My crawlspace drain backed up raw sewage into the HVAC return

Last Sunday in Raleigh, I went down to swap out the furnace filter and stepped in an inch of black water that smelled like a sewer plant. Turns out the exterior French drain pipe had clogged with roots and the sump pump couldn't keep up, so it pushed everything back through the floor drain. I spent 8 hours with a shop vac, bleach jugs, and a drain snake before calling Roto-Rooter at 11pm because the smell was getting into the living room. Has anyone else had a backup ruin their ductwork underneath like that?

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2 Comments

dakota_fox2mo ago

Man, that is a nightmare and I feel for you. It's funny how a tiny thing like a flower root or a bit of leaves can totally wreck your whole system. I swear, most of us just don't pay attention to the stuff that's supposed to drain water away until it's too late and we're standing in a mess. This is part of a bigger pattern I've noticed where everyone focuses on the stuff they can see, like a new kitchen floor, while the stuff underground or behind walls rots away. A few bucks a year on a drain cleaner and a quick look at your sump pump could save you a thousand bucks and a weekend of your life. Hope your ductwork is salvageable and the smell goes away soon.

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the_jake2mo ago

Preach, @dakota_fox. I've fixed enough of my own "out of sight, out of mind" screwups to know the feeling.

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