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    torino's Avatar
    torino Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Sep 2, 2006, 12:24 AM
    Basement drain slow
    I have a basement drain that has slowed down. I have a septic tank. The drain is below the main. 1st- where is the drain draining to if it is below the main? 2nd - what do I do about the slow drain?
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
    		  
    #2

    Sep 2, 2006, 06:25 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by torino
    I have a basement drain that has slowed down. I have a septic tank. The drain is below the main. 1st- where is the drain draining to if it is below the main?. 2nd - what do I do about the slow drain?
    This can only be a older house. If the floor drain is below the sewer main then it drains out to a dry well. Faced with this problem I would send a snake down the floor drain to clear the line. You will run into a spot the snake will go no farther. Mark the tape. That will be the distance to the dry well drom the floor drain. All you have to do is figure out which direction. We use a probe/sounding rod to probe down to locate the dry well. Once located you may wish to move it or redo the dry well. Good luck, Tom
    torino's Avatar
    torino Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Sep 2, 2006, 11:41 AM
    The house was built in 1993. It is under the main in the basement. I guess it goes to a dry well unless it was some how connected to the septic some how. What exactly is a dry well.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #4

    Sep 2, 2006, 02:02 PM
    Dry well also dry·well (drwl)
    n.
    A subterranean chamber near a building, having stones or gravel inside and used to collect rainwater runoff from the roof of the building as a means of avoiding soil erosion.
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