Sewage backflow is bad for your health as it is unhygienic.
Sewage backflow is bad for your health as it is unhygienic.
You might think of ringing your plumber if drainage is backing into your shower, toilets or bath tub. Action should be taken immediately as this can effect your well being, sewage is full of germs, so this problem should be resolved immediately.
As an immediate measure whilst waiting for help, use one cup bleach in every five gallons of water to clean up the area while you await the plumber. Protect yourself from germs by donning a face mask, boots, gloves and full length trousers; ensure that aging and young household members keep out – even pets should not be allowed in the affected area. Sterilise your hands with soap and hot water after the cleanup. The less water you have going down the drain the better in terms of preventing more drainage backing up whilst you wait for help.
As an underlying cause, the waste line could be plugged or there may be a blockage between the shower and the toilet. Whatever the cause, protecting you and your family from harmful waste needs to be your first concern.
Vomiting, fever, chills, stomach pain, diarrhoea are some of the symptoms of exposure to sewerage. Seek medical attention right away if you go through any of these symptoms.
You must also clean all items and surfaces that were touched by the sewerage, including kids’s toys, by using use one cup of unscented household bleaching agent to every five gallons of water. Not only should you throw away food that came in contact with the sewerage, but also items than cannot be washed or cleaned (such as mattresses, stuffed animals, baby toys, and food cutting boards).
If the drainage backup is in the shower area, try using a snake. Ideally a 25 feet drainage snake should be used. The snake can be maneuvered conveniently down the plumbing pipes. You may find that the shower trap gets backed up, while the toilet in the same bathroom does not. This is due to the fact that the toilet trap is typically about 6 inches above the flooring level, whereas the typical shower drain is installed level with the flooring.
An expert tradesman, a plumber, must be contacted if you can’t fix the backup yourself. They will clean the sewage completely and also identify the cause of the stoppage, getting rid of it for you and giving you recommendations on how to avoid a similar situation. Be absolutely sure that you know what you are doing when you are attempting to fix your own plumbing, otherwise it’s always best to contact the experts to do the task.