What to Do About a Sewer Backup

4/6/2022

You’ve likely already seen some rain this spring, but it’s unlikely that you’ve seen the worst of it to come. We usually have a few strong rainstorms in a Michigan spring, and if you’re not prepared to prevent a sewer backup, you may not be able to sit peacefully and listen to the rain on the windows. If the city’s sewer system backs up into your home, it could damage your belongings, and the building itself, and put you in danger.

How to deal with a sewer backup in your home

Before you do anything else, make sure to take the proper precautions. A backed-up sewer system can present many dangers to you. First, the water could be contaminated. If the water looks dirty, stay away from it. It’s not worth mopping up with a few towels if you get seriously sick. Another danger is the chance of electrocution. If the water reaches an electrical source, then all of the water is electrified and becomes very dangerous to you. Finally, if the water is deep enough it may put out the pilot light on anything gas-powered. Without the pilot light burning, the gas is free to enter your home and that could suffocate you or cause an explosion. If you suspect that there is an electricity or gas presence due to the flooding, leave the home for somewhere safe and call the emergency line for your electric or gas company immediately.

If you’ve made sure that the flooding isn’t presenting any danger to you, then you may be able to clean up the water. If the flooding isn’t too serious, using some towels or a rented wet vacuum could get rid of the standing water. If it’s more than you can reasonably clean up, you should call an expert. A professional will have the tools to quickly clean up the water and check for any damage that it has caused.

What can you do to prevent sewer backups in your home?

While the city’s sewer system is not under your control, there are ways to prevent the water from backing up into your home. The simplest and cheapest way to do so is to make sure you have an effective sewer trap plug. If your sewer trap plug doesn’t fully plug the drain, then water can rush through into your home. You can replace the faulty plug with a fit-all plug from the hardware store, which should be pretty cheap.

The other preventative measure is to install a backwater check valve if your plumbing system doesn’t already have one. These valves operate on their own to make sure water only flows one way, powered by the water flowing through. There is a circular door on a hinge that stays to the side of the pipe if water is flowing out of your home toward the sewer. If water comes from the sewer toward your home, this will swing the door shut on your pipe and prevent the water from rushing the wrong way.

Aaron Swift Plumbing | Expert help in preventing sewer backups

Sewer backups are one of the worst problems you can have with a plumbing system. Not only can they ruin your things and put you in danger, but the quality of the sewer system isn’t in your control. All you can do is prepare correctly to keep a backed up sewer from flooding your home. With the help of the expert plumbers at Aaron Swift Plumbing, you can make sure that you’ve taken every step possible to prevent sewer water from flooding into your home.

To ask about how we can help prevent sewer backups in your home, give us a call at (586) 315-4707 or send in an online contact form

 

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