Many homes today have outdoor drains that prevent standing water from accumulating in a yard after it rains. However, many homeowners do not realize that these drains are just as important during the winter months as they are during the rainy months of the year.
When melted snow and ice cannot flow through outdoor drains due to blockages or other drain problems, this water can instead seep into and under your concrete or asphalt driveway and into small cracks present in your home's foundation.
When the outdoor temperature drops below the freezing point again, water that has saturated your driveway or seeped into small foundation cracks can expand and damage your driveway or enlarge small foundation cracks.
In addition, water that pools on top of your driveway instead of flowing through its outdoor drain can refreeze into a sheet of ice that poses a slip-and-fall hazard to anyone who walks on it.
Learn four outdoor drain winter maintenance tips that can keep your outdoor drains working properly this winter.
1. Keep Drain Sumps Free From Debris
The area directly below an outdoor drain grate is called a sump. Debris can pass through the grate and into this sump year-round. This debris can block the flow of water into the sump or make its way into the outdoor drain pipeline, where it can create a clog that slows or blocks the flow of water through this pipe. During the winter, debris in the sump can also hold onto water and freeze, creating an ice blockage.
Remove debris from your drain sumps on a regular basis. This will keep water flowing smoothly through your drains and prevent deep blockages in your drainage pipe network that can be difficult to dislodge.
2. Install the Right Drain Grates
Do you find that you have to clear debris from your outdoor drain sumps frequently to keep water flowing through them? Then you should consider replacing your grates.
Choose a new grate with a fine mesh screen that will block the entry of more debris than a standard grate or replace your traditional grate with an atrium grate. An atrium grate is dome-shaped and protrudes from the ground. This grate shape also helps prevent debris from getting into your drain sumps more effectively than a standard, flat grate.
3. Melt Drain Ice Blockages as Needed
Outdoor drains can develop ice blockages that prevent water flow through them. Check your outdoor drains for ice blockages any time you notice pooling water around the drain grates during the winter.
To remove an ice blockage, fill a bucket with a mixture of hot water and salt or an alternative deicer and stir until the deicer is dissolved. Then, pour this solution into the frozen drain and allow it to stand until the deicing solution melts the ice.
4. Unblock Clogged Pipes When Necessary
If water pools around an outdoor drain free from debris and ice blockages during the winter, then a clog may exist deep within the drainpipe network. You can attempt to remove this clog by turning your garden hose up and placing the nozzle inside of the drainpipe until the blockage is clear.
If you cannot remove the clog on your own using this method, then contact a plumber. They can remove the clog using a special tool, such as a hydro-jet that projects water through the drain line much more forcefully than you can project it with a garden hose.
Well-functioning outdoor drains are important during the winter months and the warmer months alike. Keep grate surfaces free from snow and ice accumulation, and check your drains for ice and debris blockages that can prevent the flow of water through these drains during the winter. Contact the licensed plumbers at Roto-Rooter Sewer-Drain Service for expert
outdoor drain cleaning
today.
