Wondering how often you should clean your drains? The answer is pretty frequent. But, before you attempt to DIY the situation, consider hiring a professional with the experience and equipment to properly diagnose and repair the source of your worries. Whether it’s a sink, shower, or toilet issue, professional drain cleaning services ensure your drain is effectively cleared so that it doesn’t come back a couple of days later.
For greater peace of mind and ease, our team at Wizard Plumbing and Drain offers a variety of drain services to ensure your plumbing needs are met.
Signs Your Drains Need To Be Cleaned
Slow Moving Drain
When your tub or sink takes ages to drain, you’re likely dealing with some kind of internal clog. Whether it’s soap, hair, or grease, debris will compact together in your pipes, creating a water barrier. If you don’t have your blockages cleaned and managed swiftly, it can lead to bigger and more costly problems in the future.
Standing Water
Standing water is a key indicator of a blockage in your plumbing system. Whether you’re washing machine or sink won’t drain properly, standing water is no matter to take lightly. To resolve the issue, it’s important to hire a professional who can unclog the gunk filling your pipes.
Odors
Weird smells aren’t fun, especially when they involve your plumbing. A strong odor coming from your drains is a clear sign that something isn’t right, indicating a possible clog or piping damage. Even if your pipes are efficient, there could be food or sewage buildup leading to a foul smell. Regardless, professionals with special equipment can locate the source and resolve the problem.
Gurgling Sounds
A gurgling sink isn’t a good thing, even if it’s working properly. Material can compound together for days, even months, going undetected. A gurgling noise is an indicator that whatever kind of blockage is going on, it’s getting worse. To ensure your water can smoothly flow through your pipes, a drain cleaning service is recommended.
Water Backup
So you don’t wake up one morning to a bathroom flood of dirty water, make it a priority to do routine plumbing maintenance inspections. Water backups occur when drain lines are completely clogged, making your water spill over. Not only can water backups cause water damage to your foundation, but it can also lead to bacteria growth and mold.
Overflowing Toilets
If your toilet regularly overflows (even when not flushing unflushable items) your drainage lines might need a repair. When your sewer drain lines become clogged, your toilet can’t operate effectively. A professional drain cleaning service technician can quickly locate the problem, limiting further potential damage.
Multiple Clogged Drains
If drains all over your home are clogged or overflowing, your entire plumbing system may have an issue. Multiple clogged drains can be a sign that there’s a main swerve line clog or main drainage line damage. So you don’t risk your family’s health and home safety, call a professional to fix the issue immediately.
When to Get Drains Cleaned
If you’re wondering when to call a plumber for a clogged drain, the answer is immediately. Having a plumbing maintenance routine is a proactive way to ensure your plumbing system stays in tip-top shape year-round. Professional cleaning services should be performed yearly to keep pipelines clean and remove hidden debris buildup.
Even if your pipes appear to be working efficiently, there could be clogs going undetected, potentially putting your entire system at risk down the line. By performing regular maintenance, you can keep your drains flowing smoothly and safe from damage.
Related: How to Fix a Clogged Kitchen Drain
Why Not to Use Chemical Drain Cleaners
While there are many drain cleaners on the market, you should not purchase cleaners made with chemical compounds. Not only can these products produce dangerous fumes, they can damage your plumbing system.
Damage They Cause
Chemical drain cleaners are known to disintegrate your pipes, leading to corrosion and leaks. By impacting good bacteria’s breakdown process, chemical cleaners can cause septic problems, pollute local waterways, and negatively affect wildlife. Though they may be advertised as powerful solutions, they can do more harm than good in a variety of ways.
Using Too Much Liquid Drain Cleaner
If you try to DIY your drain clog by using liquid drain cleaner, make sure you don’t use too much. If you have used more than two full bottles of liquid cleaner and your drains are still backed up, call the professionals. Not only have you put more material in your pipes, you could be further damaging your plumbing system.
Benefits of Professional Drain Cleaning
Don’t Let Slow Drains Turn Into Clogs
With professional drain cleaning, you can count on your plumbing running efficiently. When your drain’s not draining, you put your plumbing system at an even greater risk of damage. Not only will a slow drain eventually turn into a clog, but it could eventually turn into a total system malfunction. Though over-the-counter cleaners can be effective, their harsh chemical makeup damages your pipes as they work. To ensure proper cleaning, hire a professional to get the job done right.
Eliminate Odors
If you regularly put food, soap scum, and dirt down your drains, you’re at risk for a clog. While these everyday things may seem harmless, they turn into long-lasting grime that sticks to your pipes. When bacteria get a hold of it, they start to eat it, leading to foul odors. To eliminate smelly drains, hire a professional cleaning service that specializes in locating hidden clogs.
Protects Walls and Floors
When your toilet, shower, or sink becomes clogged, the water will have nowhere to go but spill onto your floors. Because your walls and floors are made of porous material, they will absorb the water, leading to damage and bacterial growth. To eliminate the potential for plaster erosion and structural damage, it’s key to schedule routine professional drain maintenance services.
Prevent Health Issues
Clogged drains lead to sitting water, and sitting water leads to bacteria growth (as well as foul odors). Mold and fungus can lead to serious health issues and infections that cause severe/fatal breathing problems. To ensure your family stays healthy, proactive drain cleaning is necessary.
Save Money in the Long Run
Drain and plumbing system repairs are costly and can lead to a host of other expensive home damage. While a plumber isn’t free, it’s a more cost-effective solution to drain maintenance. To ensure your pipes don’t need replacement or repair, a professional plumbing technician can effectively eliminate clogs before they happen, saving you money in the long run.
Protect the Health of Your Pipes
Drain cleaning plays a key role in protecting the integrity of your plumbing system. To reduce chemical buildup, grease, and food clogs, as well as excess hair blockages, hire a professional. Not only do they eliminate the effects of chemical product buildup eating away at your pipes, but they also make sure your plumbing experiences little to no issues for the foreseeable future.
Related: How to Fix a Clogged Shower Drain
What Can I Do to Prevent Drain Issues?
Proper Garbage Disposal Use
To prevent issues with your garbage disposal drain, run cold water while slowly feeding food scraps down the sink. Limit the amount of expandable food you put into the disposal like bread, rice, and pasta as this can lead to clogs.
Use Strainers
Utilizing a strainer when cleaning your sink is a great way to limit the amount of debris that enters your pipes. From soap scum to hair, your drains can trap these materials in your system leading to clogs. The strainer limits this, leading to smoother water flow.
Baking Soda
By using baking soda and water as a natural home cleaning remedy, you can keep your drains clean. You can perform this solution on weaker drain clogs, but stronger backups will likely require professional cleaning.
Rinse With Hot Water
To prevent clogs from occurring in the surface interior of your pipes, consider pouring boiling water down the drain.
Monthly Cleans
The best way to limit clogged pipes in your home is to perform routine drain cleaning. This will limit the number of obstructions in your pipes, leading to a better-functioning plumbing system.
Call the Professionals at Wizard Plumbing & Drain
Wizard Plumbing and Drain is a leading drain cleaning company serving homeowners in need of plumbing system repair, maintenance, and replacements. When there are multiple signs you need drain cleaning, don’t hesitate to do so. If you are looking to hire a 5-star rated team with experienced and knowledgeable technicians, give us a call.
