8 Cause Your Basement Drain is Backing Up
That icy pond in the basement drain is definitely the worst part about going down there. Most of the time, water comes from the floor drain. This will only make things worse since you know the water is probably not clean. What can you do if water is coming from a backed-up drain in your basement?
The puddle is unappealing no matter where it is in your home. When water starts to pour out, you may wonder what’s wrong with the basement drainage backup.
Even if you don’t believe it, the most likely answer is “nothing.” When water backs up in a basement drain, it’s likely because of something else in your plumbing system.
Reasons Why Drains in Basements Can Get Clogged
When hair, sticky gunk, and other things get stuck in the drains in your basement drain, they back up. If you use drain care products every day, it will be surprising how easy it will be to avoid.
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This article will show you the right way to get your basement drain back in order.
Reason No. 1: Plumbing fixtures that are low to the ground
Most likely, the basement showers, tubs, or toilets will be the first place you notice a backlog. There are different kinds of PVC connections, but these are plumbing fittings that are low to the ground. But these things aren’t usually the problem.
As a result of this, the flushing mechanism is constantly reactivated.
Solution
Don’t try to fix the backup until you know for sure that one of these fixtures is clogged. It’s a warning indicator if you see a significant drop in the toilet or shower drain.
You will see water pooling at the bottom of your basin even though the flow doesn’t seem to be getting any faster. When that happens, you know it’s time to get help from a professional.
2. The wash tub basin is clogged
This is what it looks like when your basement drain is clogged. It could be because of the basin in your bathtub. If you do it yourself, cleaning the strainer upon that drain input may be faster.
Solution
You can use a plunger to clear the trap under the basin of sediment and other trash. If you don’t have a plunger, you might need a snake auger. Or the trap might have to be taken out and cleaned.
Professional plumbers might use their knowledge and skills to get rid of blockages that are further down the system. If the blockage is hard to get to, they won’t do any more damage to your plumbing.
3. The laundry is piling up
When a washer backs up, a lot of water is wasted. It can cost you money, and it can also hurt the foundation of your house. The problem can be fixed, though, with just a few easy steps.
Solution
After you turn off the washer, check the strainer just on the drain line. Before reattaching, make sure there are no obstacles in the way. Then, check under the sink for any loose parts. These can cause water to flow backward into the washing machine and out of the drain pipes.
If tightening loose parts under the sink doesn’t fix the problem, the trap could be clogged. Or the clog could be further down the drain. If cleaning the trap doesn’t work, it’s best to call a pro.
4. Problems with The Main House Trap
The main house trap stops sewer gas from getting into your home.
With this set-up, the home finish line has a plug. On the street side of the line, there is another. It’s not a good idea to pull these plugs out at random. since it could let waste water from sewage into your property. It’s also very hard to change the plugs.
Solution
To get the water away from your house, open the street-side outlet without taking it out. Then the plug in the house.
Even so, this method is risky and should only be done by a trained plumber.
5. The floor drains get clogged
The drain on the floor connects to the drain in the house, which is under your basement drain. It stays dry most of the time because it drains water from your basement drain.
On the other hand, the drain might back up if it gets clogged or if it rains too much. This can happen in the drain, the home trap, or the sewage main. So, when someone takes a shower, the drain in the basement can also back up.
Solution
You can fix this by making sure your floor drain isn’t clogged. Then, move some of the water pipes in your house. The two drains should go to different places.
Contact a sewer professional if you don’t know what to do or if the clog keeps coming back. He will find out where and what caused the blockage.
6. The roots of trees get in the way
Roots want moisture. And they can find it in the sewer pipe, especially if it is broken. Even though it’s a sewer line, they don’t seem to care, and it’s only going to get bigger.
Solution
Do a sewage scope check to see if there are any roots, blockages, or broken pipes. Roots may be easy to get rid of with drain cleaning tools. They can use a blast to get rid of all the mud and other yuck.
You might need to move at least one tree. The expert will tell you how to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
7. Throwing away the wrong things
Without parents’ awareness, children’s toys might fall into toilets when they are playing with them close by. There are other reasons to flush things like tampons, napkins, paper towels, and baby wipes. These things could stop the drain and cause it to back up.
Two-ply toilet paper is not as good as one-ply toilet paper. because it is easier for one-ply toilet paper to dissolve in water.
Solution
It is important to remember not to flush any of the things listed above, and if at all possible, use only one layer of toilet paper. We know how hard it would be to get your family to agree with you on this!
If there’s a toy or something important, scoop the water out with a disposable cup. Then put on gloves and take it out. If that doesn’t work, try a plunger, an auger, a snake, or a de-clogger.
8. The drain and trap are dried out
If water isn’t going down the drain or through the trap, it could dry out and let sewage gases out. This happens not only in the drain in the basement but also in the sinks and drains in the bathroom and kitchen.
In the basement bathroom, you could take a stinky shower. This could be caused by, among other things, a dirty or missing p-trap or s-trap.
How to Keep a Basement Drain from Backing Up?
Even though water will sometimes back up from your basement drain, there are things you can do to fix it. This will make it less likely that flooding will happen again. You can do some of the following:
- Update drainage. You can make sure water doesn’t get into your home by using downspouts and gutters. This will help you a lot if your basement floor floods when it rains.
- Change out old pipes. Every 25 to 40 years, PVC pipes should be changed out. Iron pipes last twice as long as other kinds.
- Install a sump pump. This will help if your basement drain is always getting flooded.
- Put in a system to find leaks. When it finds a leak or strange water flow, this system will shut off the water supply.
- Keep water out of your basement drain. Water damage can be kept to a minimum by using sealers with silicates and thick layers of paint.
- Replace the hoses that bring water to washing machines. Every 3 to 5 years, you should get a new hose.