Question: Hi Robert, thank you for your articles and the information you share — it is so helpful. We’ve been able to save a lot of money by referring to your advice and being able to do jobs we wouldn’t have otherwise known how to. The rains have given us a challenge with our pool: It overflowed a couple of times and our deck drains couldn’t keep up.
Nothing happened to the house, but we luckily were home and saw it happen, so we used 5-gallon buckets to get it back down to a good level.
First part of the question is, how do we fix the deck drains, so they manage the rain plus any overflow? Second question is, is there something we can do with the pool equipment to drain the pool if this happens again, or do we have to get a sump pump for this?
— Charlie M.
Answer: Charlie, I’m happy to help with information. There are a few things to do. Let’s begin with the overflowing pool. Get a pump from a big box store. If your deck drains are partially or fully blocked, it’ll be an issue so you’ll have to run a hose from the pump to the front yard so the water can use the grade, to make it out to the street.
Priority here, now that the rains are paused, is to get those deck drains under control. The possibilities are endless on why they could be blocked. It could be built-up dirt/debris from lack of maintenance, or it could be something like tree roots that have penetrated and grown.
You can start by trying to clear them with the garden hose. Begin at the street side and see if you can flush debris from that end. Sometimes this will work if it is a minor blockage. If you have a small plumbing snake, you can attempt to run it up and see what you get, and you can do this from any deck drain area.
If all of these attempts leave you unsuccessful, I’d then call a plumber so they can use a larger snake or possibly hydro-jet the lines. Luckily you were home and caught this, good job on that. Best of luck.
Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].
