A sewer line clog will lead to a sewage backup, exposing your home to “Black Water”. Black water is used to describe the worst type of water exposure a home can encounter. Black water is very dirty and is basically toxic waste. When a home is exposed to black water, it will require a lot of work to recover the home and often the household will need to seek temporary housing until renovations can be complete. The Original $49.95 Plumber will share the risks of black water contamination, and why it is important to prevent sewer clogs.
Why is Black Water Dangerous?
Black water is all of the waste that passes through your home’s drainage system. Everything that flows down the sink, drain and toilet all run through the sewer line. When the sewer line is clogged, that waste will flow back up the line and begin flowing out of your home’s toilet, drains, and sinks. In black water there are pesticides, fungi, and protozoans that can cause major illness in humans and animals. When the home is exposed to black water, anything that came in contact with the back water will need to be removed and replaced. Depending on how bad the exposure to the black water was, you can be looking at thousands of dollars’ worth of renovations and weeks out of your home.
How Do You Tell if Your Sewer Pipe is Clogged?
Major sewer backups do not happen out of the blue. Often there are early warning signs that the sewer line is developing a clog. To prevent the sewer line from backing up into your home, it is important to recognize these early warning signs and have your sewer line cleaned. Some of the classic signs that your sewer line is developing a clog are:
Water Backup Into Other Drains – When using the toilet, an appliance, or drain, you might discover another drain bubble or water flow back up through it. This is a common sign that the sewer line is clogging. Water should not come back up and out of another drain when another is being used.
Bad or Foul Odors – When you can smell the foul odor like a sewer or a musty scent, that is the black water slowly making its way back up and out of the drain. Never disregard bad odors. They often are one of the last signs you may get before black water will flood your home.
Slow Flowing Drains – If you use a sink, bath tub or shower, and the water takes a long time to drain you have a clog forming. The clog may be in the drainage line and not in the sewer line. However, a slow flow drain is still a sign of a clog. However, if the entire home has a slow flowing drainage problem, then you know it is the sewer line.
Drain Pipe Cleaning, Unclogging & More in Staten Island, Maspeth, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Yonkers, Queens, NYC Boroughs, New York City NY
When your home’s sewer system develops a clog you can have the sewer line inspected with a video camera to determine the cause of the clog. Basic clogs can be cleared out. However, sewer line damage will need to be repaired. For drain and sewer line camera inspection and cleaning, contact The Original $49.95 Plumber today.
