Before the heavy rain arrives, a strata building should have four things done: the parkade trench and catch-basin drains cleaned out, the sediment cleared from catch-basin sumps, every sump pump tested with water, and a camera run down any drain that was slow or backed up last winter. Langley and the rest of the Fraser Valley get most of their rain between October and March, and that is when a neglected parkade drain turns into standing water, a flooded storage room or a call at 2am.
This is a plain-English checklist for strata councils, property managers and building caretakers. It is the same list we work through when we look after a building's drains.
Why parkade drains clog
A parkade drain takes everything the cars bring in. Through the year that is grit and road sand off the tires, leaves blown down the ramp, and oil and grease that drips onto the slab. Each time it rains or someone hoses the floor, that material washes toward the drains.
- Trench drains at the bottom of the ramp catch the most water and the most debris, so they are usually the first to slow down.
- Catch basins have a sump below the outlet that is meant to trap sediment. Once that sump fills, the grit starts going down the line instead, and the line itself begins to build up.
- Floor drains in storage rooms and mechanical rooms are rarely used, so their traps can dry out and let sewer smells in.
The wet-season checklist
- Clean the ramp trench drain. Lift the grates, clear the debris, and flush the channel so it drains freely to its outlet.
- Clear the catch-basin sumps. If the sediment is close to the outlet pipe, it needs to come out before the rain, not after.
- Jet the lines that were slow. Snaking punches a hole through a clog. Hydrojetting scours the grit and grease off the pipe walls, which is what keeps a parkade line flowing through a whole winter.
- Test every sump pump with water. Fill the pit until the float lifts and the pump starts, check that it empties the pit and shuts off, and make sure the discharge line is clear. If the pump has a high-water alarm, test that too.
- Camera any line with a history. If a drain backed up last year, a camera inspection shows whether it is buildup, roots or a damaged section, before anyone decides what to spend.
- Top up dry traps. Pour water into floor drains that never get used, so the trap seals and stops sewer gas getting into the building.
Signs a parkade drain needs attention now
If residents or your caretaker report any of these, it is worth having the line looked at before the next big storm:
- Water pooling around a drain or across a parking stall after rain, or taking hours to clear.
- A sewer or musty smell in the parkade, a storage room or a stairwell.
- A sump pump that runs constantly, cycles on and off, or makes a grinding noise.
- Gurgling or slow drains in ground-floor suites when it rains.
- Sediment or debris visible on top of the grates, or grates that have been moved or damaged.
How often should parkade drains be cleaned?
There is no single right answer, because it depends on the building. A small parkade with a covered ramp may be fine with a yearly cleaning before the rain. A busy parkade with an open ramp, trees nearby or a history of backups may need it more often. The honest way to set the schedule is to look at how much sediment comes out the first time, and how the lines look on camera, then adjust from there.
That is also the easiest way to budget for it. A yearly maintenance program turns drain cleaning, sump pump checks and camera work into one planned line in the strata budget, instead of a series of emergency call-outs in the middle of winter.
What to ask residents to do
- Report pooling water, smells or a pump alarm to the caretaker or manager straight away.
- Keep storage, boxes and bikes off drain grates and away from the sump pit.
- Let the manager know if water ever comes up through a drain, even once. That is often the first sign of a blockage further down the line.
Parkade drain cleaning in Langley and the Fraser Valley
Flowest Plumbing Heating Drainage Ltd is a family-owned, father-and-son plumbing and drainage company based in Langley. We snake and hydrojet parkade and common-area drains, camera-inspect lines that keep backing up, install and service sump pumps, and set up yearly maintenance programs for strata and managed buildings across Langley, Surrey and the Fraser Valley. We work with your work orders and PO numbers, and we send a clear report after every job. Call 778-878-2069, or read more about our plumbing for strata councils and property managers and drain cleaning in Langley.