Garage and Area Drain Cleaning Services in Ohio

Which drains this covers

• Garage floor drains.
• Driveway and apron trench drains.
• Basement stairwell drains.
• Window well drains.
• Patio and area drains.
• Yard catch basins that connect to a line on your property.

Some of these connect to the sewer, and some to a storm line or a dry well. Which one you have affects what can be done, and what is allowed locally.

Why they clog

Leaves, grass, silt, sand, road salt residue and mud collect in the sump or the pipe. In winter, melting snow carries salt and grit into garage drains. In autumn, leaves pack stairwell and window well drains. Oil and grease from vehicles add to the buildup.

Signs

Standing water that does not drain, a drain that backs up when it rains, a wet stairwell door, or a smell from a seldom-used drain. If a garage drain backs up when the basement floor drain also does, the lines may be connected, and the problem is deeper. See floor drain backups.

Understanding what kind of drain you have

A garage floor drain is usually a small round or square grate over a sump or trap. A trench drain is a long slot across a driveway or doorway, sloped to one end. A stairwell drain sits at the bottom of exterior basement steps. A window well drain is a pipe at the base of the well. Each drains to a different place.

Some tie into the house's sanitary line, which is why they can bring sewage smells and, in a backup, sewage. Some tie into a storm line, and some run to a dry well or daylight. Where yours goes is something a technician can often tell with a camera or a dye test, and it matters for what is allowed to go down it.

Garage drains and cars

Garage drains collect snow melt, road salt, oil, antifreeze and grit that fall off vehicles. Over a winter, a sump can hold several inches of sand and sludge. Oil and grease on the walls of the trap catch more grit. The result is a drain that is slow in spring and standing full after a heavy wash.

Washing a vehicle, or pouring used fluids down a garage drain, is not just a drain problem. Many places restrict it. Check local rules, and do not pour automotive fluids into any drain.

Stairwells and window wells

Stairwell drains collect leaves, mulch, grass clippings and debris blown in by wind. They are small, and they are the last line of defense against water reaching a basement door. A clogged stairwell drain in a heavy rain can send water straight under the door.

Check these in autumn after leaves fall, and again before spring rain. A quick look and a sweep of the grate costs nothing. If water stands for more than an hour after rain stops, the line below is blocked, and that is a call.

Heavy rain

A drain that handled a drizzle can fail in a downpour. The line may be partly blocked, silted or crushed, and unable to take a surge. A technician clears what can be cleared, and a camera shows whether the line is crushed or disconnected somewhere along its path.

If the drain is tied to the sanitary line, a heavy rain can add stormwater load that was never intended for it. That is a local matter, and your local municipality can advise.

Older houses

Older houses may have a floor drain in the garage that nobody has opened in years, tied to a clay or cast iron line of unknown route. A camera is how you find out. See sewer camera inspection.

What not to pour down

Never pour paint, solvents, used oil, antifreeze or pesticides into any floor or area drain. They can harm the sewer system, the environment and the people who clear the line. If you have used them, tell the technician. Local hazardous waste programs handle these materials.

What to tell the dispatcher

Where the drain is, what it looks like, how long water has stood, whether it follows rain, and whether it smells. If you know where it goes, say so. If a vehicle is stored on top of it, move it before the technician arrives.

Leaves, silt and the drains outside the house

Garage floor drains, areaway drains and yard catch basins collect the things the house drains never see: leaves, silt, grit and road salt residue. In autumn a basin full of wet leaves can slow to a crawl, and the water that cannot leave tends to pool where it is least wanted.

These drains often have a different path from the sewer lateral, and a technician will check where a given drain leads before cleaning it. A cable or a jetter clears the pipe, and the crew may lift a grate or remove debris by hand first.

If an outdoor drain keeps filling, it may be a sign that the pipe has settled, that roots have entered, or that silt is collecting at a low spot. A camera can show which. Cleaning clears the line but cannot promise it will stay clear through the next leaf fall.

Checking an outside drain safely

Before calling about a yard, stairwell or garage drain, a quick look can help the dispatcher. Is the grate covered in leaves or silt? Does the water drain at all, or does it just sit? Did it start after a heavy rain or after leaves came down? Clear only what you can reach by hand from the surface, and stay away from standing water near outlets or equipment. Do not pour chemicals into an outside drain. Note where the water seems to go and pass that on when you call, along with whether the drain ties into the house or runs to the yard.

Where the water goes

A garage drain that connects to the sanitary sewer is a different matter from one that discharges to a storm system or a dry well. Local rules vary on what can go down them, and we do not give code advice. A technician can tell you what they see about where the line runs.

How it is cleared

The technician removes the grate, clears the sump by hand or vacuum, and runs a cable or jetter through the line. A camera may follow to find a collapsed section or a connection. Silt and sand packed hard may need jetting to break up.

Winter and spring

Frozen garage drains can mimic a clog. See frozen drain lines. After the thaw, check for pooling water and mention it.

What helps

Clearing leaves from grates in autumn and sweeping out grit in spring helps. Do not wash oil or chemicals into these drains. Nothing is a guarantee, and a line with a collapsed section will clog again regardless.

Cost and time

A sump and short line is a modest job. A long run with a camera is larger. The technician gives you the price before work begins. We do not promise a duration.

Garage and Area Drain Cleaning services in Ohio: where we connect callers with crews

We connect callers with independent local drain technicians in 300 Ohio cities and towns. Garage and stairwell drains are cleared by crews in every region, and calls peak in autumn and spring. See Central Ohio, the Miami Valley, Greater Cincinnati and the full list of areas.

Related services

Frozen Drain LinesBasement Floor Drain BackupHydro JettingSewer Camera InspectionPreventive Drain MaintenanceDrain Snaking and Augering