How You Can Prevent Sewer Line Backups

With a little bit of maintenance and knowledge, sewer drain issue occurrences can be prevented or at least minimized.

1. Make sure to properly dispose of your food!

Grease and food can do major harm to your sewer line. Cooking oils, sauces, grease, fats should never be spilled down your kitchen drain. Instead, you should put them in a tight container and dispose of them in either a local disposal for specific substances, such as cooking oil, or be thrown in the garbage. If these go down your sewer drain, they can harden and build up and eventually clog your line. Do not drop food down the drain as well unless they are run through a garbage disposal first–even this isn’t entirely recommended!

2. Dispose of paper products properly

Toilet paper and human waste are OK to go down your toilet. Diapers, feminine products, paper towels, and food should never be flushed. These products simply do not deteriorate and can clog your sewer line easily. Many body tissues also should not be flushed; they do not dissolve the way toilet papers do.

3. Replace old pipes

Old clay and metal pipes are not used anymore due to better options being available. Change your old pipes to the newer plastic of PVC pipes. Tree roots may also cause issues with your pipes, you should make sure to cut the roots in order to prevent future problems.

4. Install a backwater prevention valve

Backwater prevention valves are installed into a sewer line to prevent sewer backups. They allow sewage to go in but not to come back in.