Clogged Floor Drain Trap

In many basements garages and laundry rooms there are floor drains that carry away wastewater from central air conditioners washing machines water heaters and snow covered cars.

Clogged floor drain trap.

How to clear a floor drain loosen brass plugs photo by merle henkenius. For clogged floor drains such as those in basements and showers a garden hose can be effective in unclogging drains especially if the clog is not close to the opening. Clogged drains are always a hassle but some like a plugged p trap under the sink or a stopped up toilet requires only a wrench a plunger and a little elbow grease to unclog. Look inside the drain.

Floor drain traps often have only these end caps exposed with the pipes running below the floor. Then turn the water on full force for a few moments. But what if you don t have an auger or plumbing snake. At the very least a clogged main sewer drain pipe may cause wastewater and raw sewage to back up through a floor drain into the basement or floor of an hour home.

If the main sewer drain is clogged it can eventually back up all of the drains in the house which is why such a clog can be so serious. Fortunately there are a variety of diy methods you can use to quickly and easily clear the drain. Now that you ve gathered all the tools to fix the clog the first step is to clean out the drain trap. Will your basement floor drain always remain clogged.

A drain trap is a component of a drain that s designed to do what it s called. Since the clog cannot pass through the floor drain on its own we are dislodging it and forcing it down the drain pipe by appying a pump and vacuum pressure. Unclog basement floor drain without using a plumbing snake. Attach the hose to a faucet feed the hose into the drain as far as it will go and jam rags around the hose at the opening.

Start the process by turning on the backflow preventer and removing the cap of the trap. Here s what you need to do to 1. A clogged shower drain is unsightly and inconvenient and if you have to call a plumber for help it can be expensive to fix. It traps water other liquids and gas to prevent the infiltration of sewer gas in your house.

To find the u trap for your floor drain look nearby for two large capped end pipes. This three pronged attack will clear any matter clinging to the sides of the trap. The hole going straight down leads to a curved portion of the drain called the p trap. The p trap contains water that prevents sewer gases from escaping into your home.

Place the plunger on the hole. But sometimes the clog is deep in the drainpipe and requires more work and extra powerful tools to root out. If needed apply petroleum jelly on the sides of the plunger to give it a better seal. Using a plunger is a very straightforward method to unclog a floor drain.