Your basement floor drain is the last stop of all the gray water in your house before they get transported to your septic tank or the public sewer. Because of this, it is more prone to clogging as compared to the other drains in your home. This is where the excessive buildup of grease and other sticky waste substances often transpire. Now the best way to get rid of blockage is the plumbing snake. But what if you don’t own such a tool? Are there any other ways that can help you get rid of the clog? Read on and find out.
What Are The Causes Of Floor Drain Clogs?
There are many culprits that bring about clogs in your floor drains. These include but are not limited to:
- * debris, sediments or grease in the pipes
- * water flow issues
- * improper pipe installation
- * improperly sized pipes
- * heavy downpours that gather leaves, mud or dirt in the drain lines
- * broken or damaged drain pipes
Keeping all these factors in mind, you should be able to identify the best ways to prevent and repair drain clogs. Water flow issues should be fixed by licensed and insured plumbers. They can adjust the pressure in the lines or configure the right water supply level in your property. Pipes should be sized and installed properly, too. If they’re too small, sticky substances will cling onto their walls even more. The drain lines should be big enough for the waste materials to flow smoothly through. Whenever you experience heavy downpours, make sure that you’ll have your ducts, vents and drainage pipes cleaned. Broken, cracked and damaged pipes should be relined or replaced immediately to avoid further inconvenience.
Clean Your Drain Pipe Trap
As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” Prevent drain clogs by regularly cleaning your drain pipes. Simply locate the backflow device in your basement and remove its cap with a wrench. Get a cold chisel and push it into one of the notches that are located in the retaining ring. Twist the chisel counterclockwise to loosen and detach the backflow ball. When you’ve already removed the ball, get your wet and dry vacuum. Siphon out the dirt and sediments that have collected inside the drain trap. After cleaning, remove the backflow device’s screw with a wrench. Detach the plug and insert a wire or cable into the drain pipe. Connect the other end of the wire to a power drill for extra force. Turn the drill on and let the wire break the blockage into smaller pieces.
Baking Soda And Vinegar
If you’re going to deal with minor clogs, baking soda and vinegar might work. You can increase the amount of these two ingredients that you’ll use to remove the blockage. If they won’t work, then the clog is too stubborn after all.
No To Chemical Drain Cleaners
We have always emphasized the detrimental effects of using chemical drain cleaners. They might damage the pipes in the long run and may even worsen the clog in some cases. If the problem persists, just call your trusted plumber.
We hope that you learned how to unclog a floor drain without a snake through our blog today. If you need assistance, just call the most trusted Fort Lauderdale plumber. Douglas Orr Plumbing provides exceptional plumbing service in Fort Lauderdale FL, sewer jetting, sewer cleaning, sewer camera inspection, backflow prevention, leak detection, repiping and many more! Call us at (305) 240-6731to schedule a service!
Learn more tips when unclogging drains! Watch this video now.