More than 500,o00 sewer backups occur every year. Moreover, the average home insurance claim for water damage is about $7,000! That said, it’s wise to prepare for a sewer backup and protect your home, health, and bank account. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to avoid a plumbing disaster: adopting good flushing and draining habits, caring for your plumbing system, and opting for regular preventative sewer repair.
Hicks Plumbing ensures Haymarket, VA, homeowners enjoy problem-free, efficient plumbing all year round. Nonetheless, plumbing issues can still crop up, especially around the holidays. Fortunately, our customers can rely on our 24/7 emergency plumbing services. Feel confident that your plumbing is taken care of by the best professionals on the market. Contact Hicks at (703) 803-7466 for top-notch plumbing maintenance and repair.
Below, we outline several ways to prevent a sewer backup in your home:
Be Careful What You Put Down the Drain
Flushing items other than toilet paper is one of the most common plumbing mistakes people make. These items may include paper towels, baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, and cotton swabs. As convenient as it may seem, simply flushing them away can cause significant damage to your home’s plumbing system and sewer lines.
Additional culprits of plumbing and sewer damage are fat, grease, and oil, which cool and congeal to form blockages in your pipes. Although you may think small amounts won’t hurt, these substances build up to clog your plumbing over time. Therefore, the best way to keep your pipes free from backups is to avoid putting these substances down the drain altogether.
Remove Roots from Your Sewer Lines
If left unchecked, tree roots can penetrate your home’s sewer pipes and cause obstructions, breaks, and backups. Root-derived blockages create considerable problems, including damage to your home’s plumbing and your lawn’s surface. Furthermore, a sewer backup exposes you and your home to raw sewage, an unsightly health hazard.
So, take preventive action to remove suspected tree root invasions early on. Doing so helps you avoid expensive repairs and dangerous situations caused by a sewer backup. Be mindful of where you plant new trees and bushes. Avoid areas where sewer lines or laterals are present beneath the surface.
Follow the Proper Landscape Drainage Protocol
A common mistake among homeowners is connecting their downspouts, french drains, sump pumps, or flood control systems to their sanitary sewer line. When heavy rain from these sources overwhelms the municipal systems, large volumes of water can penetrate the line. Such an event can cause sewage to surge up into your home through fixtures like faucets, toilets, showers, drains, and any other open connection.
To avoid this problem, you should divert your home’s drainage away from the sanitary sewer system. You may also want to elevate the house drain—the lowest part of your home’s drainage system. Taking these preventative measures ensures maximum availability of the public sewage line and protects your home from sewer backups.
Hire a Professional to Inspect, Repair, and Install Your Plumbing
Most importantly, hire a professional to inspect your plumbing system and address any problems. Regular maintenance checkups are the most cost-effective and reliable solution for plumbing issues, as you’ll prevent any disastrous events and costly fixes in the future. For instance, old pipes can become severely corroded on the inside and less resilient to sudden increases in water pressure or shifts in temperature.
Line or replace old pipes to prevent expensive leaks or clogs, which may occur due to natural wear and tear. Moreover, employ a professional to install a sewer backup valve—a mechanism that blocks the flow of wastewater into your system—or exterior cleanout—an entryway to your main sewer line for televising and cleaning access. These fail-safes can give you peace of mind.
Routine & Emergency Sewer Repair in Haymarket, VA
Take the proper steps to prep your plumbing system for cold weather and holiday food waste. Hicks Plumbing offers expert sewer repair and replacement services to homeowners in the Haymarket, VA, area. Moreover, we offer emergency plumbing services for issues that simply cannot wait. The professional plumbers at Hicks have your home covered. Call (703) 803-7466 or fill out an online form to schedule an appointment.