What Can I Do About A Clogged Floor Drain?
It’s not uncommon for your floor drain to act up every now and then. The real issue is knowing how to handle a clogged floor drain quickly and safely. The best way to figure out how to unclog your drain is to understand the basics of how your floor drain works.
The Low Down on Floor Drains
The main purpose of floor drains is to provide drainage solutions for water on the floor. This helps reduce standing water in the event of hurricanes or even flooding. Floor drains ensure that you won’t need to worry about how you’ll get rid of the excess water. The first thing to know is that they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Floor drains are usually located in or near your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, pool, garage, or other areas of your home that use a lot of water.
Floor drains have a tiny filter or strainer built in that helps prevent foreign objects from entering. A bonus is that this filter also helps prevent vermin from entering your home.
Remember, it’s advised to be careful when working around the drain, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. Not to mention that depending on the size of the filter, you could lose precious jewelry to the sewer system. In some instances, hair, food waste, and other small debris could pass through the filter. This kind of debris can cause the floor drain to become clogged.
Handling A Clogged Floor Drain
Like handling other clogs, it’s possible to unclog your floor drain. Depending on the severity of the clog, it may be best to call the professionals at Art Rooter, Sewer & Drain Cleaning! While you could handle minor clogs on your own, if the clog is too severe, you could end up damaging your drain pipes. It’s more affordable to have a plumber clear your clogged drain. The alternative is to have costly repairs or replacements done to the damaged drain system.
Hot Water
While not a sure-fire solution, as a non-professional, using hot water is the first step to getting rid of your clog. The hot water helps liquefy all grease, soap, and other fatty deposits that have built up in your drains. It’s also advised to use hot water after trying household solutions or plunging.
Using A Common Household Solution
Most people have an older relative that swears by making a common solution of vinegar and baking soda. They believe it can fix or clean anything and in some cases it does work.
First, remove the drain cover and scoop out and dispose of as much of the reachable debris as you can. Mix your vinegar and baking soda in a bowl and once it starts to fizz, pour it into the drain opening. After approximately 15 minutes, add more hot water and replace the drain cover.
Keep in mind to avoid using harsh chemicals when trying to clear a drain clog. Using bleach for drain cleaning may seem effective, but it will ruin your plumbing system. Art recommends using BioClean® as an alternative to abrasive chemical drain cleaners. It uses natural enzymes found in bacteria to eat away at clogs caused by debris, so it doesn’t harm your plumbing. Used regularly, BioClean® also helps prevent drain clogs from happening in the first place.
Plunging
While a little more labor intensive than using a common household solution, a plunger is the next safest solution. Using the pressure caused by the suction and pump pressure of a plunger can help move the clog along.
Finding The Root Cause of Clogged Floor Drains
There are different reasons why your drain is constantly clogged. Remember that smaller pieces of debris contribute to drain clogs. There is also a build-up of soap scum and mineral deposits that over time cause clogs to occur. With South Florida’s hard water, it’s an all too common occurrence.
If you’re regularly dealing with drain clogs – it’s time to call Art Rooter, Sewer & Drain Cleaning. Having professionals handle regular plumbing maintenance means it’s one less thing you need to worry about. To handle your floor drain woes ASAP, call us at 1-888-773-1524 today to schedule an appointment with one of our plumbing and rooter experts.
