Right now
- Tell everyone in the house: no flushing, no taps, no showers, no laundry, no dishwasher.
- Keep clear of puddles when outlets, power bars or the furnace are in it.
- Shut off the washing machine and dishwasher if a cycle is running.
Check the backwater valve
Many Vaughan homes have a backwater valve in the floor close to the street-side wall, hidden under a removable cover. If you have one, lift the lid and look. Water standing in the housing with the flap closed means the valve is doing its job, holding back the sewer, and the blockage is downstream. Water flowing freely through an open flap means the clog is upstream inside the house. Do not prop the flap open.
Standing over the problem right now?Ring (365) 364-0926 and describe what you see.
Tell us what you see
| Water type | Likely meaning |
|---|---|
| Grey water with soap | Laundry or kitchen waste behind a main blockage |
| Brown water, sewage smell | Toilet waste; main line blocked |
| Clear water in a storm | Possibly groundwater or a city surcharge |
| Water only when the washer drains | Partial blockage close to the floor drain |
After it stops
- Photograph everything before you clean, for insurance.
- Bag and throw out soaked cardboard and carpet underlay touched by sewage.
- Wash hard floors with a disinfectant and ventilate.
We clear the line from the main cleanout and run a camera so you know what caused it. More on that in floor drain cleaning and why floor drains back up.
Questions from callers
Can I pour drain cleaner in the floor drain?
No. It will not clear a main blockage and leaves caustic water for the plumber to work in.
Should I open the cleanout cap?
Not while the line is full. It will release everything above it onto the floor.
Does the City of Vaughan help with this?
Vaughan has offered basement flooding programs before; the City of Vaughan site lists whatever is running now.
Ready when you are.Call Vaughan Plumbers at (365) 364-0926. A person answers.