[NorskKreiger]

Floor drain was clogged, shop vac'd, etc. Now it works. The question is, the water stands at 3-4" below floor level where the bowl meets the pipe. If I pour water down there it takes it away quickly with out any "glurging", but only to the point of the top of the pipe 4" down. Since it's the lowest and last drain in the house should water stand there, or drain completely like a sink? We're on city sewer and the rest of the house drains like a charm.
Thanks!

[massplumber2008]

Hi NorskKreiger...

Pefectly normal... :) Here, a floor drain has a PTRAP that keeps the sewer gasses from coming into your home. Ptraps are present at all plumbing fixtures (including toilets, but you can't see them usually because they are internal traps).

A ptrap keeps the sewer gasses out of your home by holding water in the trap at all times. In other words, gasses cannot pass back through the water and that is exactly why we install them.. ;)

Biggest issue with floor drains in basements is that sometimes the traps dry out because the owners don't know enough to always keep the traps wetted by say, pouring a half gallon down the drain every month. They usually don't notice issue until they smell bad odor... sewer gasses... and that is when they try to find us to find out what the issue is.

Hope that made sense...

MARK

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[NorskKreiger]

That's exactly what I needed to know! We keep it wet because the water softener dumps into it. You are the man!!