Fixing air lock at townhouse basement in Brampton
At a townhouse near Bramalea Road, Brampton, a first-time homeowner faced a series of persistent plumbing issues in their basement. Our team from Anonymous Canadian Crew arrived to assess the situation and diagnose the root cause of the problems.
Upon inspection, we discovered that the basement plumbing system was interconnected with several other water fixtures — including the basement kitchen line, washing machine, and shower stack — as well as lines from the living room area. A tall gentleman, one of the homeowners, explained the ongoing issue: poor venting within the plumbing lines was leading to drainage inefficiencies and potential backups.
Our experienced technician, Shawn, a licensed master plumber with 15 years of expertise and a background with one of the GTA’s renowned rooter companies, quickly identified the core concerns. He noted that the basement plumbing was configured improperly — all water flow from multiple fixtures converged into a single, undersized 1.5-inch horizontal plumbing stack. With no floor drain available, any simultaneous use of fixtures (like showering or running the washing machine) risked overwhelming the system, potentially leading to basement flooding and serious property damage.
To resolve the issue, Shawn began by addressing the suspected air lock in the drainage lines. Using an M12™ AIRSNAKE™ Drain Cleaning Air Gun Kit from Milwaukee Tool , he safely vented trapped air from the system. Once the air block was cleared, he performed a mechanical snake drain cleaning to remove built-up grease, oil, and debris lining the pipes. These combined techniques restored smooth drainage and significantly improved the overall performance of the basement plumbing system.
Thanks to Shawn’s expertise and professional approach, the homeowner now enjoys a safer, more reliable plumbing setup with reduced risk of backups and flooding.
Thanks to the M12™ AIRSNAKE™ Drain Cleaning Air Gun Kit, we were able to prevent a potential basement flooding disaster in Brampton. More importantly, senior master plumber Shawn shared some invaluable advice for first-time buyers to keep their plumbing systems healthy and avoid costly repairs.
- Plumbing lines connected to the shower, kitchen, washing machine, and dishwasher must have proper venting to release built-up gases. Without it, trapped air bubbles can block water flow to the main sewer line, causing backups and overflows.
- During home inspections (especially when buying a property), always verify that plumbing lines are connected correctly and safely — reverse or improper connections should be added to the inspection checklist.
- Every homeowner should familiarize themselves with their home’s plumbing system. Understand which pipes connect to which appliances and fixtures to identify issues quickly.
- Clearly labeling your plumbing lines can make maintenance easier and prevent confusion during repairs. Regular yearly inspections and maintenance can help avoid sudden blockages and costly renovations.
- For kitchen sink, it is responsibility of every housemate who cooks, has to wipeout the cooking oil after frying and dispose them right away and not to pour down the used oil down the kitchen sink.
- The shower drain has to be cleared after showering. This means remove the hair fallen and always keep the floor dry with exhaust fan on.