Like any other drain in your house, your yard drain requires the same amount of maintenance and care to ensure that it works well. But this drain gets the least amount of attention until it stops working.
You definitely don’t want that happening since it could cause a flood in your backyard. You wouldn’t want to ruin your shed, flower beds, and landscaping, right?
So let’s try to avoid that by preventing it from happening altogether. Here are our five tips on yard drain maintenance for beginners!
1. Regularly clean it from the inside out
The most common issue with yard drains is that they’re often clogged. If you live in a place with a ton of trees, you’ll want to frequent your cleaning, as the dried leaves and other debris could easily clog it.
You’ll need to remove the grate and clean up any visible debris that shouldn’t be there. If your drain is multi-directional, clean up all the lines and basins, too.
Afterward, run some water to check if it flows freely. If it doesn’t, you may have missed a spot, but if it does, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
2. Don’t forget about the drain grate
The drain grate is the cover that prevents large objects from falling in. Over time, the bars can get really nasty with algae, dirt, and other debris.
If left unmaintained, even water won’t be able to pass with how clogged it is even if the drains themselves are free.
Hence, don’t forget about the drain grate and clean it out as needed. You can do so by removing it and scrubbing it with a brush and some soapy water.
3. Flush the system
There will be times wherein hardened dirt and other sediments settle on the bottom. Even if you’ve taken out all the loose debris, you still need to get rid of these.
You can do so by flushing hot water down and scrubbing it to get the debris loose enough to flush out. Allow the water to continue to run until it turns clear, indicating that all the sediments are gone.
4. Inspect the catch basin often
Since your catch basin’s primary job is to ensure that no foreign objects travel downstream towards the sewer drainage system, the chances of debris getting such here are highly likely.
In the event of a storm, you definitely wouldn’t want this to stay clogged, as water in your yard wouldn’t have anywhere to go.
Hence, try to inspect often to ensure that there isn’t anything that shouldn’t be there.
5. Call a plumber
Calling a plumber to do a check gives you the peace of mind that a professional has come to inspect and ensure that everything’s in tip-top shape.
A plumber will also be able to spot if there’s anything amiss that should be replaced or repaired, too.
While you’re at it, you can even have your plumber check out other drains in your house.
And that concludes our five tips for yard drain maintenance for beginners! Keep up these practices and your drain will be clog-free for a long time.
Say, if you’ve got other home projects that you need extra hands for, check out some of our recommendations here: