5 Warning Signs of Possible Sewer & Drain Problems

A sewage backup can mean major, costly damage to your home and belongings, and create a pretty unpleasant situation all around. However, knowing the warning signs and calling for help early can help get ahead of the problem.

1. Slow Flushes: Just having a clogged drain (we will talk about that in a moment), a slow flush is somewhat common and often solved by a plunger. However, if one of your toilets is suddenly flushing slowly all the time, you’ve found another possible warning sign of an issue in your sewer line. If there is a problem with the line, normal plunging won’t improve the water flow out of the house, and there is a bigger issue that needs to be addressed.
2. Bubbles: If you have a clogged drain, or suspect a clog, watch for bubbles to come back to the surface of the water as you run the faucet. You may also notice bubbles in the toilet when you flush. If it happens repeatedly, it could indicate a problem in the line.
3. Multiple Clogged Drains: Clogged drains are relatively common in every home, and one clog certainly does not necessarily indicate a bigger problem. It could be as simple as a hair clog. However, if there are multiple clogged drains in your home, especially in lesser used sinks like a laundry room or guest bath, there might be an unseen problem lurking.
4. Running one faucet triggers a backup somewhere else: This is pretty straightforward! If you are running the upstairs shower and the water starts to back up in the downstairs bathroom sink, there is likely a problem somewhere in the line.
5. Foul smell coming from the drains. If you ever turn on a faucet anywhere in your home, and it is accompanied by a foul smell coming up the drain pipe, it might be an indication of a problem. Drains going out of your house should not have a smell.

If you are reading this blog after discovering a sewage backup in your home, don’t wait to get the ball rolling to get it cleaned up. It can be very tempting in these situations to try to remove items from the affected area as quickly as possible. And while this is important, it is also important to realize these items are covered in sewage. They cannot simply be rinsed off and used again.

Keep children and pets out of the affected area, and call your insurance company and reputable restoration company, like All Brite Cleaning & Restoration. Using a good local restoration company will likely mean having a crew on site to fix the problem and begin the cleanup and disinfection process within just a few hours – if not sooner. The team at All Brite Cleaning & Restoration in Concord has the experience, equipment, and disinfectants needed to clean up after the sewage overflow, and restore your home to how it was before the smelly, messy, unpleasant situation.