What law makes a drain work?

What law makes a drain work? The law of gravity. The basic idea of how a drain works is pretty simple. Water flows downhill, it starts from the high end and runs by gravity to the lower end through a pipe. While gravity will move water down a drainpipe it will not flow smoothly without a vent. A vent allows air into the drainpipe and gases out. The slope of the pipe is also important because to much and the water moves faster than the solids leaving them behind to build up and eventually causing a problem. Standard building code requirement for drainpipes is one-quarter inch of downward slope per foot of run.

Test downspout drain lines

You should test downspout drain lines on your house for proper drainage once a year. Downspout drain lines carry the water from the roof gutters away from the house. Even more important they carry the water away from the foundation of your house. The foundation of any house is simply a ditch that was dug making it the lowest point on the property. Water naturally flows to a ditch or to the lowest point of an area. If water gets trapped between the foundation and the ground it can build up pressure and damage the foundation, which is very costly to repair. To test downspout drain lines just run water from a garden hose through the drain lines or from the gutter drop. Watch for any signs of water backing up. If the water backs up or it does not drain properly you will need to run a sewer snake through the drain. You can rent a snake or call a sewer and drain service company. See one of my previous posts "Tips on choosing a sewer and drain service company."