Causes of a Blocked Sewage System

A blocked sewage system is a major inconvenience and one of the last things you want to come home to. You may not even realize the system is blocked until it backs up, leaving a grungy mess on the floors. Any number of things can block a sewage system -- from grease to dead animals.

Grease

• Even if you discard cooking grease and do not regularly pour it down the kitchen sink, it can accumulate, especially if you do not have a grease trap installed. If the system is not regularly flushed out -- for example, by running hot water down the drain -- grease builds up in the pipes. Rather like an artery in the body that becomes clogged due to an overabundance of fat, sewage system pipes become clogged with grease. Eventually, the clog becomes so firmly entrenched, only a plumber can locate and dissolve the grease to get everything flowing again.

Dead Animals

• Sometimes animals or other creatures find their way into the sewer system pipes. Sooner or later, most drown, leaving their bodies to float, bloat and eventually block the sewage system. Or they may live and grow in the system until they are too large to move and block the system. Families having a sad farewell for a turtle, small bird or fish may see no problem in flushing the deceased animal down the toilet. However, that small animal may end up getting stuck in pipes and blocking the sewage system.

Paper

• Paper towels, sanitary products, wipes, diapers and other paper products may cause a blockage of the sewage system. While toilet paper is formulated to disintegrate easily, many other products are not. Most paper products are not meant to be used in the sewage system or flushed down the toilet. These products to not easily disintegrate or break down. Instead, they lodge in the pipes and block the proper flow of water and waste movement.

Waste

• Human waste is not always soft and pliable. Furthermore, even in a system that works well, bits and pieces of the waste being flushed stick to pipes in the sewage system. This waste can build up until the system is blocked. Also, a single incident of hard, solid waste may lodge in the system instead of flushing down cleanly. No other waste matter can get beyond the hard matter, causing a total blockage of the sewage system.

Plants

• Another source of sewage system blockage is plants. Trees shade our lawns and our homes. Trees provide a cool, sheltered place to rest or picnic in the summer. However, tree roots grow deep into the ground in order to support the tree. These tenacious roots sometimes invade sewage systems, causing blockages and damage. Corrosion and pipe breaks may also cause problems in the movement of sewage, opening up the system to invasion from roots, sand, or other creatures or foreign objects.