Creating A Power-Friendly Home

There are a lot of problems that can arise in a home, but probably few as disgusting and damaging as a toilet backup. By the time your toilet overflows, you're stuck in a homeowner's worst nightmare with a hazardous and expensive mess. There are typically two types of toilet backups. The first is isolated to a single drain line in your home and is usually caused by human error, like a flushed diaper or toy. The other unaffected drains in your home should work fine. The second problem is a clogged main sewage line that can be caused by a variety of issues including bad pipes, tree roots, etc. A clogged main line can be difficult and expensive to fix. Fortunately, if you're vigilant and pay attention to your plumbing, it's possible to spot the problem before it turns into a smelly mess. Your house is talking to you if you're willing to listen. Here are three warning signs that usually precede a toilet backup.

Gurgling Drains

One of the chief signs of a potential main sewage line backup is the sound of gurgling coming from drains, especially if multiple areas where drains and plumbing are located are experiencing the same problem. For example, if you notice that every time you run the washing machine, your toilet start to gurgle or percolate, that's a sign of problems to come. The reason for this is that all the plumbing in your home is interconnected, with the main sewage line acting as the main artery for carrying wastewater away from your home. What affects one will affect the others.

Water Around Drains

Another telltale sign of a potential toilet backup is water around the drains in your home. Most homes have a drain near the laundry room or in the basement that's designed to facilitate drainage for HVAC condensation, in case of accidental water overflow, or flood in the basement. That drain should stay mostly dry at times of normal plumbing function. But if you start to notice moisture consistently built up around the drain, you might have problems ahead with your main sewage line and toilets.

A Foul Odor

Another warning sign that often precedes a toilet backup is a foul-smelling odor of raw sewage emanating from your drains or toilet. This is almost always a sign of a something wrong. However, a foul smell may indicate a blockage in just one drain line rather than the main sewage line. If the smell emanates from multiple drains and toilets around the house, then you should contact a plumber.