Basement Drain Traps: What are we supposed to do with this thing?

a lot of old building have dry wells that lead nowhere. i suspect thats the case here. i’d clean it out and try to expose dirt.

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in Roofers 10 years and 8 months ago

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radicalnewtherapy | 10 years and 8 months ago

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We have a square hole in the front of the basement of our townhouse. It looks to be filled with dirt and mud and maybe clay. We are pretty sure it’s a trap in case the basement floods but my hubs and I are debating the proper maintenance for it. It seems to have served its purpose when our basement flooded recently but it’s pretty gross? Should it be filled with dirt? Or rocks? Do we need to do anything to maintain it? Appreciate any knowledge of how these things are intended to work.

resident2 | 10 years and 8 months ago

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It is probably one of two things: a.) It is the sewer trap; in which case clean it out until you see two what should be covered openings on top of a u bend sewer pipe, they should have caps on both. You will need access to this if your sewer ever gets backed up. Get a steel plate cover made level with the floor to cover it, so that no one falls in it. No, do not fill it with soil or rocks. b.) It could be a sump pump pit, for in-case the basement ever gets flooded if you have a pump set up in it, it will pump the water out before it rises to a level that floods your basement. Even if you do not live in a flood zone, your basement can still get flooded from a burst domestic line or a sewer back up etc., if this is what this pit is, it is not a bad idea to have a sump pump set up in it and then again get a sheet metal cover for it, so that you do not accidentally fall into it and break an ankle etc.