Superior Plumbing & Heating is your standfast and troubleproof partner for basement plumbing works, including floor drain repair, installation, and replacement.
Our numerous licensed workforce and vast experience make us the best choice to entrust your plumbing system maintenance and repairs in Whitchurch-Stouffville. We are always available and ready to give you a hand!
What is the floor drain, and why is it so important?
Nine out of ten residential houses in Canada have a basement floor that is usually used for heavy appliance placement and as a storage for things of unoften use. It is essential to install a drain into the basement floor as it serves to prevent floods and moisture accumulation.
The floor drain is placed in the lowest spot of your basement and visually appears just like a small grate, covering a drain hole, as the trap and drain pipe are hidden under the floor surface. There is not much difference between a floor drain and, for example, an under-sink drain. The importance of a floor drain consists in the fact it’s literally the last frontier in flood protection – it will collect the water in case of overflows and direct the condensate from your appliance away from the building.
Minor annoyances or severe disasters
Most common floor drain issues
As mentioned above, your floor drain has a slight difference from any other in-house drain, so it is subjected to the same common problems:
- Clogging and blockages. The floor drain consumes a lot of dirty water daily. And the debris, grease, and mud from your floor, after being wased away through the grate, build up inside the pipe, forming clogs and tapering off the tube from the inside. It is also unrecommended to cover your drain hole with anything or brush the floor dust towards the drain, as it will make the pipe choke in the nearest future.
- Root intrusions. It may sound fantastic, but occasions when yard tree roots made their way into the drain pipes, are met more often than not. Tree roots naturally tend to grow towards water sources. And underground drain pipes, especially ones with leaks, are a perfect target for that. No reasons for panic – roots can be removed from the pipeline easily, with no digging and tree cutting required!
- Drain bellies. Sometimes enlarged root assemblage or even a simple ground settling can create pressure on your drainpipe and form a kind of a dip or squeeze it. It is called a drain belly. The problem is harsh enough and, in most cases, requires drain replacement. Drain bellies can even lead to a pipe crack if ignored and create much more discomfort.
Floor drain repairs and replacement
Procedures needed to fix the issue depend on the origin of the problem. If your floor drain is draining the water slower than usual, the water collects on the surface, and you see bubbles coming from the drain hole – apparently, you are facing the drain clog. Soft clogs can be destroyed by the simple snaking method. Harder ones are handled with hydro-jet – special equipment that sends pressurized water inside the pipe and washes everything in it away. It can also cut and delete intruding roots from the pipe with no digging.
Bellies and pipe cracks are harder to fix as the whole pipe or its fragment needs to be replaced. Fortunately, the trenchless method of underground pipes replacement helps to avoid the need of turning your floor and yard upside down for weeks. It is performed quickly and with minimal damage to your dwelling.
If you are experiencing any troubles with your floor drain system – feel free to contact Superior Plumbing for prompt and licensed neighbourhood service. We are available round-the-clock and ready to come to your aid any minute!
