Though it tends to be neglected and often doesn't get the regular cleaning it needs, your floor drain does an essential job. If you feel you are making progress, allow the clog to soak in a squirt of dishwashing liquid. I'll try snaking the drain from the basement. Be careful not to push the snake beyond the trap. Common Causes & Signs of Basement Floor Drain Clogs OK, so your basement floor drain is backing up. it is the drain in the basement floor. Snake it first then use any type of build up remover . My basement drain is overflowing when I wash dishes in the sink on the ground level. Anonymous. It is a good idea to test them once a year or so to make sure they Collins Mom. One way to be sure your home is always as safe as possible is to include checking floor drains in your routine of checking smoke detector batteries. Floor drains are most often installed during original construction, often in the utility area, to drain away excess water in the basement. You will have to get your hands dirty and put some effort into it but it will eventually pay off. They also relieve pressure on your pipes by allowing small amounts of overflow. 1 decade ago. We shoveled out what we could. Floor drains—especially those located in basements—are especially susceptible to blockages since all the other water and waste from the house is carried downward by gravity to septic tanks or public sewers. We checked the washing machine hoses and water lines and have not found a leak. Work it back and forth, scraping the sides of the pipe clean as you go and, importantly, spinning the cable round and round to screw it farther down the drain. The pipe was not sealed going from the back of the washer going out. Be careful when using boiling water on a slow drain. Follow the suggestions here to determine what is required for your situation. Clogs composed of hair or grease can be busted up and pulled out a bit at a time with a carefully fashioned bent coat hanger. Floor drains, especially those that are situated in the basement, are prone to clogging. Now on Google Play and the Appstore! Usually the straining screens are held on with two or three screws. Here are a few basement plumbing tips when it comes to floor drains: Clean your drains regularly. And that is only if you even get the dangerous chemical to the point of the problem. I am wondering where the problem lies for me. If your drain does not have a backflow prevention device, or it fell out of maintenance, and you now have standing water above the drain, we recommend you read more about sewer and storm drain backups, backflows, and floods, because the standing water must be removed to safely address the clogged drain. 5 Answers. If you're not working on the water heater, you can try clearing the drain with a Drain King or other drain cleaning tools. Try pouring a small amount of water into the drain at first, so if there's a problem you won't have a big mess to clean up. Now and then you'll find that they're not plumbing-related drains at all. Whats the problem? Normally, backed-up sewage comes through the drains in a basement first, since this is generally the lowest part of the house. Try snaking and flushing from those points if the floor … 1 bathroom house (2nd floor) , shower/bath, sink, and toilet all converge into one (cast iron) main stack which I can follow into the basement and into the floor. Therefore, clean-outs are usually present when a vertical drain connects to a horizontal drain (known as a stack). It may not feel lucky to enter your basement and find a patch of water on the floor, but it's better than having a subtle, slow leak that degrades over time. Basement Clogged Drain Tips. I am wondering where the problem lies for me. Frequently semi-floating solids and grease build up at the wye's to that sort of drain and block the intersection, especially if it is not frequently used, as with a basement guest bathroom (or stubbed out and unused basement toilet or tub connection) or garage floor drain. Types of Garage Floor Drains and How They Work. My sewer lines drains slow and toilet backs up after 3rd flush. Read the HomeQuicks article to find steps on how to unclog a basement floor drain, and save any significant amount of damage from happening. The floor drain is intended to be used as emergency flood control. LISTEN. Clogged floor and basement drains pose special problems. plugged with debris or soil from sweeping the room. More often, though, they will find the trouble to be between the house and the main lines. If there is none it may be because it is not part of the plumbing system. You may need to use a plunger to get them Sign up for our newsletter! Kitchen sink (main floor) has own small pipe into the floor 15 feet away. Flooding not only damages property, but poses a health risk as well. I can look into the drain, but I can only see down about 6-10 inches. What remained was a dark greyish sludge that smelled something awful. While frustrating, a slow sink drain—often caused by a mix of soap scum and hair—is easy enough for homeowners to remedy. No basement, home is built on a slab and side by side duplex, two toilets separated by wall of other unit. If you have a build up beyond that point thats where it pays to use a pro. Then turn the water on full force for a few moments. The city came back out and tried re-snaking without success. Floor drain backs up when doing laundry. Keep the area ventilated, and keep anybody else working there aware of the hazard. Kitchen sink (main floor) has own small pipe into the floor 15 feet away. When using an auger, screw in the same direction when inserting and removing the cable. Today, it seemed very slow, and there was no obvious reason for the slow drainage. Feed the auger cable into the pipe. My basement drain is overflowing when I wash dishes in the sink on the ground level. And if the drain flows directly into the ground, or is connected to storm runoffs, or is below ground level, a backflow prevention device is advisable. Step 4- Use an Enzyme Active Drain Cleaner. Whats the problem? There's water in the basement. Easier still, you can add it to the to-do list you hand your plumber the next time you see him/her. Either the washer has a leak or the floor drain is blocked. If you currently have basement leaks, or you're justifiably concerned about them happening in the future, cleaning your basement floor drain might not be enough. Peer into the drain, shining a flashlight or bright light from above. To further clean your drain, pour a bucket of boiling water down and wait 15 minutes. 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