Heavy Rains, Backed-Up Drains: How to Protect Your Home in Boise
When Boise skies open up, drains that seemed “fine” yesterday suddenly can’t keep up today. Floor drains gurgle. Showers drain slow. A basement toilet burps after every flush. If you’ve ever mopped at 11 p.m. with a storm still pounding, you know: once wastewater has nowhere to go, it finds the lowest path—usually back into your home.
This guide walks you through the early warning signs, the fixes that actually work, and a simple prevention plan you can knock out this week. If anything here feels familiar, A+ Drain Cleaning & Plumbing can get you on the schedule fast for inspection, cleaning, or emergency help.
Why storms trigger sudden backups
Main line near its limit: Grease, scale, and paper reduce pipe capacity over time. Heavy flow exposes the bottleneck.
Low cleanout elevation: If your exterior cleanout sits low and the main is stressed, you’re closer to a spill.
Root intrusion at joints: Roots act like a catcher’s mitt, trapping paper when flows surge.
Sump/discharge cross-confusion: Sump pumps that share or cross with drain lines can create surprise loopbacks when both are running hard.
Bottom line: storms don’t create a clog—they reveal the weakest spot in a system that’s already restricted.
Spot the red flags before the mess
Gurgling from the lowest fixtures (basement tub, floor drain, ground-level shower) when upstairs toilets flush.
Slow drainage in multiple fixtures at once. Not just one sink—that’s a mainline clue.
Sewer smell at a floor drain after rain starts.
Cleanout cap weeping or damp soil around it.
Washer standpipe overflow during spin cycles.
Two or more of these? It’s time for a camera inspection and full-line clean, not just a quick snake at one fixture.
The fixes that actually work (and why)
1) Hydro-jetting the main (deep clean, not a band-aid)
Augers punch a hole; jetting scrubs the pipe wall, clearing grease, soap biofilm, and paper mats the auger leaves behind. Think car wash vs. poking a straw through a snowbank.
Best for: Repeated slowdowns, kitchens that feed the main, older lines with mixed gunk
Why now: Clean walls restore capacity so storms don’t push you over the edge.
2) Root cutting + camera inspection
If roots are the culprit, we’ll cut them back and then camera the line while it’s clear so you can see joint separations, cracks, or offsets. From there we can talk lining, spot repair, or replacement if it’s time to end the cycle.
Best for: Mature trees over the lateral, “seasonal” clogs in spring/fall
3) Correcting the trap guard on floor drains
A lot of Boise basements have floor drains that never see water until a storm—then the trap dries, lets odor through, or offers the path of least resistance back into your house. We’ll re-prime or retrofit a trap guard so it’s sealed when it should be and ready when it must be.
4) Standpipe and laundry line refresh
Laundry lines see lint + detergent gel + hard-water scale. A targeted jet and enzyme reset helps your washer dump at full speed without lifting the trap seal or splashing over when the main is busy.
5) Cleanout and backflow protection
If your neighborhood profile makes you a repeat target, we’ll evaluate backwater valve options to keep city surges from entering your lateral. (They need the right placement and maintenance—we’ll tell you straight if it’s a fit.)
Your 1-hour storm-proof checklist (DIY)
Find your main cleanout (inside or outside). Make sure you can access it without moving a mountain of storage.
Check floor drain traps. Pour a little water or manufacturer-approved primer into rarely used drains to re-seal the trap.
Pull and clean key aerators and showerheads. Restores local flow and reveals upstream issues fast.
Laundry standpipe test. Run a quick spin cycle and watch the standpipe; if it burps or climbs, call us before the next storm.
Walk the line outside. If you know where your lateral runs, look for soggy strips, unusual greening, or sunken patches.
When it’s already backing up (do this, in order)
Stop using water (no dishwasher, laundry, or showers).
Pop the cleanout cap carefully to see if the main is holding. If water gushes out, that confirms a mainline blockage—not a single fixture.
Protect the lowest fixtures with towels around floor drains and door thresholds.
Call A+ Drain Cleaning & Plumbing. Tell us what you saw at the cleanout and which fixtures are affected—that helps us bring the right gear (jetter, root cutter, camera) on the first trip.
Don’t pour chemical drain openers. They rarely help and complicate safe cleanup.
Permanent solutions (so this doesn’t happen again)
CIPP lining to seal leaking joints and stop roots—no trench across your lawn.
Spot repair at a single broken joint that catches everything that passes.
Pipe bursting or open-cut replacement if the pipe is deformed or bellied beyond what a liner can correct.
Backwater valve in specific risk profiles (we’ll determine candidacy by camera + slope + neighborhood data).
Annual maintenance clean timed for late summer/early fall before storm season.
We’ll show you the live video, mark depth and location, and give you straight pros/cons for each option.
FAQs
Why do backups happen during storms if my drains are “fine” in dry weather?
Your system is likely restricted. Storm flow pushes it past capacity, and wastewater takes the easiest exit—back up through the lowest fixture.
Is a backwater valve a cure-all?
No. It helps in specific surcharge scenarios but doesn’t fix grease, scale, or roots in your own line. We recommend it only when the camera and elevations say it’s a smart move.
Can I just use a larger auger?
Bigger isn’t better if the wall is coated with grease or roots. You’ll re-clog. Jetting + inspection is how you actually reset the line and solve the “why.”
How fast can you come out?
We prioritize active backups and can typically dispatch same day. If water is already at a floor drain, tell us—it bumps you to emergency status.
Our visit looks like this
Listen + locate. Symptoms, fixture behavior, and cleanout position tell us where to start.
Restore flow first. Auger or jetting to get your home back to normal.
Camera the line. We show you exactly what’s in the pipe and where.
Plan + price. Maintenance plan or permanent fix, clearly explained, in writing.
Protect the space. We suit up, lay mats, and leave the area clean.
Ready to storm-proof your drains?
If you’ve heard gurgling, fought slow drains, or mopped after a downpour, you’re not overreacting—your line is telling you it needs attention. A+ Drain Cleaning & Plumbing can clear it, inspect it, and help you choose a fix that actually lasts.