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Water Backing Up: Cellar, Shower or Toilet, Find the Cause
Dirty water coming up through the cellar floor drain, through the shower when the washing machine empties, or through the toilet after heavy rain? Our technicians find out why the water can no longer drain and get it flowing again, 7 days a week. The price is given before the work.
5,0on Google· 22 years of experience
Cause foundBlockage, surcharge, fall
High pressureAnd vacuum tanker
CameraFor recurring cases
Price given firstBefore the work
Water up through the cellar: the sewer is blocked
Water always backs up at the lowest point of the house: the cellar floor drain, a ground-floor shower, a basement toilet. When the sewer is blocked further along, the water you use cannot get away and comes out there.
The typical sign: water rises when another fitting empties, such as the washing machine, the bath or a toilet upstairs. The inspection chamber, if you have one, is often full.
The technician opens the inspection chamber, locates the blockage and breaks it with high pressure, cleaning the whole pipe to the public sewer. He then rinses the floor drain and the cellar to remove the deposits left by the water.
Water backing up into the toilet or shower
If water rises in the toilet pan when you use the shower or basin, or in the shower when you flush, the two fittings share a waste that is blocked downstream.
The technician starts at the lowest fitting with a suitable auger, then works along the pipe until he finds the blockage. Wipes flushed down the toilet and kitchen grease are the most common causes.
If several floors are affected in an apartment building, the blockage is in the shared stack. The technician clears it from the bottom and gives you a report useful for the managing agent.
A washing machine that empties into a partly blocked waste is often the first sign: the shower tray fills a little each cycle.
Water up after heavy rain: sewer surcharge
If water only comes up during storms and heavy rain, your pipe is not necessarily blocked: the public sewer is overloaded and pushes back into houses whose cellars are lower than the street.
The answer is a non-return valve, which lets your waste water out but stops the sewer coming back in. It must be fitted in the right place, accessible for maintenance and checked regularly.
The technician inspects the pipe with a camera to tell surcharge from a blockage or a defect such as back-fall or a sag. He then proposes the right solution with its price.
In some municipalities a non-return valve or a raised floor drain is recommended in new cellars: the technician tells you what makes sense for your house.
Flooded cellar: pump out and clean
When water has flooded the cellar or the inspection chamber has been overflowing for hours, it first needs pumping out. The vacuum tanker sucks up water and sludge, then clears the pipe with its jetter.
Do not go into a flooded cellar if the water reaches sockets or electrical appliances: switch off at the fuse box first. Sewer water is dirty; wear gloves and boots.
Once the pipe is clear, the technician rinses and explains how to stop it happening again. Take photos of the damage for your insurer; our job sheet describes the cause.
The right reflexes
Switch off the electricity
If water reaches sockets or appliances in the cellar.
Raise your belongings
Anything in the cellar that could be damaged.
Open the inspection chamber
If accessible: full means the sewer; empty means the blockage is before it.
Note when it happens
After a wash cycle, a flush, a storm: it is a valuable clue.
No drain cleaner
Pouring chemicals into backed-up water only adds a corrosive liquid the technician will have to handle.
Our visit
Your call
Tell us where the water comes up and when it happens.
Diagnosis and price
The technician finds the cause and gives you the price.
Flowing again
Clearing, rinsing and, if needed, camera and a non-return valve proposal.
What our customers say
Where do we work?
We work throughout Belgium, in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, in houses and apartment buildings.
BrusselsWalloon BrabantFlemish BrabantHainautNamur provinceLiège provinceLuxembourg provinceAntwerpEast FlandersWest FlandersLimburg
Frequently asked questions
Why does water come up through the cellar floor drain?
It is the lowest point: when the sewer is blocked or overloaded, water comes out there first.
Water only comes up in heavy rain. What can I do?
It is often surcharge from the public sewer. A non-return valve protects the house; we fit one after inspecting the pipe.
Is it dangerous?
Sewer water is dirty and the cellar electrics may be affected. Switch off the power if needed and avoid contact with the water.
Will my insurance cover the damage?
Often, at least partly. Take photos and keep our job sheet, which describes the cause.
Do you come at night?
Yes, 7 days a week. Call 0477 03 88 98.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the cause and the equipment. The price is given before starting.
Could a pump be the cause?
Yes. In cellars lower than the sewer, a pump lifts the waste water. If it fails or its float sticks, water rises in the sump, then in the cellar. The technician checks and repairs or replaces it.
Water coming back up?
Call us, book a slot or request a quote for a non-return valve.