How to Fix a Clogged Basement Floor Drain
Many homes have basements that are outfitted with floor drains. These floor drains are used for whisking away dirty washing machine water, draining central air conditioning, or for water heaters. Over time, debris can become built up in the drain, causing a backup that can flood your basement. With the right tools, you should be able to unclog the floor drain without spending a lot of money. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
If you don't own an electric power auger, rent one. They are available for rent from hardware stores, home supply stores and many stores specializing in tool rental. The auger you use must have at least 50 feet of cable.
-
2
Unscrew the drain cover. Use your wrench to remove the clean-out plug on the side of the drain. The clean-out plug is a small protrusion on the side of the drain that will allow you to bypass the drain's trap so you can lower the auger cable directly into the pipe. If there is no clean-out plug, you'll have to feed the auger cable into the trap.
-
-
3
Plug in the power auger. Put a few feet of the auger cable into the drain, then set the auger's motor to rotate clockwise. Turn the auger on. Push the cable in until you feel some resistance. Once you hit resistance, turn the auger off, change the motor rotation, turn the auger back on, then pull the cable out a few feet. Turn the auger off again, switch back to clockwise rotation, and push the cable in again. This action should be pushing the clog out of the drain. Repeat the in and out motions until the clog is cleared. Draw the cable back up and unplug the auger.
-
4
Once the clog is cleared, flush the drain with a few buckets of hot water. Re-place the clean-out plug on the side of the drain, then re-place the drain cover and screw it back on.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you don't replace the clean-out plug in your drain, sewer gases may seep into your home.
