Sewage Backing Up in Your Basement? What to Do Before the Plumber Arrives
A sewage backup in a basement floor drain needs quick, careful steps. Here is what to do first, what to avoid, and how a camera inspection finds the cause in Will County.
Sewage coming up through a basement floor drain, tub or toilet is stressful, and the next hour matters. A few careful steps limit the damage and the health risk while you wait for help.
First steps
Stop using water in the house. Every flush, shower and load of laundry sends more water into the same blocked line, and it has nowhere to go but out of the lowest drain in your home. Keep kids and pets out of the area, and do not walk through standing water barefoot. Skip the chemical drain opener. It will not clear a blockage in the main line, and harsh products can damage older pipes.
Why it comes up in the basement
The basement floor drain is usually the lowest opening on the main sewer line. When that line is blocked by grease, roots or a damaged section, wastewater rises to the first low point it finds. If only one fixture is slow, the clog is likely local. If the floor drain, tub and toilet all act up together, the main line is the more likely cause. Our guide to signs you need professional drain cleaning explains the difference in more detail.
Finding the cause
Clearing the line gets water moving again, but it does not tell you why it stopped. A sewer camera inspection shows whether the cause is grease, roots or a damaged pipe, so you know if cleaning is enough or if a sewer repair is coming. Once the line is open, hydrojetting can scour built-up grease from the pipe walls.
Cleanup
Sewage is not ordinary water. The EPA notes that a flooded basement must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and that rugs, curtains, flooring, wallboard and upholstered furniture that touch sewage usually have to be replaced. Wear gloves and boots, and take photos of the damage before you start.
Who to call
If your neighbors are having the same trouble, the problem may be in the public main, and your village or city sewer department is the one to call. If only your home is affected, the blockage may be in your own line or in the lateral running to the street. Homeowners from Joliet to Mokena can read more about our main sewer service.