Storm drains, or storm sewers, are there to allow large amounts of water to quickly flow off your property and into the sewer system. Without it, standing water could do real damage to your property, or even encourage dangerous pests such as mosquitos. So, regular storm sewer cleaning is a must! Either from professionals or by applying some DIY tips yourself.
If your home or business has a storm drain on the property, it’s a vital piece of hardware protecting your property from flood damage! If yours isn’t totally clogged up, there are some storm drain cleaning procedures you can easily perform at home. Check them out.
How To Perform Storm Drain Cleaning
1. Keep the outside free of debris
The best way to deal with storm drain clogs is to discourage them from happening in the first place. Keep an eye on your storm drain, and if you see debris starting to build up around the edges – such as fallen leaves, or the muck left over from a storm – take a couple of minutes to clear them out. Typically, all you need is a rake and some work gloves.
Keeping the area clear will do a lot to ensure your storm drain keeps draining properly. This is particularly important after a storm, which will undoubtedly deposit a lot of materials near or on the storm drain.
2. Cleaning the storm drain interior
If you suspect your storm drain has become partially clogged, usually because it isn’t draining quickly, this is often something you can DIY as well. The cover on your storm drain is usually only secured by a few screws. However, they are large screws and might be stuck in place if they’ve become gunked up. It’s a good idea to use a power screwdriver for this job.
Once you’re inside the drain, look for any obvious clogs. These can usually be picked up by hand, or with a shovel – just be sure to use strong work gloves to protect yourself. If you see materials stuck to the side, a hose with a high-pressure nozzle can often knock them free.
3. Call professionals for bigger jobs
If the drain is entirely clogged, or you’ve experienced larger flooding that requires water damage cleanup, it’s best to call in a professional storm sewer cleaning crew.
Roto-Rooter is here to provide top-quality storm drain cleaning and maintenance to California! if you ever need our services to protect your property from flooding, give us a call 24/7 at 800-491-ROTO.