Clean Out Drain Tile

You can usually clean the foundation drain tile using a sewer snake routing out the dirt that has gathered in the pipes to make the way clear again for proper water drainage.

Clean out drain tile.

Exterior basement drains are buried in the dirt under the foundation and are surrounded by stone for drainage. This is commonly seen in septic systems that are more than 20 years old. Foundation tiles clogged with dirt or debris will begin to drain the water slowly or not at all. A drain tile system that doesn t empty into a sump pit usually juts out of the ground and lets gravity pull water out of the piping.

Then replace any drain cover. Use your stick to examine the edge of the outlet then wait for the water to stop flowing before checking the pipes using a flashlight. There are two ways to drain groundwater away from a foundation from the exterior of the foundation via a drain buried around the foundation or from the interior via a drain installed along the interior perimeter of the floor. Use care to release the trigger to stop the flow of water before the nozzle reaches the drain opening.

When the water in the collection pit reaches a certain level usually a few inches the sump pump kicks on. The job of clearing clogs in the larger drain lines found under the floor isn t for everyone. Common basement drain systems. If water isn t flowing out there s a clog.

Step 2 check the drain tile outlet. Wait for a day of heavy rain then check the pipe terminus. After a heavy rain water should be pouring out of the drain tile. But a deeper pit is more difficult to clean out and maintain.

In the first place you ll spend about 50 a day or more to rent the large drain cleaning auger required and you have to be strong enough to heft the machine and to wrench loose those old corroded cleanout plugs. For more thorough cleaning every few feet pull back about halfway and then continue moving forward. It is often possible to clean and renew a clogged septic leach field instead of replacing the drain field lines. What happens when the original drain tile system installed in a home stops working.

Find your drain tile system outlet if your home doesn t have a sump pit. That s what these homeowners experienced as their basement was still damp. After you have finished cleaning the drain tile pull the drain cleaner out. Septic field lines can fail to drain when heavy solids accumulate and block perforations in the lines.

Such systems are installed at the base of foundation walls or under the footer of a home to help remove water from around.