Common Causes of Sewer Backup
A variety of things, including clogged pipes and blocked sinks, can cause sewer backups. When this happens, you may notice water backing up into your tub or sink drains before it starts overflowing into your home. This indicates there’s something wrong with the main sewer line outside of your house, which needs to be fixed immediately!
The last thing most homeowners want to experience is a sewer backup. However, they can happen for a number of reasons, and in this post, we’ll go over some common causes that are easy to repair or prevent.

Clogged Pipes
Clogged pipes are a common cause of sewer backups. Clogs can be caused by organic materials, like food waste, or inorganic materials like hair and soap scum.
To prevent clogs from happening in your home:
- Use garbage disposal to break down food scraps before they go down the drain.
- Avoid putting oils or fats into the sink drain when washing dishes by hand; instead, wipe them off onto paper towels before disposing of them into the trash.
Blocked Sink
To prevent a blocked sink, make sure you never pour grease or food waste into the drain. The best way to unblock a blocked drain is with a plunger. If that doesn’t work, try pouring hot water down the sink (carefully!) and then use your plunger again once it has cooled down.
If neither of these methods works for you, call an expert plumber who will be able to provide professional assistance with unblocking your drains and sewers in London
Broken Main Water Line
The main line is a pipe that carries waste from your home to the street. It’s usually made of clay or concrete and can be very large, sometimes as wide as six feet.
If you notice water pooling around your property, or if there is flooding in places it hasn’t happened before (like near your foundation), there may be a problem with the main line. The best thing to do here is call a professional plumber right away so they can diagnose what’s going on and fix it before any further damage occurs! If you don’t want to pay for a service call but still want someone else’s opinion, try asking a neighbor who works in construction (he’ll probably know what he needs).
Tree Roots
Tree roots are a common cause of sewer backups, especially in older homes. In the spring and summer months, tree roots can grow quickly. As they do so, they can push up against pipes and crack them, which causes water to leak into the ground around your home’s foundation or seep into your basement.
This may result in a backup if there isn’t enough room for all that extra water to escape through the main drain line (the pipe leading from your house to the city sewer). If you suspect this problem is causing your issue, call an expert plumber immediately!
Tree roots can easily grow into pipes and cracks in the ground around them, blocking them up completely over time until they become too large for even professional plumbers to clear out easily.
We hope this article has helped you understand the causes of sewer backups and how they can be prevented. If you have any questions or concerns about your own plumbing systems, please contact a professional plumbing company like ours today!
Get in touch with us today to find out more about our services, and call us for repairs.
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