it all started with an unplugged sump pump. as far as i can tell there has been about 4 inches of water in this basement for a really long time. the sump wouldn't start when plugged in, so i rented a pump and drained from the sump well. what remained was a dark greyish sludge that smelled something awful. we shoveled out what we could.

after replacing the sump, clearing the basement floor drains have been a problem. plunging has pumped some sludge through to the sump well, but the drain still just trickles.

also, upstairs the kitchen sink is slow as well, the trap was clean so i plunged a lot of hot water. minutes later, i watched water slowly come up through the basement drain. this water had flakes of greyish/blackish sludge in it. with dry weather and little water useage i can get the water level down to about 1 inch below the basement floor in these two drains. but usually there is puddle around the drain with this sludge/mold stuff in it.

is this a grey water system? the sump pumps water to a nearby pond on the farm. how can i get these drains running?

speedball1

Hi Ron,
"is this a grey water system? the sump pumps water to a nearby pond on the farm. how can i get these drains running?"
Yes, anything that isn't from the toilets is considered "Gray Water".
To clear the floor drains you must first snake them out and then flush out the drain lines.
the kitchen sink will have to be snaked out from the roof vent.

good luck, Tom