Telltale signs: floor drain repair
A basement floor drain is meant to stay quiet: it takes the odd overflow from the laundry tub or water heater and otherwise does nothing. Trouble shows when it starts to smell, drains slowly, or, worst of all, pushes water up into the room. A cracked or missing grate, a dried-out trap, or a broken connection beneath the slab can each cause their own particular grief.
- Sewer odour rising from the grate
- Water pooling around the drain after laundry or rain
- Dirty water backing up through the opening
- A grate that rocks, is rusted through, or has gone missing
What we bring
- A drum machine and hand auger matched to the bore
- Slip-nut wrenches and a box of trap washers
- Wet vacuum and drop sheets
Tested before we leave
- Full-flow test with a filled basin or tub
- Every slip joint we opened checked dry
- Trap reassembled with a fresh washer
On the job: what we open, clear and test
The first step is diagnosis. We lift the grate, check the trap seal and run water to see how it behaves. A slow drain is cleared with a cable sized for the trap and line. If a smell is the complaint, we check whether the trap has evaporated, whether a trap primer is working, and whether the cleanout plug inside the trap is loose or missing. Where water is coming up rather than going down, the main line is likely involved, and a camera tells us how far along the trouble lies.
Repairs range from a new grate and strainer to replacing the trap below the slab, which means cutting a neat patch of concrete and re-pouring it afterward. Many homeowners pair the work with a backwater valve or a sump pump.
What can change the job
Depth of the trap, slab thickness and the flooring around the drain all shape the job. Tile and finished carpet need careful edges. The age of the connection matters too; original cast iron under the floor can be badly corroded where it meets the trap.
Etobicoke homes and this job
Split-levels and bungalows built in the 1950s and 1960s across areas such as Eringate and Markland Wood often have a single floor drain near the furnace that has never been looked at. Some older homes also have foundation drainage tied into the floor drain, which can overwhelm it in a heavy storm. We will identify what is connected where and explain the options without fuss.
Before you call
If water is coming up, stop using fixtures in the house and move valuables off the floor. Note whether the backup coincides with rain or with your own water use. Our guide to the signs of sewer line trouble can help you describe what you are seeing. Ring (365) 816-2905 and we will arrange a visit.