A floor drain that is backing up can be confusing. It can be simple to think that there are issues with the floor drain itself whenever they occur. However, almost every time, that isn’t the case. The truth is that typically, backups inside a basement floor drain are a sign of another issue in your plumbing system.  

Thus, here are several things that you have to understand about what is causing them if you are experiencing floor drain backups or you have noticed standing water in your basement.  

Floor Drain Backups and Sewer Line Damage  

Clogs often have nothing to do with floor drain backups. This can occur whenever: 

  • Tree roots have infiltrated or misaligned the sewer line.  
  • A sewer line is collapsed, sagging, or bellied. 
  • A sewer line has holes or cracks.  

In every single one of this situation, the sewer line will have an obstruction that performs like a clog in that it forces wastewater to back up into a house. However, unlike a clog, a broken sewer line will need far more work to repair.  

Floor Drain Backups and Sewer Line Clogs 

When clogs lie deeper inside the plumbing system of a house, floor drains can also back up. You can typically see this anywhere in the sewer line. Sewer line clogs, just like drain line clogs, will prevent the flow of wastewater. Wastewater will back up until it discovers the closest discharge point since it has nowhere to go. Typically, the closest discharge point is the lowest drain in a house or the basement floor drain.  

Floor Drain Backups and Clogged Drain Lines 

Clogs in any drain lines of your house can result in backups in the floor drain of your basement. The reason for this is that whenever wastewater cannot flow to the sewer line and main drain, the floor drain would be the first area that wastewater can go since it is the lowest drain in your house. Thus, wastewater will keep on building up in the line until it backs up and overflows out of the floor drain with the main drain backing up.  

Drain line clogs can result in backups in the lowest fixtures of the house for houses that do not have a basement floor drain. Typically, they are your showers, sinks, or ground-level tubs.  

When you have a floor drain backup, the best thing you can do is to contact a professional plumber. They can help you with the issue and fix it as soon as possible. 

How to Avoid Floor Drain Backups in Your Basement in the Future 

The perfect method to prevent floor drain backups in the future is with routine drain cleaning maintenance service after the repair service. Regular drain cleaning service will keep your lines free of buildups and clear clogs that can stop your system.  

Though that can save you a mess of backups and headaches, it can also save you tons of cash in the long run. It helps you to avoid the need for Emergency Plumber Hamilton, ON or repairs.