When To Call An Emergency Plumber: Dangers Of Wastewater Backups | Irving, TX
One of the worst plumbing problems for a homeowner in Irving, TX, to experience is sewage backup. It is an issue that occurs when wastewater discharged from your house fails to flow freely to the drains because of an obstruction, mixes with older smelly waste it finds in the drainage pipes, returning up back to any plumbing fixture as people continue to use water.
Disgusting, right? The sewage backup is an issue that an emergency plumber can tackle with the help of other plumbing professionals. It is wise to know the following causes and dangers of wastewater backups to understand how to prevent or handle the situation if it occurs.
Causes of Wastewater Backups
Blockage in the Drain and Sewer Pipes
To top my list is a clog that obstructs the drains or vent pipes, making all the wastewater from the kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and laundry area have nowhere to go but return to the fixtures.
A blockage in the drainage system can be due to accumulated organic and inorganic waste. An emergency plumber can ask if all the plumbing fixtures in the house have sewage waste or if it is only the bathroom to gauge the extent of the problem.
If the toilet and the shower drains are the only ones with wastewater backup, the clog is in the drains in the bathroom, but if all the drains in the house have sewage backing up, the clog might be in the sewer lines or septic system.
Diapers, pads, paper towels, cleaning wipes, soap scum, and hair can be the reason behind the clog. A qualified plumber uses the right tools and experience to skillfully and professionally clear the buildup. Kitchen waste such as large food particles, fats and oils, and coffee grounds can also build up in the drain and sewer pipes, causing backups.
Collapsed or Blocked Sewer Lines
The sanitary sewer line consists of pipes that transfer sewage from homes to a wastewater treatment plant. The concrete and underground sewer pipe can crack due to heavy storms or tornadoes that can make trees fall on the sewer line. Broken, blocked, or cracked sewer pipes can lead to nasty sewer backups in your Irving, TX home.
The problem is better left to the experts and calling a specialized emergency plumber is a better shot to fix the issue. Electrical failures can also make the sewer system fail to operate efficiently in moving wastewater to the sanitary wastewater treatment disposal area.
Sewage backups from the sewer line can be disgusting because it is sewage from a collection of other houses, and it might have started decomposing, making your home smell awful.
The hired plumber looks for the root cause of the problem and collaborates with other plumbers and municipal professionals to find a lasting solution to the sewer issues.
Tree Encroachment
Another cause of wastewater backups in homes can be tree roots growing in the sewer system. Sewer lines should not be close to trees because of the damage they can create to the system.
If the sewer system is near a tree, the roots can grow towards the pipe, causing plumbing issues like backups. You can have the sewer backup problem caused by tree roots even if you don’t have trees growing in your residence.
The tree roots can grow in the sewer line and block all wastewater from your home and other houses from passing through to the sanitary treatment plant. An emergency plumber can recommend cutting down the trees close to the sewer line to avoid such occurrences in the future.
Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Gutters, sump pumps, and downspouts are responsible for discharging rainwater from your house. Connecting the conveying channels to the sanitary sewer line can cause severe plumbing problems.
When it rains, all the stormwater and dirt passes through the sewer line, overfilling the sewer system, resulting in sewage backups that require urgent cleaning and fixing.
A qualified plumber will disconnect the rain harvesting systems from the sanitary sewer line to prevent or stop the high overflows and backups in your home.
Dangers of Backups
Overflowing Plumbing Fixtures
A backup is a looming overflow of the toilets and sinks. As people continue to use water for cleaning, laundry, showering, or flushing the toilet, wastewater will fill and start to overflow in your home. It is a problem that requires an emergency plumber who should first shut down the main water supply to the house.
If the experts suspect the problem is not in your residence alone, they can alert the municipal authorities about the issue to find a way to stop the water supply until they fix the sewer line.
Health Problems
Wastewater is a mixture of many things, including harmless inorganic substances, human waste, harmful chemicals, antibiotics, and industrial waste, which are susceptible to causing numerous health issues.
The bacteria, protozoa, and viruses found in the wastewater can lead to life-threatening diseases like dysentery, Hepatitis A, Cholera, Typhoid fever, respiratory infections, and Diarrhea. For that reason, the professional emergency plumber can request you and your family member to vacate your residence to tackle the sewage backup problem.
Water Damage
Wastewater backups in your home can worsen to another level of water damage. Failure to call an emergency plumber immediately will leave you to discover traces of poop in your sinks and you are likely to have water damage to deal with if people continue to clean, shower, or wash dishes.
Call Us Today!
A sewage backup is a nightmare that no one wishes to materialize in their homes. If you have wastewater backups, you should call bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas for an emergency plumber.
We are a licensed and insured plumbing company in Irving, TX, offering emergency services all around the clock. Our emergency plumber has the skills and experience to unclog drains and handle other plumbing issues.
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