Basement Floor Drain Cleaning
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- After moving into the new house and running the air conditioner for about 14 hours due to working upstairs on a hot day I noticed that the floor drain in the basement that the HVAC drains off into had slightly backed up and was starting to overflow a bit. Not wanting to rent a snake or call someone in unnecessarily I am going with a drain cleaning without the use of any harsh chemicals. This will only use hot water, baking soda, and some vinegar. You should always check local bylaws on what is allowed to go into a basement floor drain in your area.
You can also check this out on my web site: diynorth.com/p...
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Baking Soda - amzn.to/3ouybzI
Vinegar - amzn.to/39NhWtg
Sponge Mop - amzn.to/39IB0ZG
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Thanks so much for posting this. For us the addition of baking soda and vinegar made all the difference. So glad we didn’t have to call a plumber. Cheers from Wild Rose Country 🌸
Thanks for watching, I actually just did this on my drain again this morning. Gotta keep the drain hole fresh.
Thanks for your reply. Would you say every 6 months or so?
@@MissDashwood1 I do it about every 4 months. I bought vinegar to clean my coffee maker and had to do something with the extra.
@@DIYNorth Great idea. Vinegar is the best, I pour some in my old dishwasher once a month to get rid of hard water deposits. Great for cleaning windows too. I could go on but I'll stop : )
Thank you for the great video! Been living in a house that was empty for awhile and couldn't figure out where the random sewer smell would come from. Found the culprit a few days ago. The drain in the basement floor! Going to try this now.
Good luck, I hope it gets the stank out.
If there was no water in the trap it can let the sewer gas in. Even just keeping water in the trap will help with the smell.
Not sure if this will help my situation but thanks for the no bs video 🤟🏻 I'm in Hull myself
If this fails renting a drain auger from lowes or home depot should clear the pipes....unless they collapsed of tree roots broke them up.
Worked for my basement drain.. Thanks
Thanks for checking it out.
Best thing to do is mix 1/2 cup of baking soda & salt together. Pour. Then Dawn or a good dish soap, let it sit 5-15 minutes the pour the vinegar. Last pour a good amount of hot water to flush everything out.
So the salt breaks up and thick clogged materials (dirt, hair, slime) baking soda deodorizer, soap degreaser and clumps with your dry ingredients. Vinegar: acid plus reacts with everything. Water to flush the pipes and neutralize the drains.
Sounds like a well thought out process
Can you do this in a sink too? Or is it just for basement drains?
@@sagefariboleyou can do it in the sink also
Great advice for a cellar drain plugged with organic type matter. Mine seems to be plugged with rust( from water softener) and silt however. Snaking it didn’t work because 18” below the floor the drain takes a 90 degree turn.
thanks for watching. There may be bio-degradable product that can help dissolve whatever is building up in your drain.
Thank you so much I have this problem and I will try
Best of luck
the drain cleaning combined with the commentary was oddly satisfying
lol..thanks.
Thanks ...
No problem
Great video
Thanks for the feedback.
worked for me!
fantastic, thanks for watching
Thank you so much for sharing this!!! ! You saved me from an emotional breakdown! Marry me? 😁
I'm glad it had such a positive impact on your day.
This helped us!!! Thanks so much!!!
Glad to hear it helped, I do it once a year now. I've had no more issues
Will this help get rid of mushrooms growing in a basement drain?
I have no idea. Maybe though, but there might need to be some sort of anti-fungal type additive needed as well.
Wow thanks god bless love
Thanks for the feedback, stay safe.
Does this work for the removal of caulk also?
I just moved into a home where both the basement drain and kitchen sink drain are clogged because the repair guys put caulk in both of them.
I guess they were cleaning the caulk off of their tools and the stuff went into the drains and now they are both clogged!!!
I dont think it will break that up.
@@DIYNorth Do you have any suggestions? ALL ARE WELCOMED 👍🏽.
liked and subscribed man, keep it up bro 👍👍
Thanks for checking it out. I will indeed keep grinding it out, cheers.
We have a 1890s home and never ever knew about drain maintenance! We had in the past had a company come electric drain cleaning clean trap and install a clean out pipe! Now 10 years give or take say on new visit the pipe has collapsed but wouldn't go from drain backwards to sink like in the past. We will try vinegar and soda but I was with this not detergent so was wondering if your suggestions of vinegar etc still regular and how often? Thanks for your video now going to look thru rest
I try to clean the drain twice a year and I also add straight water periodically in the winter. In the summer the AC condenser drains water into the drain so it keeps water going through it. In the winter the water in the J-Pipe evaporates over time so I toss a pot in every once in a while. This helps prevent storm drain stink from getting in the house as well.
Had a plumber over to fix a clog recently and he was very emphatic that baking soda/vinegar is completely worthless. Hot water is pretty much what does it. That and downward pressure, which sends stuff through. If that doesn't fix the clog, then snaking it can work, but even then it requires hot water as well. I was surprised since these methods of drain clearing are found everywhere. But yeah, you ain't dissolving solid waste with vinegar and baking soda.
I'm not really convinced. While I agree that hot water should be used because it will liquefy fats and oils with low melting points, I certainly wouldn't say that using vinegar and baking soda in your drain is worthless. Even if they they break up nothing at all (which I dont agree is necessarily factual) they are known to kill bacteria and will help take the stank out of your pipes at the very least. But also people use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning all the time and it will perform the same function in your pipes as it will anywhere else.
It's not going to solve crushed pipes, tree roots, concrete, or a huge blockage, but neither will any cleaner.
I went from a floor drain that was backing up to one that was cleared and hasnt backed up since.
@@DIYNorth Using these things to clean is one thing, since that involves scrubbing or wiping something with those chemicals in the mix. But pouring them down the drain with no way of applying any force doesn't do anything except, as you mention, deodorizing. But even that won't help you if you've got an issue with sewer gas coming up. In any event, anytime something is fixed using baking soda and vinegar, it probably means that enough hot water was used to soften up whatever it was. The last time I had an issue, it was due to a bunch of starchy food being put down by some house guests who had decided to prepare mashed potatoes at my house. They shoved untold amounts of potato skins down the garbage disposal while also running the dishwasher. When the plumber got there the next day and we told him about what we'd tried - drain clearing fluid, baking soda/vinegar, etc. he just explained that none of that stuff does anything. He snaked it and made sure that hot water was running not only on the blocked sink but another one, since those drains came together in the basement before going out to the street. Wherever the blockage, he wanted extra hot water so that once it started moving down, it kept moving. So there's some extra explanation.
I think it is very clear in the video that vinegar and baking soda have the capability to lift whatever black particulate matter was in my drain and deposit it on the floor. So that is a vertical distance of 13 inches with no scrubbing or wiping. It won't help you if your pipes are jammed full of solid food as it won't flow, that said if you have no flow of liquids in you line nothing you pour down your drain will help you anyway because there is no fluid flow to reach the blockage. This is not a kitchen sink blockage video and you should have no solid food blockage in your basement floor drain anyway, that isn't what the basement floor drain is for. I also don't do this when my kids put toys in the toilet as there should be no expectation that it would work in that situation either. The video is "basement floor drain cleaning". I feel the video is advertised correctly, and my results with this method were positive. I also indicate in the video that a hard blockage may require a drain snake.
Didn't work for mine. Mine had built up sediment and there was no way to unclog it without a snake.
Baking soda and vinegar can only do so much. some times you need to get serious on the clog. Hope its clear now.
@@DIYNorth I'll need to get a transfer pump to remove the water, remove the valve to get at it with a snake. Not sure what I can do myself without any experience in this. Might have to call an expert if it doesn't work.
Do you have a sewer back up valve in the system that you'll have to work around?
That might make it a bit more difficult.
How to remove the drain cap?
Mine just pulls out without any resistance. Not sure if you have something else going on. Generally they just pull straight out.
I had to pour a whole bottle drano in mine
Some places advise against that as the basement drains sometimes connect to the storm water line and might not get treated rather than connecting to the wastewater line which goes through the full treatment process. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
Hey , I am making my basement legal and I wannna move this over flow drain to the furnace room, do you know if that is Legal, how much distance I need to keep the drain away from furnace and water heater??
It will very much depend on the city bylaws where you live. I don't think there is a set rule on how far it needs to be from the furnace/water heater. In the house I'm in now its at least 10 feet away, but when I was in Edmonton it was less than 2 feet away. That drain is supposed to be at the lowest point in your basement, and that could be the biggest challenge that you have in trying to move it to a new location. If it is moved it will no longer be at the lowest point on the floor.
I have sand in my floor drain all of a sudden!
that's odd. You certainly don't want a sand build up.
@@DIYNorth indeed! Just scooping and scraping and vacuuming it out. Figure something out in the morning. Ugh! Great video
Geez
You said it.
I have a question, should i pour water in my floor drains to make sure the traps stay full? i have a dry basement and they never get any sort of liquid in them unless i am doing something with the water or water heater and even then very minimal or never. the water heater has a drip line to one of the drains but the other isn't near anything.
I would say that it depends. If you are getting smells or insects coming into the house through the floor drain then yes. If not then maybe only periodically. They actually make something called Vapour Block that might help you out and extend the period that the liquid stays in the trap. Its also good to flush with small qualities periodically to ensure that there are no blockages. Here is the link to Vapour Block. www.brodi.com/vapour-block-citrus-based-dry-drain-maintainer-aka-floor-drain-odor-stopper-sewer-gas-smell-eliminator
D
Yes.
They are trapped for a reason ,to hold water that creates a seal from gases from sewer gas.
My drain is becoming a geyser and I don’t know how to fix it I even put sulfuric acid drain opener in it and I just got worse any ideas
When you say a geyser does that mean that water is coming from outside the house and coming back up your drain? If so that is a big problem. Or alternatively is there just no water going down it what-so-ever. If its the second one and basic cleaning it didn't help, then I would recommend renting a drain auger.
@@DIYNorth Anytime water is used in the house the drain keeps shooting water profusely sometimes slowly but now it has gotten faster and in a larger amount
@@kittenvibe7599 I would try an auger for sure. You can rent them from Home Depot or Lowes. You could always hire someone as well. If the house is older it could be collapsed pipe, or tree roots that have worked their way into the drain system. Whatever the situation may be it sounds like it might be more than a simple drain cleaning would solve.
@@DIYNorth ok thanks for the input you were very helpful
Where in Ottawa?
orleans
How much baking soda?
I don't really have an exact quantity, I think I used about half of a 500g box. So about 250g which is half a pound give or take.
My whole basement will get wet and obviously it’s the drainage problem but can this cause any harm? I’m assuming not but I’m 19 and got a home and clueless haha
It depends. If your basement is a big concrete hole with no drywall etc, then no....it probably wont hurt anything. My first house was 100 + years old and water would penetrate up through cracks in the concrete, and the floor drain wasn't doing much. I went ten years and no problem other than an damp floor. What we eventually did was have a company put in a Sump Pump. It was about $1000 to get it done plus the cost of the pump....so $1500. Its all grunt work though so it can be done by anyone that wants to work. So that would be a good solution if the water is coming up from under the floor or around the edges. If your furnace is causing your floor drain to back up then I would recommend using an auger if a simple clean isn't helping. If the basement has nothing in it, getting it relatively moisture free will help when you go to sell the place.
dookie butter baby!
Its not. It isn't connected to toilets or sinks.
hmm, prob wont do this since I have carpet less than a foot from my drain, lol
Perhaps skip the baking soda part
How about if there is water in the drain already that won’t go down?
What I would try first in that situation is to rent a drain auger from a place with a tool rental program (Home Depot) and then try to run that through the drain. If there is a clog it might solve the problem. If it is the result of freezing, the pipe collapsing down the line somewhere, or tree roots penetrating into the drainage system then the auger likely won't work and it might be a bigger job.
@@DIYNorth Thanks for replying. A Plumber is coming out tomorrow and I’m hoping it’s just clogged.
No problem, hopefully the issue isn't a big one.
Hi, I’m having the same problem with water already inside the drainer. What was your results when he plumber came out???
@@markiaj3462 What was the issue at the end ? I’m having the same problem you mentioned. Thanks for the reply 🙏
I am just hating the flooding and stench .. oh man I have tried this and more
Just …
They make an additional product that forms a bit of a seal on the top of the water so that it doesn't evaporate. That might help
How often should I do this?
I've been doing it twice a year. If there is a smell from the sewer coming out of it you might want to do it more often. There should be water inside the pipe just like a sink. Once the water evaporates smells can make it through.
Does the sump pump have anything to do with drainage pipe?
It could. In my house their is no sump pump, and this floor drain goes out to the street storm water system.
In my last house the floor drain and the sump pump were more closely related. The floor drain was tied into the sump pit and thus emptied into the sump. The sump move water up to a discharge line that was tied to the city storm water. Some places don't allow your sump pump to discharge to the city waste though. That was a long answer to say that it depends. Your house may be set up differently, but there is a good chance a floor drain will discharge to a sump pit.
@@DIYNorth thanks for replying, that makes perfect sense. My sump pump & floor drain are linked together. I'm not sure if there's a blockage somewhere in the line, but water keeps backing up out floor drain.. I also thought it could be the sump pump not working properly.
Is your sump pit full? If so then it's probably the sump pump. If not then maybe there is a clog in the floor drain. If a cleaning doesn't work you can rent a mechanical snake from Home Depot and run it through your floor drain line.
@@DIYNorth yeah it seems full. Also there a bag in the bucket that the sump pump sits in,I'm not sure if that's suppose to be there. I called a plumber to come look at it. Thanks for ur help!!
Best of luck. I just changed a sump pump out this summer. It was pretty easy actually. I didn't to a video since it was a bit of an emergency situation.
Sir do not test your relief valve on your hot water tank. I guarantee you it will now fail... Those valves are to be installed and left alone.
That information is inaccurate. They are supposed to be tested twice a year and if they fail they are supposed to be replaced. I've opened that specific valve several times over the last 2 years and there is absolutely no issues. That tank is 20 years old.
So you don't know what you're talking about 🤐
Why would you rinse all that crap you just cleaned out back down lol
Because its small particulates now and the drain is flowing properly. After putting about 30 Liters of water down there I'm sure it was all flushed out.
What would you have done with it?
#COMMENT29
Thanks for watching
Hs
Thanks for watching.
Use a snake!! This is useless!!
My drain hasnt back up again in over a year. So I'll have to disagree with you, it was very useful, and no snake was required.
@@DIYNorth it depends on how bad your drain was backed up??.. most people arent skilled in using a snake especially a commercial grade snake!.. a good snake is the only thing that’s proven to work!..but i’m not opposed to different ideas..
@@AngeloR674 Some obstructions can only be cleared through mechanical means such as a snake. If you keep your drains in a good state of repair through periodic cleaning it may never get to a point where a snake is needed.
@@DIYNorth maintenance is key… but to completely clear a sewer drain.. a professional snake is a must along on how to use it.. you can disagree with me all you want but i have experience with this… take care
Thanks...
Thanks for watching.