A well-functioning drainage system plays a massive role in ensuring your property remains clean and hygienic. However, you may experience a drain issue at least once. Any drain issue will disrupt the day-to-day activities in your household or business premises. With malfunctioning drainage, old water and waste have no place to exit. This may lead to overflowing water along with a foul smell. Besides this, the sitting water and sewage create an environment for pathogens to thrive. For these reasons, it’s necessary to ensure you clean your drains occasionally to remove any debris.
In this era of do-it-yourself (DIY) home projects, most individuals are willing to undertake drain cleaning by themselves. Although it might seem like the least costly method to clean drains, it may cost you more in the long run if you don’t have the necessary skills and tools. Thus, it’s advisable to contact professionals who can perform the repairs.
You have to get in touch with reputable drain cleaning providers in your locality to help unclog and restore your system. However, ensure you gauge their reputation and customer experience to get a provider that meets your needs and expectations.
What Are The Signs You Need Drain Cleaning?
If there’s a drain issue, such as a clog, it can be challenging to locate the primary source of the problem. Detecting the issue while it’s still early can help prevent costly repairs in the future. Therefore, you have to watch out for the following signs:
- Slow Drains
A drainage system is designed to allow water and waste to pass through as fast as possible. However, you might notice that your drain is functioning slower than usual. Although there are several things you can blame for a slow drain, the primary cause is when debris clogs it up. Debris, such as hair, soap, food leftovers, and others, may build up over time and cause water to go through more slowly. Although it might rectify itself, you’ll be forced to clean your drain in most cases.
- Bad Odors
This is another sign you need to clean your drainage system. When debris such as grease builds up and clogs your piping system, they start to rot, hence emitting a mysterious smell. The smell may make it uncomfortable for everyone on the property. Although you may use hot water to wash away the clog, stubborn ones may remain. In such cases, you need to do a deep cleaning.
- Backed Up Plumbing Fixtures
You’re busy sharing a snack with your child; then, suddenly, you see muddy water backing up into your sink. That’s scary, right? If there’s any issue with your drainage system, it might be difficult for old water and waste to pass through. The dirty wastewater can expose you and your loved ones to health risks and water contamination.
- Frequent Clogs
You had a clog in the kitchen sink last week that you thought you had taken care of. Yet, there’s another clog in your bathtub. Getting frequent drain issues means your system has a serious problem, and you need to make a thorough inspection.
Due to the continuous use of a drainage system, residue such as gunk may build up over time. Although you can try to fix it, it might not be enough to rectify the issue altogether. Hence, drain cleaning may address the issue once and for all, guaranteeing you have a running system in no time.
- Gurgling
While it’s easier to identify noises from creaking doors, other unusual noises like gurgling are a real head-scratcher. Hence, it’s important to closely pay attention when using a sink or toilet. The gurgling noises are caused when wastewater is trying to squeeze through tiny spaces caused by debris buildup, releasing air in the process.
How To Clean A Drain
People have associated drain cleaning with over-the-counter chemical cleaners for many years. Although they might seem like a cost-effective method to clean drains, you may end up with a damaged system, forcing you to install a new one, which is a costly investment.
For this reason, there was a need to introduce a more effective and safer method to clean drains. These methods include:
- Drain Snaking
This is one of the most popular and oldest methods of cleaning drainage systems. Drain snaking involves inserting a long wire with a drill at the end into the drain pipe until it touches a clog. The expert will then turn the auger using a crank to drill and clear the blockage.
However, thanks to technological advancement, there has been the introduction of motorized drain snakes capable of clearing almost any blockage. A significant benefit of drain snaking is that it is an easy and quick way to clean a drain, making it an ideal method for most homeowners. If you have one at home, you can easily operate it to clear and clean your drains, ensuring you have a running system in no time.
Despite the above benefit, drain snaking still has disadvantages. One of them is that it only clears as much space as the size of the drill used. Hence, some debris might be left on the walls of your drain pipes. For this reason, it’s important to ensure you use the right auger size, guaranteeing better results.
- Hydro Jetting
This is the new kid in the drain cleaning industry. Instead of drilling through debris buildup, hydro jetting involves the use of high-pressurized jets of water to clear any blockage. The method removes all of the waste inside the pipe, not just the clogged one. Besides addressing the current blockage, hydro jetting can prevent future buildup, which could affect the normal flow of wastewater.
However, there’s one major drawback of this method. Some types of pipes cannot handle the high pressure and may lead to breakage. For this reason, you must gauge its strength and tolerance before using hydro jetting. If it can’t withstand pressure, consider other cleaning methods like the one discussed above.
- Over-The-Counter Drain Cleaners
Over the years, there have been many over-the-counter drain cleaners you can buy to clog and restore your system. Although they may be effective in cleaning drains, most of them contain corrosive materials that damage your pipes in the long run.
Hence, continued use of these drains will weaken the pipes, forcing you to replace the whole system. Due to these, consider other drain cleaning methods and save your pipes from an early replacement.
A commercial drain cleaner might do the trick if your drain just needs a quick fix. But if you notice that the problem keeps repeating, you might need to inspect your pipes more thoroughly. Inviting an expert who will assess your drains and suggest the ideal method to clean them is advisable.
How To Prepare For A Drain Cleaning Service
If you think your drain needs professional cleaning, here’s how you can prepare for it:
- Choose A Reputable Service Provider
As mentioned above, you may consider undertaking the project by yourself. However, if you don’t have the necessary skills and know-how, this may affect the end results. Therefore, it’s best to consult experts right away to ensure you won’t cause further damage to your drains and pipes. Below are some considerations to take note of:
- Customer Experience: Since professional drain cleaners need access to your home and plumbing system, you have to make sure that the people you hire are trustworthy. For this reason, avoid outsourcing the services from a provider with lots of negative reviews. However, if possible, reach out to previous customers and learn about their experience firsthand. Professionals who are trustworthy, credible, and easy to talk to will make the whole ordeal quicker.
- Price: The cost of drain cleaning will vary from one vendor to another, but the average price will range from USD$99 to USD$750. The price may depend on factors such as the location of the clog, the severity of the situation, the expert’s fee, and more. However, it’s essential to visit more than one vendor to have an idea of the average cost in your area.
- Set A Budget
Drain cleaning can be costly, depending on the severity of the situation. For this reason, ensuring you have enough money to fund the service is important. When budgeting, it’s important to include upfront costs such as consultation fees, assessments, inspections, and more.
- Understand Local Building Codes
Each state or city has rules surrounding home improvement projects, including drain cleaning and management. Thus, it’s crucial to take your time to understand the ever-changing building codes, such as safety considerations. However, this can be challenging, especially for a new homeowner. You can simplify this by ensuring you get a reputable service provider in your locality who is more likely to understand local building codes.
- Prepare To Answer Questions
When you outsource drain cleaning services, prepare to answer questions such as the setup of your drainage system, any issues you’re experiencing, and more. This ensures the cleaning process gets done fast and quickly. Besides this, it’s important to keep the access points clear. Hence, it’ll be easier for the provider to move about and reduce the chances of accidents.
How To Maintain Your Drain In Good Condition
As a homeowner, it’s essential to understand how you can keep your drain in good condition. This will ensure you don’t have to deal with drain problems frequently, saving you from unnecessary expenses and preventing health hazards in your property. Here’s how you can keep your drain in good condition:
- Pour Hot Water Regularly
Pouring hot water into your drain is a great way to clean your drain and pipes. Hot water will help melt residues, oil buildup, and small food particles. Doing this ensures your pipes remain clear and water down the drain will flow efficiently. For this reason, consider pouring hot water at least once a week. Alternatively, you can mix vinegar and baking soda with the hot water to create a homemade drain cleaner.
- Avoid Throwing Food And Other Particles Down The Drain
Food, debris, and particles are the most common causes of drain problems. When you pour down excess food, drinks, and even used oil down your drain—no matter how small or insignificant they are—all these will build up in time and cause blockage. So, as much as possible, avoid pouring down food and other small particles that may eventually block your pipes.
- Schedule A Regular Inspection
Identifying issues earlier will save you from costly repairs in the future. You can schedule a drain and pipe inspection at least once or twice a year. Make sure you contact a professional to do this. Regular inspections can detect and resolve minor problems immediately. This enables you to save on costs and prevent inconveniences.
What Are The Benefits Of Drain Cleaning?
Aside from making household activities such as washing and bathing much easier, a clean drain offers the following benefits:
- Discourage Mold Growth
Clogged pipes can carry moisture that encourages germs and molds to grow. This mold growth may damage the structure of your home, affecting its market value. Additionally, mold growth may expose you and your family to respiratory risks and other health concerns. Therefore, cleaning the drains will eliminate and prevent clog buildup and discourage mold growth.
- Keep Your Pipes In Good Condition
The buildup of chemicals and grease in your pipes may damage them in the long run. This may lead to leaking, which could cause water damage to your floor or wall. Cleaning your drain prevents pipes from corroding and leaking due to sludge, gunk, and debris buildup.
Bottom Line
The condition of your drain can greatly affect your daily routine. An efficient drainage system also ensures that everyone on the property is not at risk of waterborne diseases and other health concerns.
While a simple clog issue can be fixed using household cleaners, there are drain issues that need the attention of experts. In such cases, you need to contact a reputable drain cleaning service provider to assess the issue. These professionals can thoroughly assess and determine the root cause of the clog. Then they can implement the most effective drain-cleaning method to ensure the problem is solved.
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