A basement floor drain removes excess water while keeping sewage from entering your home. Its plumbing features include a P-trap and vent that prevent backflow of sewer gas back into your residence.
Unmaintained trap and drain systems can become blocked with debris, leading to backups of sewage and water into your basement. A professional plumber is available to diagnose and address this problem quickly.
Floor Drain
Floor drains, like those in your bathroom sink or bathtub, are part of the main waste line in your house and help prevent flooding and sewer backups by routing waste water away from foundations. They serve as the lowest point in your plumbing system and may become blocked if an issue arises with it.
Clogged basement floor drains often stem from issues with the main drainage line, making hydro jetting an invaluable service to utilize to prevent further complications with your sewer line. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water jets to blast away rust, debris, scale and sludge that builds up in drain lines as a preventative measure against roots growing into drain lines causing blockages in future.
Dirt, hair, soap scum or debris that accumulates over time in a drain is another common source of basement floor drain backups, leading to its blocking off and producing an unpleasant stench.
Floor drains are an indispensable feature of any home, yet often lack the attention they require. Drains play an especially critical role in commercial buildings that must drain large volumes of water from their floors while residential homes with heavily sloped yards often require floor drains as an antidrainage measure and to protect foundation damage.
Channel Drain
At the lowest point on each floor, the basement drain serves to channel standing water away from the home and into a municipal storm sewer system or sump pit for proper disposal. This prevents it from seeping back into the space, which could otherwise flood it and potentially cause damage or encourage mildew and mould growth in personal belongings or cause an unpleasant environment conducive to mildew growth.
As with other drains in your home, clogged basement floor drains can create major issues for the plumbing system. At best, these clogs could cause sewage to flood back up into the basement which is both unpleasant and hazardous. Therefore, regular maintenance and cleaning must take place with these drains, including running water through them frequently as well as adding traps if any don’t already contain one.
Over time, many drain lines become blocked and leaky due to deterioration or sediment accumulation. This occurs because drain pipe interior surfaces are usually rough; anything flowing through may stick onto their sides – including rust, hair, soap scum and other organic debris that accumulates within.
If your basement floor drain frequently clogs, consider installing a channel drain instead. It provides several advantages over standard basement drains and can often be installed by do-it-yourselfers.
Sump Pit
Basement floor drains connect to pits which house pumps. As one of the key components of home water drainage systems, they help prevent flooding and mold growth in basements.
A basement drain system works by directing water and debris downward through the floor, over a slope into a drain pipe, into a pit for collection, then out of the house via pumping up. A blocked or damaged drain may lead to serious flooding issues as well as mildew/mold issues or even structural damage to the house itself.
The floor drain includes a trap to prevent sewer gas from entering the house, similar to those found in bathtubs, sinks, and showers. Like their counterparts in other drains such as bathtubs or sinks, traps in basement drains may become blocked with hair, dirt, soap scum or other debris over time; furthermore, their pipe may rust or become clogged over time.
The sump pit is a large hole lined with concrete or heavy plastic to prevent cracking and warping over time. A grate covers the top, while at its base sits a pump equipped with a float that triggers it when water levels exceed a certain point. A sump pump may even come equipped with battery backup in case power goes out unexpectedly.
Sump Pump
Pumps are often installed alongside channel and floor drains in basements for proper drainage, pumping out any collected water and sewage through an external discharge pipe to help keep the space dry and prevent flooding or water damage from heavy rainstorms.
If your basement drain becomes blocked, shutting off your water main is one way to reduce pressure at the clogged drain and make cleaning out easier without risk of damaged pipes. Also be mindful not to run appliances that use water and flush toilets that could contribute to further aggravation.
Floor drains that connect directly to a home’s sewer line present an increased backflow risk, so it’s vitally important that they include backwater valves. These float-operated devices work by rising when sewage backs up into the drain, sealing it off immediately and stopping further flow.
Longer drain lines may develop “bellies”, or flat spots or dips where sediment and debris collect, over time. Repairing them requires digging up the lines, clearing away their obstruction, and then replacing them. To prevent such bellies forming again, regular maintenance must take place such as removing the cover, brushing out the trap with a brush, and using a drain snake to clear any visible blockages in their path.