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Sewer backups can happen in St. Louis at any point throughout the year. However, winter brings a special set of circumstances. Frigid temperatures, increased usage due to the holidays, and visiting guests could all contribute to potential problems. Understanding how to prevent sewer backups is crucial, especially if you want to avoid costly repairs.
Avoid Putting Items Down Kitchen Drains
The winter season is often full of rich, delicious foods, especially if you’re entertaining. However, many of these items shouldn’t go down drains and should go in the garbage instead. Items that could cause clogs include coffee grounds, grease, pasta, oil, and vegetable pieces. They can build up in your drains, creating significant problems over time. Clogs typically don’t form all at once. You may notice subtle signs at first, such as slow-draining water, that escalate as the clogs continue to grow.
Be Mindful of What Goes Down Toilets
It’s crucial that you’re mindful of what goes down your toilet. Anything aside from toilet paper and waste, including feminine hygiene products, cat litter, and flushable wipes, should go into the trash. Also, avoid overloading your toilet with toilet paper. This could also lead to potential clogs and sewer backups.
Look Toward Your Landscaping
Tree root intrusion can be a major cause of sewer backups, clogs, and general pipe damage. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to notice the issue until the roots have already made their way into the pipes. Once this happens, a plumber can provide rooter services to remove all or most of the roots.
If you have many large or older trees, contacting an arborist can help you come up with a plan to remove the roots near the pipes. Additionally, they can determine what other tree roots may put your sewer pipes at risk.
Remove Debris From Gutters & Downspouts
Gutters and downspouts have important jobs of ushering melting snow and rainwater from your roof and away from your property. Multiple problems can arise when they’re clogged. For example, the ground around your home could become overly saturated. This might cause underground pipes to shift and potentially result in cracks, especially with old pipes. Additionally, water and debris could make their way into your basement, which is particularly problematic if you don’t have a sump pump. Having professionals clear out the debris and install gutter guards can reduce these risks and damage to your home.
Schedule a Professional Plumbing Inspection
A professional plumbing inspection offers numerous benefits for your St. Louis home. Our plumbers can perform a comprehensive inspection, identifying minor issues before they develop into severe, costly problems. This can help prevent repairs and unexpected emergencies, such as sewer backups. Additionally, our team can determine if you have hidden plumbing issues, such as leaks behind your walls. By the end of the appointment, we’ll report our findings and recommend the next steps. If all looks well, you can have peace of mind that your system will likely take you through winter without incident.
Install New Drain Strainers
Drain strainers are an important line of defense against what goes down your kitchen and bathroom drains. If your current ones are letting far too much go down, it’s time to upgrade them. Replace the ones in your kitchen and bathroom sinks and bathtub.
Another option is to use removable, disposable drain strainers. They help catch hair, globs of product, and other debris that shouldn’t go down drains without you needing to replace anything.
Schedule Repairs at the First Sign of Trouble
One of the biggest mistakes St. Louis homeowners could make is not booking plumbing repairs when they notice potential issues. Most plumbing problems don’t happen out of nowhere. Warning signs usually present themselves over time. For instance, you might notice foul odors, slow-draining water, strange sounds, and pests flying around your drains. It’s important to contact us once you determine that your plumbing system is behaving abnormally. The sooner we can assess the situation and identify the problem, the less risk there is to your system.
Clear Street Storm Drains of Leaves and Other Debris
Clearing debris like leaves and trash from storm drains close by is an effective way of preventing potential sewer backups in your home. Clogged drains can slow water flow and, in some systems, overwhelm the sewer. This may force wastewater backwards through the pipes, where it could end up in your basement. Before a storm hits your area, report clogged storm drains to your local public works department, or carefully clear visible debris near the curb if it’s safe to do so.
Keep Emergency Clean-Up Supplies Easily Accessible
The best time to buy emergency clean-up supplies is before you actually need them. You don’t want to have to head out to the store while wastewater is backing up into your St. Louis home. Stock up on items like disposable gloves, large trash bags, and a plunger, and put them in a place you can easily access. Having a wet/dry vacuum is also beneficial, making it easier to remove accumulating water. Make sure to also have excess rags, blankets, or sheets you could use to sop up water and throw out afterward. Even if you don’t ever end up using any of the supplies, at least you’ll have peace of mind knowing they’re available to you just in case.
Get Your Plumbing Ready for Winter
Don’t let a sewer backup ruin your winter in St. Louis. Anton's Plumbing, Heating/Cooling & Energy Experts offers a wide range of plumbing and sewer line services to help prevent backups and keep your home protected. We put our customers first, ensuring that your services are stress-free.
Call us today to make an appointment for sewer services at your St. Louis home.
