Clear Signs Your Sewer Is Backed Up

There are plumbing problems, and there are plumbing nightmares. A backed-up sewer falls under the latter. Whatever the reason for it, it does not require spelling out that a sewer backup is a plumbing emergency of the highest order.

A sewer backup means water does not flow normally and since it has no place else to go, the water will bubble back up and eventually flood parts of your house, bringing with it unimaginable amounts of bacteria and other filthy stuff that pose a serious health risk to everyone in the household. To prevent something that horrible from happening in your home, you have to be always on the lookout for clear signs your sewer is backed up.

Signs you have a Sewer Backup

• A slow draining tub, sink or toilet
• Water seeping out of the floor drain
• A gurgling sound coming from your drain
• Sewage seeping out from the ground into your yard
• The foul stench of sewage coming from your drains
• Water pooling on the floor near toilets and other fixtures
• Waste from your kitchen popping up in another drain in some other part of your house
• Muddy brown water flowing out of a drain
• A gurgling sound coming from the drains

Dangers of a Sewer Backup

Sewage is full of bacteria, viruses and all sorts of toxic substances. That is why it doesn’t come as a surprise that nearly 2 million cases of illness arising from sewage contamination are reported every year. If possible, never come into contact with sewage or you, a loved one or even your pets could require medical attention.

When you’re certain that you have a sewer backup, here are a few things that you can do to avoid exacerbating the problem.

• Don’t flush the toilet
• Immediately clean the area that was flooded by water from the drains, but always use gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. NEVER touch raw sewage with your bare hands. If there are any objects within your home that have been contaminated with sewage, throw them away immediately.
• Make sure your children and pets go nowhere near the sewage.
• Most importantly, call for help from a professional plumber to fix the sewer backup. While it’s admirable that you want to clear the clogging yourself, only a professional plumber armed with the skills, experience and the right tools can completely remedy a plumbing emergency as severe as a sewer backup. Doing so will also spare you from the hazard of handling sewage yourself, and that, for me, is already winning half the battle.