Tree Roots in Basement Drains

Blocked basement drain is the sneaky little brother of root blocked water and sewer pipes. It’s much harder to notice a blocked basement drain because they are only used during floods. You’ll notice a problem sooner if you use your basement line to drain the water from a clothes washer.

Basement floor drains are likely to get blocked by roots because they’ve been around longer and are made out of weaker materials. Some basement drainage systems are made of clay tile, which was standard plumbing when older homes were built.

Roots can easily penetrate the weak walls of older basement drains and will grow into them for years. For many home and business owners, a blocked basement drain doesn’t get noticed until a flood occurs.

By the time you become aware of the problem, it’s too late. Flooded basements have to be pumped out. Once the water is clear, there may be thousands of dollars in property damages to deal with, not to mention the still-blocked drain.

There are few simple ways you can avert disaster and detect a blocked basement drain before it becomes a huge issue.

• First off, listen to your drain. If it makes gurgling noises, especially during rain, it may be blocked.
• Second, you can try pouring a few buckets of water down the drain; you’ll know you have a problem if it overflows, or drains slowly. Remember to remove anything that you have stored around the drain before you try this experiment; the last thing you need is water damage that you caused yourself.