A blockage in a floor drain is not uncommon. The floor drain is designed to drain any standing water on the floor. It is usually round. They come in many different shapes, such as squares or long stripes in many buildings. This drain is usually located in areas where water can easily stagnate inside your home, such as near the kitchen sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, laundry room, pool, patio, and basement.
It has a small mesh filter to prevent foreign objects from entering the drain. This strainer also prevents unwanted pests from entering your home from the sewer. This strainer grate is usually large, and sometimes small objects such as hair, food, stones, and chips will pass through the strainer and eventually clog the drain. These Redditch Plumbers always provide a great service, so if you did need a trusted company to help unclog your drains, then give them a call.
Identifying a Floor Drain Clog
The first step is to figure out if it is a blockage in the floor drain or another problem that has resulted in standing water. We’ll talk about other causes of clogging later.
To start identifying the difficulty, remove the drain plug
A typical all-in-one downpipe has two openings that lead to the same downpipe. Both openings start in the drain area and lead to the same main drain pipe by different routes. You can also have a drain with separate drain and drain pipes. If the drain is small, like a floor drain in a bathroom, then there will only be the main drain hole without a drain pipe.
The smaller flush tube at the drain is a straight tube with the flush plug always closed. In case of clogging, the flush plug is designed to drain the stagnant water into the main drain pipe. Most cleaning plugs are made of plastic and are easy to remove. If the cleanout plug is metal, you may need a pipe wrench or hammer and a cold chisel to remove it.
What Causes Clogs in Floor Drains?
The main cause of floor wastewater clogging is debris. When grease or soap accumulates in the drain, it carries other debris along with it. Over time, it can become a large block in the pipe and prevent water from flowing down the drain.
- Damaged or broken pipes – when pipes are damaged due to wear, cracks, or unprofessional use of coils or augers, blockages may occur.
- Innately poor design – this happens when the volume of water is too large for the diameter of the drainpipe, or when there are too many sharp bends or joints in the pipe that slow down and block the drainage flow.
- Improperly installed pipes – connections that are not properly screwed on or butt welded, incorrect valve installation, etc.
- Main sewer system backups – Sometimes, after heavy rain, leaves and dirt build up in the main sewer system, causing water to re-enter the basement and sewers.