You know those small round or square grates made of metal or plastic installed into the floor of your bathrooms, laundries and other wet areas, right? Welcome to the humble and hard-working floor drain – a simple concept with the ultra-important job of collecting and draining away all of that damaging water.
Your essential guide to understanding floor drains
Where are they?: The bathroom or laundry floor drain is, unsurprisingly, installed at the lowest part of the floor – because gravity is its best friend!
What do they look like?: A small grate measuring 10-30cm in width or diameter set flush with the floor.
What’s around them?: Things like showers, baths, washing machines and dishwashers – anywhere where water can accumulate in significant amounts.
Diving deep into the floor drain: Your top 10 questions
And here’s a question for you: what else do you know about that unassuming and simple drain in bathroom floor and other wet areas at your place? The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to keep them doing the critical job they’re designed to do.
We’ve put together the Top 10 questions our clients ask us about these little heroes of floor drainage – the humble household floor drain. So without further ado, let’s dive straight into the exciting world of floor drains!:
1. Why do I need one?
Without a fully functioning bathroom floor drain, all that excess water from the shower or bath will have nothing to do except create a devastating flood and mess.
2. How often should I clean it?
A good rule of thumb is to inspect and clean your floor drain every six months or so – or immediately if you notice it draining slowly or emitting unpleasant odours.
3. Is it possible to remove floor drain cover or grate?
You should be able to do it with any decent prying tool – a flat-head screwdriver should do the trick. Just insert it into one of the grate openings and lift, unless it’s got screws or fasteners that need removing first.
4. Are they prone to blockages?
Unfortunately, yes – all that hair, soap scum, and other debris can block and take its toll on floor drains in bathrooms in particular. Regular cleaning, however, is the best way to prevent it.
5. What tools do I need for maintenance?
Learning how to clean floor drains really couldn’t be easier. For basic upkeep, you won’t need much more than a simple brush, a screwdriver, and some household cleaning solution.
6. Can I replace the cover with a different design?
Absolutely! The even better news is that there are an almost infinite number of different and decorative grates on the market – just make sure the shiny new one you get fits.
7. Are there child-safe covers?
Yes, covers are designed to prevent small objects – or tiny little fingers! – from entering the drain whilst still allowing water to flow are available.
8. Why does my floor drain smell?
If your floor drain stinks, it’s probably because the water trap has dried out. Sometimes, nothing more than pouring some water down there can fix it.
9. Can I stop pests from getting in there?
While the water trap is designed to create a water seal that prevents sewer gases from stinking up the room, that seal will also stop cockroaches, drain flies and other pests as well.
10. Do I need a professional for repairs?
If it’s just a spot of cleaning and basic maintenance, probably not. But for deeper clogs, structural issues, drain replacement or drain installation from scratch, both regulations and common sense dictate that you’ll need a good plumber.
When DIY isn’t enough, ask the floor drain masters
If you’ve decided a plumber needs to attend to your floor drain, why would you pick anyone other than your local specialists in drain plumbing? Drain Masters Plumbing is Brisbane’s masters in drain plumbing across the board – whether it’s toilets, sinks, stormwater, sewers, showers, gutters or more. We service the entire Brisbane region and beyond 24/7 with lifetime workmanship guarantees, so give Drain Masters Plumbing a shout today.
