Drain unclogging products and home solutions will probably not work on a full-fledged floor drain clog.  You will most likely have to contact a plumber or rent a power auger to clear a stubborn, floor drain clog.  A power auger is a machine that uses cutting blades to literally cut through the clog.  If your drain has a drain basin with a clean-out plug, you can circumvent your drain trap and gain access directly to the pipe to your floor drain.  If not, you’ll have to snake the pipe through the floor drain assembly.  Having to snake your way through is more difficult, but not an impossible task.  Once the auger reached the clog, its blades cut through the clog by alternating the direction of its blades as you move the snake back and forth through the clog.

Most floor drains are designed to accommodate a certain amount of overflow.  As a result, pressure builds in a floor drain system and may cause your drain to overflow.  There is a standpipe that is supposed to hold back some of the waste water flowing through the drain to help eliminate this pressure buildup and overflow and to keep your pipes and drain assembly from breaking under the pressure, but these can fail.  So if you suspect that your floor drain is accepting large quantities of waste water, you may have a more complicated problem than a floor drain clog.  Call a qualified licensed plumber to check out your floor drain system before you have to deal with cracked pipes caused from pressure build-up.

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If you have become frustrated trying to fix a clogged drain with a plunger, there are other options to unclogging that pesky back-up.  You can begin by cleaning your P-Trap. Clogs in the P-trap or trap arm of your drain are usually a result of coffee grounds or grease; in which case a plunger will not clear the pipe. You can try the suggestions below or call a licensed plumber to unclog your drain.

To disassemble and clean your P-trap, you should begin by using a sponge to soak up the water from the sink to reduce water flow under your sink when you remove the trap.  Put a bucket or pan beneath the sink to collect the dirty water from the clogged pipe.  Gently loosen the slip nuts attaching your trap to avoid bending or cracking the trap.  First, unscrew the slip nut between the trap arm and the P-trap.  Next, unscrew the slip nut at the bottom of the waste tee.  If your trap is clogged, all you need to do is clean it, reinstall it, and test the line by running warm water through it.  When reassembling the P-trap, be careful not to over-tighten the slip nuts.

If once you disassemble the P-trap you do not find a clog, then your next option is to snake the line to try to clear up your clogged drain.  To begin, loosen the setscrew of your snake (also called a cable auger) at the tip of the snake and pull out six to ten inches of cable.  Tighten the setscrew and feed the cable into the pipe until you feel some resistance.  Pull out another twelve to eighteen inches of cable, tighten the setscrew, and crank the handle of your snake clockwise while pushing forward to drive the cable farther into the pipe.  Repeat this process until you break through the blockage.  Should your cable get bogged down or catch on something, crank the handle counterclockwise and pull back a bit before continuing.  At some point, you should feel the cable clear the clog.  Once the clog is cleared, pull the cable out, clean it, replace the trap arm and trap, and run hot water into your sink until it drains properly.  It may take a few minutes for the water to flow smoothly while the clog you dislodged breaks up or dissolves.

As an added precaution, while the drain is open and before reassembling the traps, pour ½ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda into the drain, cover the openings and let it sit for a few minutes.  Run about a gallon of warm water through the pipes to flush out the mixture. This should clean the drain even more and remove any lingering odor.

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