Clogged Floor Drain Trap

A drain trap is a component of a drain that s designed to do what it s called.

Clogged floor drain trap.

To find the u trap for your floor drain look nearby for two large capped end pipes. You ll see a hole go straight down into the drain and a clean out plug on the right hand side of the drain hole. Using a plunger is a very straightforward method to unclog a floor drain. Floor drain traps often have only these end caps exposed with the pipes running below the floor.

For clogged floor drains such as those in basements and showers a garden hose can be effective in unclogging drains especially if the clog is not close to the opening. Unclog basement floor drain without using a plumbing snake. But what if you don t have an auger or plumbing snake. Attach the hose to a faucet feed the hose into the drain as far as it will go and jam rags around the hose at the opening.

This three pronged attack will clear any matter clinging to the sides of the trap. Clogged drains are always a hassle but some like a plugged p trap under the sink or a stopped up toilet requires only a wrench a plunger and a little elbow grease to unclog. You do not necessarily need to open or even locate the trap for your floor drain in order to clear a clog and restore freely flowing drainage. If needed apply petroleum jelly on the sides of the plunger to give it a better seal.

Place the plunger on the hole. Since the clog cannot pass through the floor drain on its own we are dislodging it and forcing it down the drain pipe by appying a pump and vacuum pressure. The hole going straight down leads to a curved portion of the drain called the p trap. Look inside the drain.

But sometimes the clog is deep in the drainpipe and requires more work and extra powerful tools to root out. Here s what you need to do to 1. How to clear a floor drain loosen brass plugs photo by merle henkenius. In many basements garages and laundry rooms there are floor drains that carry away wastewater from central air conditioners washing machines water heaters and snow covered cars.

Fortunately there are a variety of diy methods you can use to quickly and easily clear the drain. It traps water other liquids and gas to prevent the infiltration of sewer gas in your house. Will your basement floor drain always remain clogged. Start the process by turning on the backflow preventer and removing the cap of the trap.

Now that you ve gathered all the tools to fix the clog the first step is to clean out the drain trap. If the main sewer drain is clogged it can eventually back up all of the drains in the house which is why such a clog can be so serious. At the very least a clogged main sewer drain pipe may cause wastewater and raw sewage to back up through a floor drain into the basement or floor of an hour home. Then turn the water on full force for a few moments.