Some of the costliest homeowners insurance claims are from sewer and water backup mishaps. The most common cause of a backup in your sewer lateral (the pipe that runs from your city’s sanitary sewer main to your home) is from items the line is not meant to handle.
There are a few simple things that you can do to prevent and protect your sewer line:
- Maintain your sewer system. Contact a plumber or specialist to conduct a routine inspection to check that your system is functioning properly.
- Locate your property’s sewer lateral to help determine if your line is at risk of being damaged by tree and shrub roots. If so, seek professional help to trim these roots or replace your line with a plastic pipe. As a general rule, only flush toilet paper down your drain. Most other products are not designed to deteriorate quickly and can clog your sewer line.
- Do not allow the following to go down your kitchen sink. To protect your sewer line, dispose of these items in your garbage can.
- Grease and fats – these items solidify as they cool, which can quickly result in clogged pipes.
- Oils – regardless of the type you use, continuously rinsing oil down the drain can cause buildup in your pipes.
Do You Have Water in Your Basement? Often, most water entering the basement is not due to a sewer backup but rather from poor soil grading around your home’s exterior. If you have a water problem and have ruled out sewer backup, making sure that water is draining away from your home’s foundation properly can often fix the problem.
Contact Deeley Insurance Group, LLC for more information on sewer backup prevention and affordable coverage options.
