What to do when you have a drainage leak
What to do when you have a drainage leak
When toilet or shower drains show sewage backflow, you must immediately ask for professional help. Drainage is contaminated with microbes therefore it should be removed and the offending piping be fixed without a delay to avoid a double occurence.
As an immediate measure whilst waiting for help, use one cup bleaching agent in every five Imperial gallons of water to clean up the area while you await the plumber. Make sure that young kids and elder family members stay away from the sewerage leakage, and put on long pants, gloves and boots. Wash your hands afterwards with antibacterial soap and clean warm water. Now the question is that how can you prevent sewage overflow during the problem? Well you can do so by not allowing too much water to go into the drainpipes.
As an underlying cause, the waste line could be choked or there may be a stoppage between the shower and the toilet. The causes can be many, the bottom line is that you need to careful during such a situation, as your health is at stake here.
sewerage exposure can cause a number of symptoms like fever with chills, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Seek medical attention right away if you experience any of these symptoms.
Use a disinfectant (1 cup bleaching agent in 5 gallons water)to sanitise any toilet items, toys, fixtures or other items that may have been contaminated by the drainage. contaminated food items should be thrown away immediately, also throw those items that cannot be cleaned like mattresses, baby toys, stuffed animals etc.
Use a drainage snake if drainage is backing up in the shower. For such sewers and pipe joints in close proximity, a quarter-inch snake of 25 feet length will work fine. At this size it will be more easier for the tool to move all the way through the drainage and plumbing line. Sometimes in a bathroom the shower trap gets plugged but at the same time the toilet remains unaffected. That is likely to happen because the shower drain is at flooring level, whereas the toilet trap is located about 6 inches higher.
Call a professional plumber or drains contractor if you are unable to clear the back up yourself. Not only would they find exactly where the block is but they would also clean up the leaked sewerage thoroughly for you saving a lot of effort and grief. It is better to let the expert handle the plumbing remedies unless you know exactly what you are doing.