We have a french drain below the basement slab (interior) that I put in a couple of years ago. One basement window/window well is extra tall, so water always gets in and climbs up the window until it seeps between window/frame. So, when I put the french drain in, I installed a 1-1/2" vertical drain pipe on the outside of the basement wall, in the window well, that drops down to the base of the basement wall where it goes into a 90 and through the wall into the interior french drain, below the slab. The french drain trench (under the slab) is filled with gravel around a perforated pipe, so at the time of construction, I put another 90 in the trench facing down at the end of the window well pipe and larger rocks around it so that the small gravel would not get into the end of the pipe.

I keep the top of the window well drain capped until really needed, but a week ago, due to the storm, I had to open it when the window well filled up.

Apparently, that rush of water drove rocks into the window well drain pipe and in tonight's quick downpour, I discovered it's clogged. I tried my battery sink-type snake and that did nothing. I can't vacuum more than 6 " of water from the top of the pipe because the bottom must be so solidly plugged, it won't let water out.

I can't drive the rocks/debris in the vertical drain downwards into the french drain because there's no space to push anything around. The clogging rocks have to come out the top somehow. It's about a 5 foot long vertical.

I cannot cut open the finished basement floor to get into the french drain. Any ideas on how to resolve this? Any tools that I don't know about? Anything other than digging a massive pit to get the 90 and cutting the pipe there?

Thanks guys!

a 'commercial grade' shop vac with a tapered nozzle and a new bag

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

how far down does the snake go before hitting the clog?

the clog is loose 'gravel' and/or stone at the bottom of a 5' vertical "standpipe"

one would need to 'poke' it to loosen and use an industrial grade hi-volume vac to 'pick up'


[th.bing.com]

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

It's about a 5-foot vertical drop to the elbow, then 12 or so inches to the second elbow.

'google' atrium drain cover


for next time

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638