Sewage coming up a floor drain, tub or toilet means the main line is blocked. Stop running water, keep everyone away from it, and call. We clear the line and find out why it happened.
Available in: Norfolk, Winchester & Wilmington
It always seems to happen at the worst time: a holiday, a houseful of guests, late on a Friday.
A sewer backup happens when the main line out of the house is blocked, so water from every fixture has nowhere to go and comes up at the lowest drain. Common causes are wipes and grease, tree roots, a sagging or broken line, or a backup on the city side.
When the schedule allows, we fit backups in the same day. Your plumber clears the main line from the cleanout, runs water to test it and tells you what caused it. Our photos of the problem help your insurer and any cleanup company you use.
Sewage from a floor drain or tubMain line blocked
Toilet bubbles when the washer drainsLine is backing up
Every drain slow at onceMain line, not a fixture
Smell of sewage in the houseCheck for a backup
Cleanout overflowing outsideBlockage downstreamUntil we arrive, these steps keep it from getting worse.
Locate your water meter box and any sewer cleanout you have on the property.
Mark, general manager, Norfolk
Don't flush, shower, run the dishwasher or do laundry. Everything goes to the same blocked line.
Keep children and pets out of the area, and don't touch the water without gloves.
A capped pipe in the yard or basement. Don't open it, but tell us where it is.
Tell us which drains are backing up and whether you're on city sewer or septic.
A backup on a septic system can mean a full tank, a blocked line to the tank or a failing pump. Our Norfolk and Winchester teams handle septic repairs and pumping.
The same steps on every visit, so you always know what's next.
Online or by phone. We tell you the trip fee before we book.
A confirmation, a reminder, then an “on the way” notice.
Uniform, ID badge, marked truck, shoe covers and drop cloths.
Your plumber finds the cause and explains your options in plain English.
A written, flat-rate price, signed before work starts.
Photos of the finished work come with your invoice.
No surprise bill. You approve a written price first.
Clearing the line stops the backup. Knowing why it happened stops the next one.
We clear the line from the cleanout and run water to make sure it's flowing.
Then we show you what came out.
Roots, a sag or a broken pipe will back up again. A camera inspection shows which.
If the line needs work, see sewer line repair.
Google reviews mention sewer backups we've cleared.
93% of them are five-star.
Backups go to the front of the line. You'll get a written price before any work starts.
Causes, cleanup and cost.
Most often wipes, grease and paper building up in the main line, tree roots growing into joints, or a sagging or broken pipe. Heavy rain or a blockage on the city side can also push sewage back into the house.
Sewage carries bacteria, so keep people and pets away, wear gloves and boots, and for anything beyond a small area, call a professional cleanup company. Our photos of the problem help with your insurance claim.
On city sewer, a backup means the line to the street is blocked. On septic, it can be the line to the tank, a full tank or a failed pump. We handle both in Norfolk and Winchester.
Keep wipes, grease and paper towels out of the drains, know where your cleanout is, and if you've had roots before, have the line inspected and cleaned regularly.
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