4 Common Causes of Sewage Backups in Raleigh, NC

• Damaged Sewer Lines. A common cause of sewage backups are broken, cracked or collapsed sewer lines. This occurs often in older homes where pipes were made from cast iron and clay. These types of materials can deteriorate over time, causing corrosion that eventually eats away at the pipes.
• Clogged Drains. Clogs in your home’s drain pipes can cause a sewage backup, pushing waste back into your home. Clogged drains can also occur on your city’s main sewer line. Clogs can come from cooking grease, hair or other solid materials that accumulate in the drain.
• Tree Roots and Blockage. Tree roots are a common cause of sewage backups. Tree roots can grow into pipes creating cracks and holes. Tree roots can also damage sewer lines by wrapping themselves around the pipes.
• Heavy Rainfall. Large amounts of rain can overflow your city’s public sewer lines. If a public sewer can’t handle rainfall, the excess water flows into connected sewer lines. This puts your home at risk of sewage backups and water backflow.

Tips to Prevent Sewer Backups

• Properly dispose of grease. Cooking oil and grease can harden within your pipes and create a clog. To prevent sewage backups, properly dispose of grease by letting it cool down and throwing it in the garbage.
• Don’t flush paper products. Flushing paper products such as paper towels or feminine products down the toilet will clog your sewer line. To prevent possible sewage backups, properly dispose of paper products in the trash.
• Install a backwater prevention valve. Backwater prevention valves allow sewage to leave and prevents it from backing up into your home. Backwater valves can be installed into a sewer line or a drain line in the basement.
• Sewage pump maintenance. Place your sump pump on a steady flat brick surface to ensure the motor isn’t ruined by gravel and debris. Use a filter fabric around the sump basin to prevent debris from coming in.