Winter poses a unique set of challenges for Seattle-area homeowners. Sewage backups stand out among these challenges, contaminating the air and littering your property with toxins. It’s important to take action before it’s too late.
Water damage from sewage backups can result in huge repair costs and dangerous indoor environments, but in this blog, we’ll give some tips on how to avoid these issues altogether.
PureDry is Seattle’s trusted water damage restoration company, saving homes and businesses from water disasters daily. We’re here for you when things go wrong, but it’s our mission to help you prevent disasters in the first place.
Signs Your Pipes Are Frozen
Your pipes may be frozen if you hear a loud clang or trickling inside your walls. This loud clang is from a pipe bursting after the water inside freezes. Low water pressure or no water at all are a few other telltale signs of frozen pipes.
What Causes Frozen Sewer Lines?
Freezing temperatures can make the water inside pipes freeze. When water freezes, it expands, sometimes causing blockages or ruptures. But don’t worry, these blockages and ruptures are usually preventable.
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Preventing Frozen Pipes
There are several ways to prevent frozen pipes, and therefore winter sewage backups. Some are proactive measures, while others are good to remember once a cold front hits.
Keep the Heat On
If you’re leaving home for a vacation or extended trip, be sure to leave your home temperature at 56 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This will combat outdoor freezing temperatures.
Increase Your Water Temperature
Freezing temperatures are no match for warmer water. Turning up your water’s temperature can prevent its freezing and expansion.
Insulate Your Pipes
By wrapping your pipes with insulation and securing them with electric tape, you can protect your pipes and water from harsh winter conditions. A plumber should be able to insulate your pipes for you.
Keep Some Water Running
Water won’t freeze easily when it’s moving. When temperatures dive below freezing and into frigid territory, consider lightly running a faucet.
Bury Sewer Lines & Traps
Ground heat can protect your sewer lines, traps, and septic tank throughout winter. When these are buried beneath the frost line, the risk of a frozen pipe or sewage backup is greatly lowered. A professional plumber can determine how deep your frost line is, but the depth usually hovers around a few feet.
Optimize Your Indoor Insulation
If your home’s insulation is lacking, then freezing drafts can intrude and freeze the water in your pipes during especially bad cold snaps.
Clean Your Grates & Gutters
Grates and gutters struggle to move water away from your home when clogged. During winter, this water becomes stuck around your home, sometimes dripping and freezing by your sewer lines.
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Sewer Line Backups
Common Causes of Sewer Line Backups in Winter
Sewage backups often result from the following issues during winter:
- Tree roots growing into sewer lines
- Frozen ground creates cracks and leaks
- Heavy rain and snow overloading your sewer system
Signs of a Sewer Line Backup
Look out for the following issues in your home, as they may signal a sewage backup:
- Toilet water rises then slowly drains but is not clogged
- Clogged drains or slow drains
- Water pooling in your yard and around drains
- Sewage stench coming from your yard
Contact your local sewage cleanup service if you notice any of these issues. You avoid further damage when you act fast. A persistent sewage backup can compromise your health and your home’s structural integrity.
Preventing Sewer Line Backups
You can avoid sewage backups by immediately addressing clogged drains and taking steps to avoid them altogether. This is just one step, though; you should schedule regular sewer line maintenance and install barriers around your system if trees and bushes are nearby.
A sewer line will stay healthy if it has a good caretaker, so be sure to clean your water systems and schedule maintenance when appropriate.
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Septic Tank Issues
How Cold Weather Affects Septic Tanks
Your septic tank is at risk during cold weather, sometimes struggling to break down waste and transfer it. Drain fields are also affected—this is important because your septic tank delivers waste to a drain field. When a drain field freezes, your home can suffer a sewage backup.
Signs of Septic Tank Problems
When you notice early issues with your septic tank pumping, you can take swift action to avoid long-term, costly damages. Contact a water damage service provider like PureDry if you notice the following:
- Sewage backups
- Multiple clogged drains
- Bubbling toilets
- Foul odors in your yard
- Unexplainable pooling water outside
Preventing Septic Tank Issues
As with most home systems, the best way to prevent issues with your septic tank is to schedule regular maintenance. Regular septic tank pumping will also clean your system and keep it functional throughout winter.
Try to avoid using your septic tank too much, but when you do use it, be mindful. Only flush bio-degradable items down your toilet, and do your best to avoid clogs and backups.
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Clogged Drains
Winter-Specific Causes of Clogged Drains
The great thing about winter is that you cook plenty of great meals with family and friends. The downside to this is that your drains come under fire. The combination of freezing temperatures, food waste, and grease in your pipes can lead to clogged drains, sewage backups, and more.
Signs of a Clogged Drain
The following are giveaways of clogged drains, so be on the lookout:
- Slower drainage than usual
- Water pooling in sinks and tubs but not draining
- Gurgling sounds from drains
- Foul odors around drains
Preventing Clogged Drains
Being mindful of your disposal methods can save you from clogged drains and the surplus of headaches that come with them. Instead of pouring grease down drains, capture it in a container and dispose of it in the garbage. We recommend doing the same with food waste. This prevents organic buildup inside your pipes.
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Sump Pump Failures
Why Sump Pumps Fail in Winter
Freezing, power outages, and high moisture content from melted snow and torrential rain can cause your sump pump to fail when you need it most. A faulty sump pump will struggle to address floods and excess water in your home. For emergencies like this, call a water extraction service like PureDry.
Signs Your Sump Pump Is Failing
Catching sump pump issues before a flood can save you from thousands of dollars in damages. Look out for the following:
- Grinding noises from the pump
- The sump pump constantly operates
- Water pools around the pump and is not removed
- Lack of water discharge from the pump
Preventing Sump Pump Failures
Insulating your discharge lines will protect your sump pump from freezing in winter. It’s also a great idea to have a backup power source if your sump pump shuts down. And, as with every system, it’s critical to schedule regular sump pump maintenance.
Trust PureDry With Preventing Sewage Backups
Sewage backups can be devastating, but thankfully, they are preventable. By taking the correct steps, you can avoid the health hazards and huge costs that come with a sewage backup.
If a sewage backup throws your home into disarray, don’t worry—this situation, no matter how dire, can be fixed. PureDry’s sewage cleanup experts have served the Seattle area for years, removing structural and health hazards to restore your home and daily routine.
Sewage backups are emergencies, and PureDry treats them as such. Our expert crew will be on its way in 60 minutes or less with advanced equipment and an effective game plan. To further reduce your stress during a sewage backup, we help you make insurance claims.
At PureDry, we remove hazards and restore your home with ease, but we also remove financial burdens from your shoulders. With insurance assistance and fair pricing, there’s a reason we are the Seattle area’s trusted water mitigation company.
You can call our disaster response team at (425) 475-3193 or contact us online. We look forward to helping you!
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PureDry is your go-to choice for Seattle water damage restoration services. We have serviced thousands of homes, so rest assured that you are receiving the very best service and value when it comes to water damage restoration.
We have years of experience when it comes to mold remediation and clean up. We are the Seattle mold removal experts. Our highly trained staff and professional grade equipment will have your Seattle home happy and healthy again.
If your property has sewage backup, contact PureDry Restoration! We have the professional training and tools for sewge cleanup. We can clear your home, basement or business, so contact us to restore your property!
When disaster strikes, rely on PureDry for commercial fire damage restoration to clear and restore your property of any smoke and fire damage. We can restore commercial properties back to their original condition!
If your place of business is suffering from mold, get the best team in the Seattle area to take care of it! We offer best in class commercial mold remediation, so do not hesitate to give us a call!
If your property has been affected by water damage, contact PureDry for the best commercial water damage restoration service in Seattle and the Snohomish area. We are always ready, so contact us 24/7!
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