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Spontaneous Dos and Don’ts in Sewer Backup Situation

A sewage line carries your household drainage waste while you get on with your day. However, a sewer backup situation is one of the most unexpected scenarios you can face. You may be unaware of the sewage damage since the system is mostly underground. It always ends up being the most common reason for sewage backup situations. 

In this blog, you will learn what is sewer backup, how to take care of an emergency sewer backup situation, including important dos and don’ts, hands-on hacks, and why contacting the right sewer backup service on time is important. 

What is Sewer Backup?

You must be aware of your home’s sewage system; however, have you ever wondered what is sewer backup?

A sewer backup is an unpleasant scenario in which waste water or sewage rushes back to a building or property via the sewer system. When there is a clog or overflow in the sewer system, the sewage reverses its flow direction and enters the property.

Emergency sewer backups are caused by various circumstances, including severe rainfall, tree root invasion, damaged or broken sewer pipes, obstructions caused by grease, sanitary items, or other materials, and insufficient sewer drainage capacity.

6 Do’s in Case of a Sewer Backup

You must remember basic tips to manage the scenario in an emergency sewer backup. Here are some such steps you can take in a sewer backup emergency:

1. Contact an Expert

The first thing you should do is stay calm and call an expert or a restoration service to take care of your emergency situation. Since sewer backup cleanup is a hefty task, you will need help managing it. The property will be cleaned up quickly with a team of sewer backup service experts. 

2. Turn Off the Water Supply

The second most important step is to turn off the main water supply to your house. It ensures that no extra water flows into the drain pipes, which may only worsen the sewage overflow. 

3. Take Precautions to Protect Yourself

While you wait for the sewer backup service experts to arrive, you still need to protect yourself. Ensure that you stay away from electric switches at such times. Remember, you must stay away from areas with standing water in your home. Such areas pose a high risk of electrocution. 

Some other ways to protect yourself during such times are by not using the toilet and the water taps and avoiding physical contact with your surroundings.  

4. Avoid Using the Drains

During a sewage backup emergency, you must avoid using the drains. It means to try to avoid using the sinks or taps in your home. Since the drainage system is interconnected, using the drains will add up to the overflowing backup. 

5. Ensure Ventilation in Your Property

After a proper sewer backup cleanup, keep your home or office airy and ventilated. Residue water or dampness can result in mold formation, which will only damage your property. Thus, remember to open your doors and windows after the cleanup.

6. Talk to Your Insurance Company

If the sewer backup has caused any major damage to your house, you must speak to your insurance provider. An even better option is to let your restoration experts work with your insurance company and cover up the damage as required. 

6 Don’ts in Case of a Sewer Backup

After taking all the necessary precautions and steps, you must also remember certain things you should not do. Here are some of them:

1. Don’t Touch Anything Directly 

Under a sewer backup scene, you can never predict where germs and bacteria reside in your home. Avoid touching things in your household, especially if you have any open wounds or cuts. It may result in the spreading of infection. 

2. Don’t Eat or Drink Anything Exposed to Your Surroundings

Under a sewer backup situation, do not eat any food available inside the house. Also, refrain from drinking water, even from a water bottle. Food contamination is a very common consequence of such cases. So, it would be best to take precautions as much as possible.

3. Don’t try to Clean Up Yourself

You may be used to cleaning your house, but remember, cleaning up sewer backup takes much more effort and special techniques. You can not use bare hands to clean up the debris, as most of it is hazardous to your skin. It is why you always seek help from experts and do not attempt sewer backup cleanup yourself. 

4. Don’t Try To Save Any Items

Trying to save your belongings is a normal instinct. However, you may need to find out which item in your belongings is safe to carry. Thus, you must let the team of restoration experts decide whether your belongings should be kept or not. 

Generally, clothes and stuffed toys are the most common items which get contaminated in a sewer backup situation.

5. Don’t Stay Inside The Property

Once you have contacted the restoration experts and taken all the necessary steps, vacate the property as soon as possible. The sewage water can also contaminate the air inside the property. To avoid any breathing issues, the best thing you can do is exit the place immediately. 

6. Don’t Flush Sanitary Products Down the Toilet

As a major precaution, never flush any sanitary products or toiletries down the toilet, including sanitary napkins, tampons, or even diapers. This is one of the major reasons drains end up in blockage, and the sewer system backs up. 

Conclusion

To sum it all up, there are ways you can avoid sewer backups in your homes and offices by following simple hygiene rules. However, sewer backup emergencies can occur despite being extremely careful about drainage. Such emergencies may end up causing unforeseen illnesses, injuries, and damages to you and your property. 

Thus, you must always stay prepared for any scenario or emergency. By following the above-given dos and don’ts, you can deal with a sewer backup emergency calmly and smoothly. 

How ONT Can Assist You?

Now that you know what is sewer backup and are aware of the risks a sewer backup situation brings, you must keep a restoration service handy in emergencies. For sewer backup cleanup services, consider  ONT Restoration

ONT Restoration provides deep cleaning and sewer damage restoration services led by a trained professional team. With the help of experts at ONT, you will get your property cleaned up and sanitized in the most effortless way possible.

 

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