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Need a Plumber in Knoxville? We’re Ready to Help!
Same-Day Service Available
Need a Plumber in Knoxville? We’re Ready to Help!
Key Takeaways
When sewage backs up into a basement, the first priorities are stopping all water use, staying clear of any water near electrical equipment, and keeping children and pets out. Anyone who has to enter the area should wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles, as CDC advises for water that may contain sewage. Photos should be taken before cleanup begins. EPA recommends drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours and calling in a professional for sewage-contaminated cleanup.
Few things change the mood of a house faster than water rising out of a basement floor drain and smelling like sewage. It tends to happen at the worst possible moment: during a heavy rain, over a holiday with a full house, or on a Sunday morning. What happens in the first hour matters, both for the people in the house and for how much of the basement can be saved.
Tennessee Standard Plumbing handles sewer backups, drain clearing and sewer line repair for homes across Knoxville and Knox County. According to the company, it carries a 5.0 Google rating across more than 2,000 reviews and holds HomeAdvisor Elite Service recognition. What follows is a practical order of operations for that first hour, from safety to the phone calls that come next.
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The first minutes of a basement sewage backup are about safety and volume. Stopping all water use keeps more sewage from coming up, standing water near electrical equipment is best left alone, and children and pets belong elsewhere in the house. Anyone who has to step into the water needs protective gear first.
Toilets, sinks, showers, the washing machine and the dishwasher all drain into the same sewer line. When that line is blocked, the water from every flush and every load has nowhere to go but the lowest opening, which is usually a basement floor drain or a basement toilet. Asking everyone in the house to stop using water is a useful first step, and it costs nothing.
Water that reaches outlets, extension cords, a furnace, a water heater or the electrical panel creates a shock hazard. When water is near any of those, the safer course is to stay out of the basement and cut power only where that can be done from a dry spot. An electrician or the power company can help when it cannot.
CDC advises that floodwater may contain sewage and that anyone who must enter it wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles. CDC also advises keeping children out of floodwater areas and washing hands after contact. Pets are best kept upstairs for the same reasons.
A backup that returns soon after clearing, or one that shows up at several drains at once, often points past a simple clog to the line itself. Roots, a cracked section or a sag can all hold debris until the line stops flowing. That is the point where sewer line repair enters the conversation.
Where the sewage appears, and how many fixtures are affected, says a lot about the cause. A single slow fixture usually means a local clog. Backups at the lowest drains with several fixtures affected point to the main line. Neighbors with the same problem at the same time can point to the public sewer main.
Basement floor drains, basement toilets and basement showers sit lowest in the system, so they overflow first when the main line blocks. Sewage coming up there while upstairs fixtures still seem to drain is typical of a main line blockage. The upstairs water is draining down and coming out below.
When only one sink or toilet is affected and the floor drain stays dry, the clog is probably in that fixture’s branch. Gurgling in other fixtures, several slow drains at once, or water appearing at the floor drain when the washing machine empties all point toward the main line. Those clues are worth passing along when calling a Knoxville plumbing company, since they help narrow the problem before anyone arrives.
Backups at several houses on the same street at the same time can point to the public sewer main, which the utility maintains. Inside Knoxville, wastewater service generally comes from the Knoxville Utilities Board, which the City of Knoxville lists at (865) 524-2911, while properties in parts of the county are served by a local utility district. Reporting a suspected main problem to the serving utility early is worth the phone call.
Many homes have an outdoor sewer cleanout, a capped pipe near the foundation or along the line to the street. Water standing in it, or seeping from it, suggests the blockage sits between that point and the public main. Opening a cleanout on a line under pressure can release sewage, so that check is best left to a plumber.
The table below pairs common first-hour clues with what they often point to. It is a starting point for the first phone call, and a plumber’s inspection makes the actual diagnosis.
Once the water has stopped rising and everyone is safe, the next priority is a record of the damage and the right phone calls. Photos and video come before cleanup. A plumber addresses the line, the insurer explains coverage, and EPA advises bringing in a professional to clean up damage caused by sewage.
Wide shots of the basement, close-ups of the water line on walls and belongings, and a short video of the drain backing up all help later. The Insurance Information Institute recommends taking photos of the affected areas, itemizing property losses and saving all receipts related to repair, cleaning or damage. It also advises contacting an insurance professional as soon as possible.
Whether a homeowners policy covers a sewer backup depends on its terms. The Insurance Information Institute notes that homeowners who want to insure themselves against sewer backups can get that coverage from most providers for a nominal cost. Checking what the current policy includes, before or right after a backup, avoids surprises.
Clearing and diagnosing the line is plumbing work, and professional drain cleaning on the main line is often the first repair step once the cause is known. Cleaning the basement itself is a separate job.
EPA advises that when damage was caused by sewage or other contaminated water, a professional experienced in cleaning buildings damaged by contaminated water should be called in. That advice covers the space and its contents, while the plumber covers the pipe.
After the emergency, the work shifts to drying the basement, deciding what can be saved, and finding the cause. EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. A camera inspection after the line is cleared is the usual way to learn why the backup happened.
EPA states that when wet or damp materials are dried within 24 to 48 hours, in most cases mold will not grow. Fans, dehumidifiers and air movement all help once the space is safe to enter. Basements that stay damp past that window deserve a closer look for mold.
Hard, nonporous surfaces can generally be cleaned and disinfected. EPA notes that absorbent or porous materials such as ceiling tiles and carpet may have to be thrown away if they become moldy. Items soaked by sewage raise the same question, and a cleanup professional can advise item by item.
Roots, grease buildup, a collapsed section or a sag in the line can each cause a backup, and each calls for a different repair. A camera inspection after the line is cleared shows which one is present. Homes that have backed up more than once are strong candidates, and this look at what causes recurring sewer backups in older Knoxville homes covers the usual suspects.
The Insurance Information Institute describes backwater valves, which let sewage flow out of a house but not back in, as one way to reduce backflow from the public sewer. Keeping grease, wipes and other items that do not break down out of drains helps on the private side. Whether a backwater valve suits a particular house, and what local code says about it, is a question for the applicable codes office and a plumber.
Our team at Tennessee Standard Plumbing handles sewer backups, drain clearing, sewer camera inspections and sewer line repair for homes across Knoxville, Knox County and East Tennessee. We know how stressful a basement backup is, and the steps above are the ones we would want any household to take before help arrives.
In short: stop all water use, stay clear of any water near electrical equipment, and keep children and pets away. Photograph everything before cleanup starts. Call the serving utility if neighbors are backing up too, and a plumber for the line. Then dry the space within EPA’s 24 to 48 hour window and find the cause so it does not happen again.
Households dealing with a backup can call (865) 352-9003 or contact our team online. We serve Knoxville, Halls, Powell, Farragut, Maryville, and communities across Knox County and East Tennessee. Peaceful Pipes, Peaceful Life.
Stop all water use in the house, since every flush and drain adds to the backup. Stay out of the water if it is near outlets, cords, appliances or the electrical panel, and keep children and pets away. Then photograph the damage and call a plumber.
It depends on how large the backup is and whether it has reached electrical equipment or living areas. At a minimum, everyone should stay out of the affected area, and anyone who has to enter should wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles, as CDC advises. A large or spreading backup, or one near electrical equipment, is a reason to consider staying elsewhere until the area is safe.
It depends on the policy terms. The Insurance Information Institute notes that homeowners who want sewer backup coverage can get it from most providers for a nominal cost. The agent or insurer can confirm what a specific policy includes.
EPA advises calling in a professional experienced with contaminated water when sewage caused the damage. The Insurance Information Institute describes cleanup as including wet-vacuuming, mopping and disinfecting, disinfecting plumbing fixtures, and removing wet carpet or damaged wallboard. Drying within 24 to 48 hours helps prevent mold.
It depends on where the blockage is. The Insurance Information Institute notes that homeowners are generally responsible for their sewer lateral up to the main, while the utility maintains the public main. Any claim involving a utility is governed by that utility’s own policies, so the serving utility is the place to ask.
It should not be. With the main line blocked, flushing sends more water into a pipe that cannot drain, and it usually comes out at the lowest opening in the basement. All fixtures, including washers and dishwashers, are best left off until the line is cleared.
The floor drain is usually the lowest opening connected to the sewer line. When the line is blocked downstream, water from the fixtures above has nowhere to go and rises out of the lowest point first.
EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours, and notes that in most cases mold will not grow if materials are dried within that window. Areas that stay wet longer are more likely to develop mold.
Common causes include tree roots at pipe joints, grease buildup, flushed items such as wipes, a collapsed or sagging section of pipe, and problems in the public sewer main. A camera inspection after the line is cleared shows which one is involved.
Keeping grease, wipes and other items that do not break down out of drains reduces blockages on the private side. The Insurance Information Institute describes backwater valves as one way to keep sewage from the public sewer from flowing back into a house. A camera inspection can find root intrusion or pipe damage before it causes a backup.
