A clogged drain can quickly become a nuisance and even a health hazard in your home or business. But when it comes to drain cleaning services, the internet is full of diy solutions and remedies, to resolve minor clogs. But in the busy, day to day life, how can you tell if it’s time for a drain cleaning services? When are simple household products not enough and your drain requires the attention of a professional?
Here at VIP Drain Service, we are committed to providing professional, quality, drain service, in Orange County, CA. Today we will be tackling the big question. How can you tell if your drain needs a good cleaning?
1. Slow Drains
If you’re washing your hands or doing the dishes and it seems like the water is taking longer to drain than usual, chances are that is the result of a buildup somewhere along your drain line. Oil, food scraps, hair and even your detergent, can over time, cause a buildup in your pipes. A drain cleaning will solve this issue but neglecting the problem, can lead to more serious clogs. This can prove to be more difficult and more expensive to resolve.
2. No draining at all
If the water in your sink or tub seems to have stopped draining all together, this is a sure sign you are dealing with a drain clog. Though drain clogs can be minor and easily fixed with just a hand full of household items, such as boiling water, salt or baking soda – it’s a good idea to act quickly and invest into a more thorough drain cleaning services, to prevent future clogs from recurring.
3. Recurring Clogs
If your drain continues to clog up on a more regular and frequent basis, the issue is most likely more severe than your left over dinner scraps sticking around. Recurring drain clogs could mean several things. The pipes in your home could be old and corroding. Rust buildup on the inside of your pipes can block water flow and encourage buildup.
Another culprit could be mineral buildup from hard water. Deposit such as limescale can be dangerous for your plumbing system and if it successfully blocks your pipes completely, you may need to replace them all together.
4. Unpleasant Odors
Unpleasant, sewer-like odors coming from your sink, bathroom appliances or overwhelming your home every time you put on a load of laundry, can be quite a nuisance.
A common cause of smelly sinks is a dry p-trap. The pipe right under your sink. The purpose of this curved pipe is to trap a small amount of water that prevents sewer gasses from entering your home through your sink. A dry p-trap means the water has evaporated and the gasses are invading your home. Running water for a few minutes will restore the water level in the p-trap and solve this problem.
However, in the scenario that the smells are coming from your toilet or washing machine, the solution is less simple. This could mean your drain vents or the sewer lines are blocked and forcing sewer gasses into your home.
In either case, you will need to hire a plumber to assess the situation and resolve the problem. Doing so quickly is important. Sewer gasses are toxic and can have a detrimental effect on your health, especially when exposure is prolonged. A damaged sewer line may cause exposure to contaminated water and is expensive to fix.
5. Bubbling or Gurgling sounds
Have you ever heard the water in your toilet randomly start to bubble? Or does it seem to occur when you’re taking a shower or when you flush? This could be another sign of a clogged drain. A clogged drain or drain vent, cause water to clog the drain trap and force air through your toilet bowl, causing the bubbles.
A similar occurrence can take place in your sink. With a clogged drain, the air bubbles can’t pass through your pipes and escape wherever possible, causing the gurgling sound in your pipe.
6. Overflowing Toilets
Though the most common cause of an overflowing toilet is a clogged toilet, which can usually be fixed with a plunger, the issue may be a little bit further down the line. The blockage may actually be in the drain line, which will most likely not be accessible with a plunger. The solution may require larger amounts of drain cleaner that will have the power to dissolve the development.
7. Drain Flies in your bathroom
Drain flies, or sewer gnats, breed in drains that have been contaminated with sewage. So if you find drain flies in your bathroom or near your drain, you might have a bigger problem than some uninvited intruders.
Drain flies can often be confused with fruit flies, but cleaning your drain would destroy the breeding ground and resolve both issues.
A clogged drain can be an easy fix or lead to more complicated and time consuming problems. Here at VIP Drain services, we are proud to provide plumbing services in Orange county. Our specialists are ready to assist you in preventing serious and expensive damage to your plumbing system. In the case of a plumbing emergency, our staff is available 24/7, when you need it the most!
