# At the mercy of the rain



## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

I had a customer call me out to snake out a floor drain because of water backing up. When i got there i noticed water just rushing in form the floor drain opening.

When i tested the shower in the basement it drained fine. She was at the mercy of a flood and a snake wasn't going to help. Since the shower working fine its safe to assume the floor drain is on a different system, which by the way has no sump basket or sump pump.

Is there anything you can do to prevent this from happening again. I was thinking of busting up the concrete and putting in backwater valve before the floor drain. I wanted to get some ideas before we go ahead and do the job for the customer.
Thanks


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Mr Plumber said:


> I had a customer call me out to snake out a floor drain because of water backing up. When i got there i noticed water just rushing in form the floor drain opening.
> 
> When i tested the shower in the basement it drained fine. She was at the mercy of a flood and a snake wasn't going to help. Since the shower working fine its safe to assume the floor drain is on a different system, which by the way has no sump basket or sump pump.
> 
> ...


If its rain water and thats the only place its coming in rubber plug it. If its 3+ inches you might camera it or locate to see where its going.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Probly Coming from a drain tile around the house that it's tied into, or downspout drains. The main that goes away from the house is probly filled up with silt, or is filled with roots, colapsed, etc. I'm assuming when u mean water, you mean clean water (rain water).


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

Mississippiplum said:


> Probly Coming from a drain tile around the house that it's tied into, or downspout drains. The main that goes away from the house is probly filled up with silt, or is filled with roots, colapsed, etc. I'm assuming when u mean water, you mean clean water (rain water).


Yes clean water


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Mr Plumber said:


> Yes clean water


Well then it's from a stormwater collection system like I was saying.


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

Mississippiplum said:


> Well then it's from a stormwater collection system like I was saying.


Can i snake it or should it have a camera ran down it first?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Mr Plumber said:


> Can i snake it or should it have a camera ran down it first?


Just to let you know my knowledge on drain cleaning is limited but I know a few things about it. Im sure someone will be around soon to answer that question, but IMO it will need to be jetted, because alot of times silt collects in drain tiles and also roots, and the best way to clear it in that situation would be jetting, But I would say camera it first cause you don't want to rod holes or jet holes in corrugated pipe if there is any.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

If its caused by rain then plugging it off will only make it find another place to come up and out. They do make a floor drain with a ball for such cases.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Mississippiplum said:


> But I would say camera it first cause you don't want to rod holes or jet holes in corrugated pipe if there is any.


I jet corrugated with no problems...

If you do run into a problem the pipe was busted anyhow....
You do want to jet from the downstream side though as you will be washing out dirt and organic material....


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