Floor drain backup
Backup that rises through a floor drain into the lowest room. It is often in a utility room or the lowest corner of the house.
Urgent? Phones answered 24/7
Drain Backup Response in Collierville, TN
Removing and disinfecting water that backed up through floor drains and fixtures during heavy rain across Collierville and Shelby County.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Burst pipes, freezes, slab leaks
- Wolf River and storm flooding
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Drain Backup
Drain Backup Response: what it covers
Quick answer
Drain backup response is the removal of waste water that came up through a floor drain or a low fixture, usually when heavy rain overloads the line. It is handled as a health hazard, not as clean water. In Collierville, heavy rain is the time a backup is most likely, so the crew protects the people in the house, removes what cannot be cleaned and dries the rest on a record.
Backup water is different from clean water, and the difference changes the whole job. Anything it touched is treated as contaminated, the people in the room need protection and porous material it soaked is generally removed. If a floor drain is bubbling when a fixture is used, leave the room and call.
A backup can come from a blocked house line, from an overloaded public line or from storm water pushing back into a drain. The cause matters for the repair and the claim, so the crew records what it saw at the drain and at the lowest point of the room.
- Service area
- Collierville & Shelby County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7, emergencies first
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
Warning signs
Signs you need drain backup response
Do not enter backup water without protective gear, and do not work in it barefoot or with cuts on your hands. Keep children and pets out of the area. Ventilate the room without creating a draft through the affected area. If you feel unwell after exposure, see a doctor and mention the contamination.
- Water rising through a floor drain when a fixture is used
- A sewage smell that is strongest near floor drains or the lowest corner
- Grey or dark water on a floor after heavy rain
- Staining or swollen drywall at the base of walls near a drain
- Slow drains throughout the house when it rains hard
- Waste or paper in water on a lower floor
Our process
How our drain backup response visit works
Protect the people and the crew
The area is closed off and crew members wear gloves, eye protection, masks and boots. Children and pets stay out until the area is cleared.
Stop the flow and find the cause
The crew checks the drain, the cleanout and the line that is backing up. A backwater valve, where one exists, is checked for function and recorded.
Remove water and contaminated material
Standing backup water is extracted, and porous material it soaked, including carpet pad, insulation and soft goods, is removed.
Clean and disinfect the hard surfaces
Hard surfaces and salvageable structure are cleaned with products suited to the contamination, then disinfected and allowed to dry before anything is closed.
Dry, verify and hand over
The area is dried to readings, the log is kept, and the homeowner is told what was removed and why.
Why is backup water handled differently from a supply leak?
Because it carries bacteria and other contaminants that a clean supply leak does not. The material it touches is contaminated, the people who handle it need protection, and the drying starts only after the contaminated material is out.
A clean supply leak can often be dried in place. Backup water cannot be, because the contamination stays in the material after the water evaporates. Carpet pad, insulation, soft goods and some drywall are usually removed, and hard surfaces are disinfected.
The crew wears gloves, eye protection, masks and boots as standard, and the area is ventilated while the work is done. Nobody should try to clean up backup water without that protection.
Can I clean up a backup myself?
For a very small amount on a hard floor, with protective gear and ventilation, some people do. For anything that reached porous material, a wall, a subfloor or a room used by children, it is for a crew. Do not mix cleaning products.
Bleach and ammonia-based cleaners must never be mixed, because the combination releases harmful gas. A household vacuum can spread contamination through its exhaust and can short out on wet floors.
The bigger risk is what you cannot see. Water that soaked into a wall or under a floor keeps the contamination and the moisture in place, and it can cause illness long after the water is gone.
What does a backup mean for the drain?
It means the drain or the line that serves it has a blockage or a failure somewhere, and it needs clearing by a plumber before the house is used normally again. The restoration crew deals with the water and the damage.
A backup can come from a blockage in the house line or from a failed cleanout. The plumber will want to know where the water first appeared and which fixtures were in use.
Where a backwater valve is fitted, its condition should be checked after any backup. A stuck valve will not do its job.
Does the insurer cover a drain backup?
Many standard homeowner policies exclude sewer and drain backup unless a separate endorsement was added, and flood water from outside is generally excluded too. Check the policy and ask the insurer in writing what it covers.
A backup from an overloaded public line can fall under a different part of the policy from a blockage in the house's own line. The wording decides which applies, so keep a note of where the water came from and when.
A written complaint to the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is available if the explanation does not answer the question.
What should the homeowner do before the next storm?
Keep drains clear, check the cleanout and any backwater valve each season, and know where the house line leaves the building. A plumber can advise on a valve for the house.
Clear leaves and debris from the grates of floor drains and from any outside drain near the house. Avoid flushing wipes or putting items down the drain that do not break down.
Ask a plumber to check the line with a camera if the backups have happened more than once. A clear picture of the line is worth more than a guess about the cause.
Options
Types and options for drain backup response
Storm water through the drain
Storm water that pushes back into the drain when the public system is overloaded, and runs across the floor with whatever it carries.
Fixture overflow
A toilet, shower or sink that overflowed into the floor or subfloor. The volume may be smaller, but the contamination reaches the materials under the floor.
Shelby County
Why drain backup response is different in Greater Memphis, Tennessee
Heavy rain drives backups in this area, and a storm can push water back into a drain faster than the house line can carry it away.
Lower rooms near floor drains take the first of any backup. The crew checks the drain line first to decide how far the contamination travelled.
After a storm the drains can run slowly for a day or two while the public system recovers. Watch the lowest fixtures until the flow is normal.
One call and it gets handled.
A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.
Where we work
Drain Backup Response across Shelby County
- Drain Backup in Collierville
- Drain Backup in Rossville
- Drain Backup in Eads
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38125
- Drain Backup in Cordova
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38141
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38119
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38115
- Drain Backup in Germantown
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38120
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38133
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38117
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38134
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38118
- Drain Backup in Oakland
- Drain Backup in Arlington
- Drain Backup in Brunswick
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38111
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38135
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38122
- Drain Backup in Moscow
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38114
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38132
- Drain Backup in Memphis 38131
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Garage and Appliance Leak Damage
Stopping and drying water from garage supply lines, water heaters, washers and dishwashers across Collierville and Shelby County.
One-Hour Downpour Flood Damage
Stopping and removing water from a single intense storm that entered doors, garages and low openings across Collierville and Shelby County.
Homeowner Claim File
Helping homeowners keep the photographs, readings and scope that a water claim depends on, across Collierville and Shelby County.
Furniture Move-Out and Log
Moving, cleaning, logging and storing furniture and belongings from water-damaged rooms across Collierville and Shelby County.
Guides
Read before you book
Water damage insurance claims in Tennessee: the general pattern
A water damage claim is generally decided on three questions: what caused the water, whether the policy covers that cause and how much of the damage the evidence supports.
FAQ
Drain Backup Response FAQs
Is a drain backup an emergency?
Yes. Backup water is a health risk, and the area should be closed off until a crew has cleared it. Calls are answered 24/7.
Will the carpet be saved?
Usually not. Carpet pad and carpet that touched backup water are generally removed.
Who fixes the drain?
The restoration crew deals with the water and damage. A licensed plumber clears or repairs the drain and line, and the two jobs are recorded separately.
How do I stop it happening again?
Ask a plumber to check the drain, the cleanout and any backwater valve. Keep drains clear and avoid putting things down them that block the line in heavy rain.
What happens to the belongings in the water?
Each item is assessed. Hard items can often be cleaned and disinfected, and soft or porous items are usually removed after photographs and a list are made.
Do I need the drain tested?
The plumber can test and clear the line. The crew cleans and disinfects the area, and both records go to the file.