basement floor drains

[bozomedic]

ok, I am pretty sure this is a common question and probably a no-brainer, but I have no brain and therefore need help.

Last week my main drain backed up and the two basement floor drains had sewer water backing out of them. I had to snake out the main drain with a 100ft power snake after which the water receeded.

The drain that is near the washing machine overflows when I use the dishwasher. The dishwasher is on the floor above in the kitchen and the drain pipe comes down into the basement floor which I assume drains into the floor drain. There is a cleanout at the bottom of the drain in the basement(the drain coming from the kitchen). Do I just need to snake out the cleanout or do I have to snake out the floor drain and if so, which length snake do I use? The man at the plumbing rental store said not to snake out the floor drain because I may damage it. What do I do?

Bozomedic

 

[Gary Swart]

I'm not a plumber, but I have learned from this board that DIY snakes are seldom effective in clearing clogged drains. You need to get a professional to properly auger the drains. As far a floor drains are concerned, I doubt if they are clogged as in plugged up, so no reason to run a snake through them. My old floor drains would not close off when gray water backed up slowly because of the accumulation of lint on the backflow flap, but they were never clogged. (I have replaced them with a different type) This is one job best left to the pros with the proper equipment and experience to do the job right.

 

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[bozomedic]

Thanks. When I can save up $250 I will have roto-rooter come out with a camera and find the problem, if there is one.

 

[bozomedic]

ok....more of a problem with the floor drain in the basement...It overflowed with what was sent down the kitchen sink (corn beef, cabbage and chili to be exact).....here is what I am thinking, since I just snaked out 100ft of my main sewer line, then the current clog is located between the kitchen drain going into the basement and the main sewer line. That being the case, when the water from the kitchen sink, or from the clothes washer for that matter, meets the clog, the water backs up into the floor drain (since that is the path of least resistance).

so the question is, will snaking out (or using a power auger) from the cleanout at the bottom of the drain leaving from the kitchen, say 50 feet or so(which will take it into the main drain), remove this clog? I know I cant go through the floor drain because of the trap. Is it safe to use a power auger in that basement cleanout located at the bottom of the pipe coming from the kitchen? It would make since that that run of drain pipe does not have a trap, or does it?

Help!

Thanks

P.S. I know it's not from the main drain out because when I flush the toilets it doesnt affect the basement floor drain, like it did before I snaked out the main drain