Solve Underground Drainage Problems The Easy Way

Brief intro to underground drainage, problem detection, causes, solutions, and final words.

Underground drainage is one of the most vital elements of the water supply chain, which transport excessive water and wastewater into the underground sewer system. A French drain is an example of an underground drainage system commonly found in many areas. Typically, these drains can last a very long time.

However, over time even the most durable drainage system is not only suspect to cracks and freezing during cold weather, but also one of the most common problem of all; blockage.

How to detect if you have a problem

If you think that you have a problem with your drainage system, there are indicators and first-step measures if the problem arises above the surface. As these underground drainage systems are connected to pipes above ground, the problem might not at all be below. Some of the common clogging problems occur in kitchen sinks, toilets, showers, and even garden drains. If you see that water from these areas do not drain fluidly, then a blockage exists. Early detection to these problems might be that:

• You find water leaking in the basement, bathroom, or kitchen floor
• Your toilet doesn’t flush smoothly or bubbles form on the water surface
• You hear gurgling sounds within the underground drainage pipe when it
• should be a smooth flowing sound
• The waste you flush down reappears on the surface of the water soon after
• Water simply refuses to drain

If you experience these issues, it is best to deal with the problem immediately. If you ignore the problem, larger issues might arise later on so it’s best to deal with the blocked underground drainage pipe while you can.

Causes to these problems

Finding the causes to the problems is probably not that difficult as it’s commonly known that only a number of causes are evident. Some of these might be:

• Fats and food articles might have clogged your kitchen drain
• Hair and foreign objects might block your shower and toilet drain
• Environmental factors might have caused dirt and mud to block your external drain
• Tree roots might grow into your underground drain, breaking and clogging it
• Cold weather might freeze the water system and cause blockage
• An underground drainage pipe part might have been improperly installed
• Cracks and holes might obscure the straight pipe flow which accumulates over time
• Underground drainage pipe aging and corrosion

Steps to take

To begin with, the initial steps that you take are only effective towards problems that arise above ground. If the source is not underground, then quick and easy solutions can be executed without much effort. Some of these fixes do not require any special tools and you should have them ready in your house such as a plunger and a wrench set. Don’t forget to wear some protective rubber gloves when doing these steps. Some of the actions to take fora few of the common problems are:

• Try pouring some clog remover if you have a blockage in your sink and wait a while. If the water still drains slowly or completely blocks, try dismantling the kitchen sink trap (swivel p-trap). There might a solid object obstructing the pipe flow in that area. Remove the object.
• If you see a lot of hair in your shower drain, collect the hair and dispose of it accordingly. If the hair is tangled around the drain grille, use a small (female) screwdriver and clean it out.
• If your toilet is blocked, try using a proper plunger. If the plunger method fails, try to use a chemical based substance (which you might have to buy beforehand). Alternately, you can try to use a plumbing snake or a toilet auger and force the foreign object outwards or further into the drainage system.

Final words

If the initial steps fail, then your problem is well below ground and deep in the underground sewer and piping system. We strongly suggest that you call your local plumber to deal with this issue as it can be very difficult and hazardous to fix. Do not attempt to fix the issues yourself and always wear proper safety attire when conducting DIY projects and repairs.