How to Avoid an Awful Overflow

3 Tips to Keep Sewer Backups from Happening

When something goes down the drain, you want it to stay down the drain. So, if what goes down the drain starts coming back up, it’s sure to be a bad day for any homeowner. Damage to property and possessions and health hazards top the list of complications when the sewer backs up into your home.

What can you do to keep sewer backups from happening in your Brooklyn home? Prevention is key to ensuring what is flushed stays where it belongs. The plumbers at Brooklyn’s own Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning don’t want anyone to have to deal with a sewer backup, but we’re here to help you find and fix what’s wrong. Here are four ways you can prevent a sewer disaster in your home.

1) Can the Grease

Cooking oils and grease should never go down your drains. Even if you follow the lipids with a stream of hot tap water, they will accumulate and solidify along the insides of your pipes, slowly pinching the sewer lines closed. With enough greasy buildup, your pipes will close completely, causing them to back up into your house. Dispose of oil and grease in a can stored in your refrigerator or freezer. When the can is full, just put it in your garbage.

2) Say No to Wipes

Nothing should be going down your toilet but human waste and toilet paper. So-called “flushable” wipes are anything but, and they can wreak havoc on your sewer lines, clogging them so that a backup occurs. Items like paper towels and feminine hygiene products can clog your pipes, too. Talk to you family about what should go down the drain and what should go in the trash.

3) Inspect Your Pipes

If you suspect your sewer pipes might have issues, or if you’ve never had them inspected before, it’s time to get a video inspection from Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning. We can send a small camera down the entire length of your drainpipe to identify any clogs, damage or tree root infiltration, all of which can lead to sewer backups. You’ll get a real look at your pipes without a costly excavation.

If you find that there is a problem with your sewer lines, Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning can help you fix what’s wrong. Whether it means removing a clog or replacing worn-out and corroded pipes with sturdier materials, we can help get your home back to normal again. For more information about your sewer issues, call us at (718) 748-1254 or contact Petri online today.