Basement floor drains backing up in Aurora

Common Aurora causes

• Lint from the basement laundry building up in the floor drain or standpipe
• A partial main line clog from wipes or grease
• A dry trap in a furnace room causing sewer smell
• Roots in older north Aurora clay laterals

Finished basement first aid

1. 01

   Stop the water

   No laundry, showers or flushing until the line is cleared.

2. 02

   Lift what you can

   Pull rugs and move furniture away from the drain.

3. 03

   Document it

   Photograph the water and any damage before cleanup, for insurance.

4. 04

   Call

   Mention if the cleanout is behind drywall so the plumber comes ready.

Laundry rooms in Aurora basements

A lot of 1970s and 1980s Aurora homes put the laundry in the basement next to the furnace, with the washer draining into a standpipe or laundry sink that feeds the same line as the floor drain. Modern high-efficiency washers pump water out fast, and if that line is half full of lint, the excess has to go somewhere, usually up the floor drain. A $10 mesh lint catcher on the discharge hose prevents most of these calls.

If clearing the laundry line doesn't stop water appearing around the floor drain, the main line is the next suspect. That's the point to stop doing laundry and have the main cleared from the cleanout.