Flooding In The Kitchen! What To Do?

[Vermonter]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a little advice. I just moved into a new flat this week and during the big storm we just had today I went into the kitchen to get something to eat and realized that it had flooded. All the windows were shut and it was dry around the edge of the kitchen. My only conclusion is that the water came through the drain as I noticed the water wasn't draining out.
Does anyone have any advice on what to do in this type of situation? I don't want it to get worse so any quick help I can get would be much appreciated.

 

[French jurist]

Urgent measures:
If the drain is this small hole in the floor with a kind of drain grid on it (usually with 2 or 4 screws), then unscrew the grid and stuff something in the drain itself (cloth, mop). That way the water won't go out (but likely will go out on the floor above yours... so it might fall down on you... Kind of Pyrrhus victory).

Likely the drain tubes are stuffed somewhere, it's the consorcio responsability to fix that.

Hopefully the rain has stopped

 

[Vermonter]

Thanks, that is exactly the drain I have. I'll let the owner know about the problem and see if they can get it fixed. Until then a little mopping rag should do the trick.

 

[dennisr]

No quick fix for you. Suggest you pack your suitcase and move ASAP. Will probably be a re-occurring problem every time your BA standard thunderstorm rolls through town. Drain system is inadequate.
Floor drain check valves can be installed but it is a poor fix for an unsanitary condition.

 

[dennisr]

Or, buy something like this http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0483291 and plug the drain.

 

[Vermonter]

Overall the flooding wasn't terrible and it's already started to drain out even with the continuing rain. The last tenant lived here for 4 or 5 years and only moved because he's starting a new job in Mar del Plata. I'm hoping just plugging the drain might be all I'd need to stop the flooding. It wasn't an inundation but all the pooled water sure messed up my dinner plans.
Thanks for the tips

 

[Vermonter]

I don't want to sound naive but is this something a little drano couldn't fix?

 

[dennisr]

Not naive. Is anyone else in the building experiencing a similar problem? What level do you live on? Lower the level the more susceptible you would be to a floor drain backing up. Drain could be clogged somewhere down the line, but where is the million dollar question.

 

[Vermonter]

I'm on the first floor, so just above PB. I checked down on PB and it had overflowed with water too. I spoke with the landlady and she said the water flooded in from the garden. She gave me a plunger to do my best but there wasn't enough water for it to really be effective. I think maybe the backlog is in the garden area because of all the excess water on the entrance level floor. If that is the case then the problem might not be on my level.

 

[dennisr]

Time for the landlord to call roto-rooter. If they do not, buy an expansion plug for the drain and plug. The problem will move up to the next level and water will be coming from the ceiling next time? Good luck.