Preventing and Repairing Backed-up Toilets
Backed-up toilets can cause major issues for households, such as water damage, foul odors, mold growth, and even health hazards to family members, as bacteria and other contaminants can be present. Because of these risks, homeowners should schedule professional plumbing repairs immediately after a backup occurs.
Experts can identify the cause of the backup and fix it before it leads to larger problems for the household. This post will reveal some of the most common causes of toilet backups, some methods plumbers may use to repair them, and ways homeowners can help avoid them.
Causes of Backed-up Toilets
When a household experiences a backed-up toilet, it can be due to various problems. Plumbers typically start by inspecting the sewer line and looking for the reason for the backup. One of the most frequent causes of backed-up toilets is clogged sewer lines. These can be caused by various debris, grease, and even tree roots that can grow into the sewer line.
Plumbers will also look for other defects in the sewer line that can cause a toilet backup, including deteriorated, damaged, or collapsed sewer lines. This damage to the sewer line can be caused by age, corrosion, tree roots, or external factors such as vehicles, excavation, and other things that can accidentally break the pipe underground.
How Plumbers Repair Toilet Backups
Backed-up toilets need to be repaired by experienced professionals, as they can find and fix the underlying problem to prevent another backup. Plumbers can use numerous specialized tools and methods to repair the problem. Initially, plumbers may perform a sewer video inspection to identify and locate the clog or defect and determine the severity. That will influence the type of repair methods they use.
Plumbers can use drain cleaning methods like a plumber’s snake or hydro jetting to clear sewer line clogs if that is what caused the backup. If the line is severely broken or collapsed, and that’s what caused it, they can perform sewer line repair or replacement. If tree roots have infiltrated the line, they can do drain cleaning to remove them and then may be able to perform trenchless sewer line repair to fix the cracks and leaks in the line from where the tree roots got in.
Help Avoid Toilet Backups
To help avoid the risks and costs associated with backed-up toilets, homeowners can do some easy prevention. Household residents should pay close attention to what they put down the drains and flush down their toilets. They should only ever flush waste and toilet paper and avoid using the home’s drains and toilets for garbage. Everyday items that can cause sewer lines to clog are grease, oil, food waste, feminine hygiene products, wipes, paper towels, and more. If someone notices signs of a clogged sewer line, they should have a plumber clear the clog before it causes a backup.
Homeowners can also add drain screens over their drains in sinks, showers, and bathtubs to catch hair, soap scum, and more before they go down the drain and cause clogs. In addition, they should pay attention to their landscaping and where trees are planted to ensure the tree roots don’t grow into the sewer lines. One method to avoid tree root damage is to install root barriers. To prevent backups and other plumbing problems, homeowners should also schedule regular plumbing maintenance with a professional.
About Pioneer Plumbing & Septic
Pioneer Plumbing & Septic has been serving Houston, TX, and the surrounding areas for more than a decade. They offer straightforward pricing, same-day services, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Call them today for sewer line repair services in Houston, TX.