Why Is My Drain in the Basement Backing Up?

Well, you probably know that the sewer pipes in your house connect your washing machine, bathroom, and kitchen to the main drain in your basement. They do this so all the stormwater and sewage in your home can flow to the main drain through one pipe.

If one of the drains in your house gets clogged, then the water has no place to go except back up into the other drains or possibly into your basement. The most common reason for a backup is that someone flushes a large object down the toilet or rinses a lot of food down the sink. Garbage disposals are also notorious drain clogs.

Basement floor drain backups are usually caused by wastewater seeking a place to escape when there is a problem with the sewer line. The basement floor drain connects to the main sewer line. Water will flow down if there is an issue. However, this is often not related to wastewater but to other problems in your home.

Causes of a Basement Floor Drain Backing Up

1. Grease Buildup 

Grease buildup is a common cause of clogged drains. Grease does not dissolve in water and is tacky, so it builds up on the insides of pipes over time. To prevent this thing from happening, avoid throwing grease down the drain. You can also dump boiling water down the drain monthly to remove any oil on the pipes.

2. Decomposition

The galvanized metal used in older home drain pipes is prone to rust. Rust can grow inside the tube, eventually closing it off. While you can temporarily fix a rusty pipe by pouring some boiling water down it or using an acid-based cleaner, you should leave severe pipe problems to a professional plumber.

3. Throwing Things in the Toilet

Bad flushing habits can create clogs when we flush down things like Paper towels, baby wipes, wads of toilet paper, cotton swabs, toys, and a whole host of other materials. It can get caught in the main sewer drain.

4. Hair and Debris

Humans shed between 50 and 100 hairs daily, with much of that shedding taking place in the shower. If this occurs often, you can install a drain cover in your showers that will catch hair before it enters your home’s main sewer line.

5. Clogged Drain Pipe

When materials such as sand, lint, soap scum, and urine collect inside a drain pipe from the home to the curb, these clogs can cause water to back up in the house.

What Should You Do If The Basement Drain Backup?

After determining the problem with water backing up in your basement drain, it’s time to attack the problem. But how? We will guide you on safely and effectively handling your backed-up basement drain.

1. Proper Safety Precautions

Ensure taking proper precautions when working in a flooded basement. Live electrical wires are running through the home, posing a shock hazard. To begin, turn off power to the basement at the circuit breaker box. Since backed-up sewer water could contain pathogens and bacteria very well, protect yourself by wearing gloves, goggles, and a face mask.

2. Get Rid of Standing Water

To help the clog dissolve, you’ll need to remove standing water from your home’s floor. First, close your main water supply, so no other water runs through your pipes. Be sure to turn off any faucets or flushed toilets so that they don’t add any more water to what’s already on the floor.

3. Clean the P-Trap

Access the drain by removing the trap’s cover after getting rid of the standing water. Inside, you should find a removable backflow preventer. Use a wet-dry vac or short plumbing snake to clear any grime inside the trap. If you remove the clog in it, this should solve your problem.

4. Clean the Area

It is imperative to clean up once the clog has been repaired. The gasses created by sewage are enough to make one ill. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water, then finish by coating the floor with bleach to kill any bacteria left behind from the sewage.

Tools and Chemicals You Can Use To Remove Clogs

You can use the following solutions to remove clogs causing a backup in your basement drain.

• Although it’s a drink, Coca-Cola can clear clogs in drains. To do this, pour an entire 2-liter bottle into the drain and allow it to sit for at least an hour. Then flush with boiling water.
• Use hot water, baking soda, and vinegar. This simple home remedy can help remove mild clogs in bathrooms and kitchen sinks. Fill the sink or tub with hot water, then pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Afterward, add a cup of vinegar and seal the drain. Wait 10 minutes before flushing with hot water again.
• Plungers are handy tools that can clear clogs from your drains. To use a plunger, first place it over the drain, making sure to create an air-tight seal around it. Then push and pull on the handle until you dislodge whatever’s clogging your pipe. Plungers are most effective for clearing minor clogs created by paper or other small objects; they aren’t effective in removing large things like chicken bones or pieces of metal.
• Some plumbers are wary of using Drano to clear clogs because it contains strong chemicals that can break down even tough clogs. However, most agree that Drano is the best option for clearing clogged drains because it quickly melts the clog—and food particles and grease buildup. To use it, open the bottle, pour the contents into the drain, and wait about 20 minutes before flushing with hot water. If this doesn’t work, try again with a stronger dose of Drano.
• To clear a clogged drain, you can use a manual drain snake. This long, flexible metal auger has a coil on one end and a handle on the other. Thread the coiled end into the drain and push it through the P trap. Turn the handle to unwind the drill into the hole, rotating gently until you feel resistance.

Avoid Basement Drain Backup

Sometimes, backed-up basement drains can be a pain to deal with. But if you have an issue with your main sewer line, there are ways to take care of it yourself!

You can use a plunger or manual plumbing snake and household products such as baking soda, vinegar, or even a bottle of soda to clear the clog. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Regularly cleaning the sewer and drain pipes using a plumbing snake or cleaning solutions can help prevent basement drain backups.