There are 3 main reasons behind why your floor drain is overflowing and unfortunately it is a natural occurrence as your pipes begin to age and decay. The 3 reasons consist of:

  1. The main drain lines in your house have sustained damage
  2. A build up of gunk over time
  3. foreign objects protruding your pipes

initially it will often be unclear as to what is causing the drain to be overflowing, however a drain has to be blocked or obstructed to cause wastewater to run-off. Backups from the floor drain will either be caused by your home plumbing system, or the main sewer drain line. The big question is what is behind the block in your pipes? The main perpetrators being decay, slime and foreign objects.

Decay

It is extremely common that dirt, tree roots or external items will enter your pipes and cause unexpected blockages. However, it is also possible that the sewage lines under your home are beginning to rot or have been installed incorrectly. It may even be possible that the sewage lines have started to become disjoint due to ground movement.

Foreign objects

Anything that enters your drain that technically just shouldn’t is classified as a foreign object, meaning anything other than toilet paper can cause serious damage to your drains. It is extremely common for toys and other objects to make their way into your drain lines which will be certain to cause multiple problems in your plumbing system.

Slime

Unfortunately, it’s the gels, soaps and lotions that we commonly use that often play a major roll in the accumulation of slime inside your piping. Which yes, that means slime buildup is inevitable, however, the state of your pipes will play a huge part in how long it takes to become an actual problem. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the condition of your pipes along with the type and installation of your drainpipe.

 

Once you experience a blocked pipe it is always important to investigate what caused the problem, this can be done with a sewer camera performed by a professional plumber.  A sewer camera can tell us a lot about what is going on in your drain line and will help prevent the problem from reoccurring.