To use your sink, your drains must remain clear. If you have a clogged drain, you may wonder about the best way to eliminate a clog. According to Big Bathroom Shop, you should take action as soon as your sink repeatedly has its drain overflowing. You don’t want to wait until the sink is backing up whenever you turn on the water.
To keep your drain clear, some guidelines should be followed. One of the most essential measures would be to scrape food and grease off the dishes. Many homeowners use drain screens to catch any solids that detach from the plate.
According to Electrical and Plumbing, it’s wise to keep your drains clean. The same site recommends using baking soda and white vinegar to flush your drain weekly. Some homeowners use a snake to unclog drains. If you find the drain still clogged after snaking, you should contact one of the local drain cleaning companies.
Professional drain cleaners are experts in all types of drains. Many professionals also use snakes, while others use a pipe cleaner tool. Drain professionals will also use a tool that manually extends the length of a cable into the drain. This is an easy way to ensure your drain stays clean.
One of the many effects of having a child is that for whatever reason, a few weeks or months after the child is born, you begin to lose your hair. It’s very normal and is usually only the hair that thickened up during the course of the pregnancy. Most women love the thickening process and the losing of it is not so welcome. It is not so welcome to the drains either. Hair that falls out in the shower is the number cause of clogged drains. Professional plumbing services are not necessary for something like hair in the drain. A sewer snake or a drain cleaner should do the trick just fine. However, if the clog or slow drainage is being caused by something else, you may just need to employ a professional plumbing service to take a look at your drains. Drain cleaning can be a pretty big job so you want to make sure you know what to look for if you have to call a plumbing service. Here a few ways to know your drain is plugged.
- Slow Drainage
If your drain is completely open with no plug or partial cover, then there should be no more than about a half inch or so of water in the tub, shower or sink. It should constantly be cycling down the drain as the water falls. If you are seeing a buildup of water in the drain and overflowing into the tub or sink, this could be a sign that your drains are blocked. If the water does not go down the drain at all, this could be a serious problem that requires a plumbing service to take a look and see if you actually are in need of new pipes. If the water is draining but a lot slower than is used to, there is probably an obstruction of some sort that is not allowing the water to flow through the pipes properly. - Funky Smell
A lot of times, when there is a clog, the water will still drain fairly well. However, if you begin to smell a rotten stench coming from your drains, even if the water is flowing fine, you don’t want to let it go. Bacteria and enzymes can grow in obstructions especially if it is old food and will eventually eat through your pipes. It also can attract critters like drain flies and cockroaches that will enter your house. A simple drain snake or bleach or drain cleaner may not get rid of the entire obstruction. It might take a professional coming in and using a camera to make sure the clog is entirely cleared away or even manually taking apart the pipes if they are easily accessible. The longer you let something like that go, the harder it is going to be to clear it again entirely. - Multiple Clogs
This one is the biggest problem. If only one drain is backing up then chances are it will be a fairly easy fix. However if you are finding that your shower, your sink and your toilet are all clogged or backed up, you might have a clogged sewer line. The sewer lines connect all the plumbing together eventually and if it is clogged further down the line where they all meet, your drains will all begin to get backed up in your home. You can usually tell because they will make a gurgling sound. You can also check if you are having water back up in strange places. For example, if you flush your toilet and your shower drain gurgles, this is a good sign of main line issues. Don’t ever try and clear a sewer line yourself, always call in a professional to do the work.
It’s never a welcome realization when you find out that you have sewer issues or a clogged drain but if you have a good plumber that you can trust, you will be just fine. If you don’t know where to start looking for one, ask your neighbors and friends or family. Someone will know a plumber that you can try. Word of mouth is the best advertisement.
