How to Unplug a Floor Drain
Floor drains are typically found in shower stalls and basements. They handle regular water flow and the overflow of water during flooding. As with any other drain, the water is carried from the floor to a larger soil pipe and then into an even larger sewer pipe, where it is eventually routed to a water treatment plant. Unfortunately, floor drains, as with any other type of drain, can become clogged and have to be unplugged. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Gloves
- Pliers
- Liquid dish soap
- Garden hose
- Cloths
- Drainpipe auger
Instructions
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1
Remove the drain grate by unfastening the retaining screw(s) with a screwdriver, if applicable. Pull the drain grate off the floor and set it aside.
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2
Put on gloves and attempt to pull out the obstruction by hand or with pliers first. If the obstruction cannot be unplugged by hand, proceed to the next step.
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3
Squirt liquid dish soap into the floor drain and wait for 20 to 30 minutes, allowing it to recede into the drain, acting as a lubricant. Connect a garden hose to a spigot and insert the end of the hose into the floor drain. Stuff cloths around the hose to "seal" the drain hole.
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4
Turn on the garden hose to its fullest open volume to blast the obstruction into the larger drainpipes below. If the floor drain does not become unclogged, turn off the hose, remove the cloths and take the hose out of the floor drain.
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5
Insert a drainpipe auger into the floor drain and crank the handle, sending the auger deeper and deeper into the pipe to push the obstruction into the larger-diameter pipe, unclogging the floor drain.
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