How To Unclog A Floor Drain Without A Snake

Floor drains, especially those that are situated in the basement, are prone to clogging. In the case of basement floor drain pipes, they are usually the last stop of sewage in your property before the waste materials are transported to the septic tank or the public sewer where your home is connected to. Because all these wastes that pass through the basement floor drain, there’s a greater chance of sediments, grease and other sticky substances to accumulate inside the pipe. Now we have already blogged about the proper way of unclogging a floor drain. But the question is, “Is it even possible to get rid of the problem without a plumbing snake?” We’ll share a few points that you might want to consider.

What causes floor drain clogs?

There are various reasons why floor drains get clogged. The common culprits include:

• broken or damaged pipes
• debris, sediments or grease accumulation
• heavy downpours that collect leaves and dirt in the system
• water flow problems
• improperly installed pipes

Just as much as there are different causes of floor drain blockages, there are also various ways on how the problem should be fixed. Improperly installed and sized pipes should absolutely be modified. Water flow issues should be resolved by asking professional plumbers to adjust the pressure and water supply level in your home. After heavy downpours, make sure that you’ll clean your vents, ducts and drain lines to avoid clogs in your plumbing system. Broken and damaged pipes should also be replaced or relined. Now if your floor drain is clogged due to sediment or debris accumulation inside the pipe, what you have to do is simply dislodge whatever’s causing the obstruction.

Cleaning The Trap

One way to make your floor drain work efficiently again is to clean the trap. You can do this by simply locating your backflow preventer and removing its lid or cap. Get a cold chisel and drive it against one of notches found in the retaining ring. Turn it in a counterclockwise direction to loosen the backflow ball. Once it is removed, use a wet / dry vacuum to siphon out the stubborn sediments and dirt that have accumulated inside the trap.

When you’re done cleaning the trap, unscrew the backflow preventer’s cleanout plug using your reliable wrench. After removing the plug, you will then have access to the pipe. Insert a strong wire or cable into the opening. This wire should be connected to a drill to give it more power. Turn the drill on and let the cable break through the clog inside the cleanout.

Will baking soda and vinegar work?

There are some instances when natural remedies work against clogs. If the blockage isn’t that stubborn, a simple mixture of baking soda and vinegar should get rid of the debris or grease that’s trapped inside the pipe. Just keep the ratio of the ingredients to 1 is to 1.

What about chemical drain cleaners?

We have always advised people to leave the use of chemical drain cleaners to the professionals. In the first place, drain cleaners that contain harsh or toxic chemical content are not really good for your plumbing system. Over time, the chemical may cause the pipes to corrode thereby resulting to cracks, holes and other types of damages in the tubes.

We hope that you learned how to unclog a floor drain without a snake through our blog today. If the problem persists, just call a licensed Miami Springs plumber to unclog your floor drain. Plumbers 911 Florida delivers exceptional plumbing services in Miami Springs FL including drain pipe cleaning, leak detection, plumbing fixture repair, plumbing appliances installation, septic tank maintenance, camera sewer inspection and many more! Call us now at 305-662-0668 (Miami-Dade County FL), 954-468-0512 (Broward County FL), 561-327-6287 (Palm Beach County FL) to schedule a service!

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