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What Causes Sewer Backups?

Few plumbing problems are a bigger cause for alarm than a sewer line backup. Even worse is when your sewer line experiences recurrent backups, quickly causing a full-blown crisis in your home.

If you’re no stranger to frequent sewer line backups, the first step is understanding what might be causing the problem. By taking the time to understand what’s happening beneath the surface, you can take the necessary steps to prevent against future backups and keep your sewer system healthy.

Four Reasons Your Sewer Lines Keep Backing Up

Sewer lines can back up for a number of reasons. The most common causes for frequent sewer line backups include the following:

  • Sewer Line Clogs: If you frequently flush hair, oil, grease, food, and other items down your drains, these can cause serious blockages deep inside your system. Sewer line clogs are fairly easy to fix simply by avoiding flushing such materials down your drains and toilet. You can also install drain catches throughout the home to catch smaller items before they get sent down the drain.
  • Sewer Line Damage: Even after keeping your drains clean and clear, you might still experience sewer backup if your sewer line is cracked, has holes, or is otherwise damaged. These cracks and holes can allow unwanted debris to build up in your system, creating hidden blockages that cause your wastewater to back up into your home.
  • Tree Root Infiltration: Another way that sewer line backup occurs is when trees are growing too closely to your underground system. Tree roots can end up infiltrating your sewer line, causing damage and misalignments. As sewage seeps into the soil, the tree roots will grow toward it, seeking nutrients from the leakage. Eventually, the roots will cause a blockage, preventing any wastewater from flowing freely from your home.
  • Collapsed Sewer Line: As sewer pipes age and experience environmental changes, they can break, sag, or collapse entirely. Once a sewer line is compromised in this way, you’ll be sure to experience a sewage backup in your home.

Identifying the cause of your sewage backup is just the first step to finding the fix you need to resolve the problem once and for all.

How to Fix a Backed-Up Sewer Line

Man plunging toilet and holding his nose.

After you’ve tracked down the root cause of your backup, you’ll need to remedy the issue fast to avoid catastrophic damage to your home and property. The best way to pinpoint the exact problem and develop a plan of action is through professional sewer line camera inspection. Through these special cameras, your master plumber will be able to:

  • See exactly what’s happening inside your system
  • Assess the overall condition of your sewer line
  • Identify exactly where the problem lies within your line

Once these items have been properly evaluated, your plumbing professional will make a recommendation for which solution is best for your specific situation. This might include:

  • Traditional Sewer Line Repair & Replacement: Your plumbing professionals will excavate your property to address any sewer lines that have sagged, bellied, or collapsed.
  • Trenchless Sewer Line Repair & Replacement: If the sewer line is still mostly intact, a plumber may recommend trenchless sewer line repair or replacement, which does not require excavation.

The only way to find out exactly which sewer line repair or replacement services you need is by contacting a master plumber for service. Penguin Air, Plumbing & Electrical has the team you need to restore your sewer line back to working condition in no time!

Schedule Sewer Line Repair or Replacement Today

If frequent sewage backups are causing you headaches in your home, don’t hesitate to contact the plumbing professionals at Penguin Air. Our team proudly offers 24/7 emergency sewer line repair and replacement services to help Phoenix families avoid catastrophic damage to their homes and personal property.

Allow our team to quickly, efficiently resolve even the most pressing plumbing problems in your home by scheduling sewer line repair or replacement today.

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