups? Don’t flush disposable diapers, cigarette butts, hair from brushes, sanitary napkins, Kleenex, biodegradable wash cloths, cat litter, paper towels, etc.
Small kids love to flush toilets and watch as their small toys circle around in the water before they clog the sewer line. Small kids love to unravel the whole toilet roll and flush it down the toilet. Small kids don’t have to pay for a plumber to come out and run a sewer machine.
Don’t connect your yard drainage and drain gutters to your yard sewer line. A heavy rain can cause a sewer back up, especially if you have existing blockages and the flow is too much too fast.
If your house has had foundation movement or needs foundation repair, sometimes the movement of the slab has pulled or pushed on your sewer pipes which can cause breaks or fitting separation which can lead to back ups. See the following link for information on foundation repair. http://www.churchservices.com/ResidentialFoundationRepair/
Tree roots seeking moisture will grow into yard sewer line cracks and under homes that have holes in their sewer lines. It doesn’t take long for carrot peels and disposable diapers to collect on a few roots and cause your dinner party to become a plumbing service call.
Most Houston houses have a cleanout in the yard or several cleanouts in various spots in the yard. A cleanout is a pipe that rises up from your sewer line in the yard and has a removable screw top. This opening allows for a sewer machine to access your sewer lines in order to clear a back up. Some older homes do not have cleanouts and it is recommended to have one installed by your plumber. They come in very handy when you have a back up.
Sometimes breaks or loose fittings in the yard line, or the deteriorated pipes under a house will keep causing frequent back ups. You may consider having the pipes rerouted or replaced with new heavy duty PVC with proper cleanouts installed. For more information on this sewer line reroute process click this link. http://www.churchservices.com/en/cms/?23
What can you do when you have a sewer line back up?
Prevention is key. Don’t put all the wrong stuff down your drain lines, so re-read the information provided in this article.
There are a wide range of chemicals that can be poured down drains for very minor issues that may or may not work. Worth a try sometimes. If you have your plumber come out after you have used chemicals, let them know before they get to work.
Every so often, a large pot of boiling water can clear a small back up of grease or small debris. It is certainly worth a try before you go to more strenuous or expensive procedures.
You can try a plunger in the kitchen sink, toilet or tub to see if the plunger pressure can push along the blockage and allow drainage.
If you have a cleanout in your yard, unscrew the top and this can allow some of the built up water and sewage to flow out giving you some relief. It is gross sometimes, but better to have the mess in the yard than on the bathroom floor.
Many homeowners keep on hand a small ‘hand snake’ auger mechanism purchased from a home improvement store or hardware store that can be inserted into some drain lines and can sometimes clear a blockage,
Call your plumber who will have several other heavy duty sewer machines that can twist and turn their cables in the sewer lines and hopefully provide relief. If the plumber pulls back mud or tree roots, then you need to consider having some of your pipes replaced or rerouted. See this link for more information on this type of work that is common in Houston. http://www.churchservices.com/en/cms/?23
In summary, only water, toilet paper, and human waste is all that should go down your drains. Old cast iron pipes under your house and concrete drain lines in your yard can play a big role if you are having frequent back ups. These cast iron pipes can be rerouted and/or replaced with modern heavy duty PVC pipes. It is not as expensive as you may think.
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