Edmonton winters are, in a word, brutal. These prairie winters are windy, bitter, and dangerously cold – with lots of snow. Pipes freeze regularly – as well as more intricate plumbing mechanisms like sump pumps and catch basins. 

Yet, it might be miserably cold right now, but Spring is just around the corner – along with the big thaw. 

Warm, melting snow increases the risk of flooded catch basins (also referred to as storm drains) and sump pumps. Catch drains in particular need to be clear, clean, and ready to do the job they’re designed for. 

Let’s discuss why it’s so important to thaw and clean catch basins and sumps before Spring.

Why Catch Basin Cleaning and Sump Spring Maintenance Is Necessary

It’s only too easy for catch basins to freeze during the winter and become clogged with debris like roots, leaves, dirt, and other pollutants once the spring melt begins.

At any time of year, a clogged catch basin means a higher risk of flooding in the area. The springtime thaw means that catch basins and sumps will be working overtime to accommodate the excess water runoff, which is difficult to do if the mechanisms are frozen or the line is clogged or blocked. Furthermore, sumps need to be clean and working as well to be able to handle any backflow issues. 

To avoid flooding risk, frozen catch basins need to be steamed clean during the spring thaw as well as flushed of any debris – especially if it’s been several years since the last thorough clean.

How We Do It

The team at IVIS proudly operates a fleet of VAC-CON® Combo units. These units allow us to complete a wide variety of high-pressure hydro tasks like flushing, hydro excavation, daylighting, and more for our residential, municipal, commercial, and industrial clients.

For sump pump and catch basin cleaning, our combination units can steam clean sewage lines, thaw frozen basins and sumps, clean out debris and blockages, all without drilling or excavation. Drilling and manual excavation not only takes longer but can cause damage to pipes. 

Cleaning your sump and nearby catch basins improves drainage flow, eliminates buildup, and reduces the risk of flooding. 

The IVIS VAC-CON® Combo units can blast up to 55 GPM of water at 2000 – 3000 PSI and can clean lines using both high and low-pressure flushing – an essential for any client concerned about flooding this Spring. 

For residential clients, we can flush lines up to 4 inches in diameter. For commercial, industrial, and municipal clients, we can flush lines starting from 6 inches in diameter. 

Residential Services

Aside from sump pump cleaning and thawing, we also offer mechanical plumbing services to our valued residential clients. Our experienced plumbers provide quick, efficient service while providing actionable advice to our customers – even in an urgent plumbing situation.

Our team is experienced with remote access, line replacement, regular flushing, snaking, locating utility lines, and more. While these services may cost more, the team at IVIS gets it done right the first time, and these important spring cleaning tasks eliminate the risk of larger, more expensive issues down the line.

IVIS Construction – The Catch Basin Cleaning Experts

Don’t wait. Have your sump and catch basins cleaned out before the warm weather arrives. 

IVIS Construction is ready to help! Have questions? Need a quote? We’re just a click or call away. Call us at (780) 476-2626 or fill out our convenient online contact form!