Examining your home's drains can be very useful as it can shed light on the state of your plumbing system. It's essential to keep your home's plumbing to avoid clogged kitchen and bathroom sinks and toilets. In this blog, let's look at why it's necessary to get the drains checked out.
Signs Your Drain is Clogged
Pests Present in the Drain
The presence of rodents and insects within drains is a significant problem. This condition is common, especially if you feel sewage clogs and backs up in the drains. Rodents feed off the clogged content; if not tended to, your home can soon become infested.
Strange Gurgling Sounds
If strange gurgling sound effects are emanating from your drain, chances are repairs are required. Sounds should not emanate from drains, whether the sink, toilet, or the showers drain. Sounds mean air is stuck in the drain, and the services of a plumber may be required.
Unpleasant Odors
Unpleasant odors are usually emanated when the sewer is trapped in the drain. It can smell when the sewer does not freely flow out and clogs the drain. This will need to get rid of. The services of a professional might be required as the smell can be challenging to eliminate. Trash can also clog the bends, and the p trap can smell rather unpleasant. Therefore foul odor is one of the sure shot signs your drain is clogged and needs to be addressed immediately.
Slow Draining
If water drains slowly in the sink or the shower, it means the drain or the pipe is blocked. This can happen for multiple reasons, such as soap, grease, and hair building up in the drain. The blockage can grow and clog the entire sink if not cleaned out. It would help if you also inspected your drains regularly to detect signs of blockages. Cleaning the drain can clear out obstructions quickly and resume the free flow of water.
Drain Blockage
Grease that gets washed out after cooking is a common cause of the blockage. This fat and grease gets washed down drains and clogs pipes. There is a helpful strategy to avoid this problem. Once you are done cooking, pour all excess grease and fat into a pot and throw it in the bin. This will prevent it from flowing down your sink's drain pipe. Your pipes will last longer, and drain repairs won't be required as frequently.
Bathroom drains can also clog very easily. Hair, soap suds, and garbage can easily clog these drains. This can happen when you shower or wash your hands in the sink. Such clogs mainly cause water to run slowly through the pipes. A great way to avoid this is by putting drain covers over the bathroom drains. This will make your drains function more effectively, as hair won't get tangled within the drain pipes.
At times leftover food can also clog the kitchen sink. It's essential to scrape off your plate and throw all remaining food in the trash instead of washing it from your plate. A drain cover can also help avoid food bits from clogging the drain pipe.
Less Water Pressure
Less water pressure is also a sign of a clogged drain. This mainly implies poor pipe conditions or something clogging the pipes. An ill-performing pressure regulator can also cause poor water pressure. If this is the case, water pressure can rise or fall abruptly and cause even more pipe damage.
Tree Roots
Tree roots can sometimes grow into your home's plumbing system and damage the pipes. To avoid this from happening, frequently check your pipe's conditions. Such damage is known to significantly obstruct water flow as well.
You can hire a professional to check your pipe's condition. Professionals do this by conducting a CCTV survey. They install a small portable camera at the tip of a flexible tube and insert it within the pipe. This is an effective method to check your home's plumbing conditions and for interferences of tree roots or other blockages.
Other Causes
If clogs happen frequently, this can imply a problem with the plumbing. A drain blockage from time to time is common, but if one particular sink or drain clogs often, that area's plumbing should be examined.
A significant blockage can also result from a cracked or leaking pipe. This can call for an emergency that an experienced plumbing technician can fix.
Often hard water flowing down drains can also cause a problem. Hard water contains many minerals such as magnesium or calcium carbonate. When this water flows down drains, it can cause build-up, such as limescale. If you clean your pipes regularly, you can detect this build-up. When this is removed, water pressure in the pipes is resumed, and blockages are tended to.
Tips to Unclog Drains at Home
There are various ways you can unclog drains at home. These methods are easy to carry out and effective. If these DIY techniques don't work, have a professional examine your home's plumbing condition.
- One method to unclog drains at home is to pour hot, boiling water in the drain. Boiling water can reduce the chances of buildup and hence is helpful for bathroom drains. It can also cut through fat and grease and is a valuable technique to unclog kitchen drains.
- Combining vinegar and baking soda and pouring it in the drain can also fix minor blockages. You can create this mixture by mixing a teaspoon of baking soda and a cup of vinegar.
Concluding Thoughts
The points discussed above show signs your drain is clogged. You can try tips to unclog drains at home and make a difference. DIY techniques usually work for minor blockages. If clogged drains are a recurring problem, our technicians, at the Mesa Plumbing Company can help figure out the problem and address it effectively.