You bought an early 1900s house a few months ago and repaired everything before moving in there. But the problem with it is that water comes up from the basement drain after rain.
There are a lot of reasons behind the basement floor drain backing up when it rains. Among them, the faulty municipal sanitary sewer system is primarily responsible for this issue.
No matter what the reason behind this headache, you are the worst sufferer of it that floods your floor with sewage water, making it unable to live. In this guide, we will break down some potential reasons for a basement drain to flood and their solution. So, continue to read.
Contents
Possible Reasons for Water Coming Up from Basement Drain
In this chapter, we only focus on the issues that are responsible for your basement drain flooding.
Faulty City Sewer System
As we mentioned earlier, a problem with the city sewer system is the number one reason for water coming up through the floor. As most homes in your neighborhood are connected with the city sewer system, it puts a lot of pressure.
In other words, the city sewer could be absolutely overcapacity and not letting water out—consequently, water flooding and backing up into your house.
Problem with your overloading sewer system
When we are crying out about the problem of the city sewer system, we forget about the sewer system in our house. Your old overwhelming sewer system may not be designed to handle the amount of runoff after heavy rain.
Therefore, if your sewer system gets blocked, the sewer water backs up through the sink or floor in your basement. Generally, the sewer pipe is blocked by debris, dirt, and tree roots.
Solutions
You know what makes the sewer water backups. Now, it’s time to get your hand to solve the issues.
Call Municipality for Help
If you discover a problem with the city sewer system, don’t hesitate to call your local municipality. It’s a nationwide problem in your neighborhood, and sewer water backs up due to the older city sewer pipe.
Fix your own sewer system
Once you figure out the problem is with your sewer system, repair it to overcome the issue.
If the sewer pipe gets broken or clogged, fix it and release the block. You can hire a professional plumber, in this case, to do it for you. Plus, installing rubber plugs on the drain can also solve the sewer water problem right off the bat. However, it’s a temporary solution.
For a permanent solution, you can install a backflow preventer. It’s basically a one-way valve that lets the wastewater leave your home but does not allow the runoff to come back through the pipes.
Get a Sump Pump
Using a sump pump is a DIY method to flow the sewage water out from the basement. Though the sump pump makes a weird sound, it is helpful to tackle sewer water. Make sure the pump you get is powerful enough to handle the amount of water that comes in your basement.
Therefore, ensure there is space or sink nearby as the sump pump redirects water to another place.
What Should You Avoid If Your Basement Floods?
Don’t do the following things if your basement floods to keep you & your family safe from potential danger.
- Avoid touching plugged-in electrical appliances.
- Stop yourself from storing electrical items near water.
- Keep yourself 100 miles away from using heat to dry the flooded surface.
- Never allow your kids or pets to play in the flooded area.
How do I stop water from coming up my basement drain?
The best way to prevent water from coming up your basement drain is to install a backwater valve. It’s a one-way valve that allows dirty water to leave your home but not let the backup water through the pipe.
Why do my drains back up when it rains?
If it rains heavily or melts the snow rapidly, the city sewer system will load with a lot of water and debris. When excessive water comes, the sewer system fails to handle sewage water, which causes the extra water to flow back into your home.
How do I stop my basement from flooding in heavy rain?
Clean the gutters in the spring. If you don’t clean your gutters, it fails to drain properly if it rains heavily. So, ensure your gutters don’t get clogged. Secondly, use a sump pump to redirect the water in your basement to another place.
What to do if the basement is flooding?
First off, keep your kids or pets away from electric appliances to ensure their safety. Then, remove valuable assets or components to the dry area. Next, call a professional plumber and the insurance company. Finally, clean and disinfect your basement.
Conclusion
It’s a pain in the neck for every homeowner if the sewer water backs into the home. And throughout this guide, we discussed what causes water to come up from the basement drain after rain. We also provided the solution to overcome the issue.
The sewer water comes into your home if the city sewer system or your own sewer pipe becomes faulty. In this case, we suggest you repair the pipe of your plumbing system.
You can also install a backwater valve to prevent the water from coming back into your home. Alternatively, you can use a sump pump to lead the water flow to another place.
Finally, call your local municipality if you can’t discover any problem with your sewer system.