Drains Giving You Problems? They May Need Professional Drain Cleaning

4 November 2014
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Did you know that you should have your drains cleaned at least once a year? Your drains can get clogged with all types of gunk, including hair, rotten food, and even raw sewage. If you don't have your drains cleaned on a regular basis, you can end up with several different problems. Some of the problems are just minor inconveniences, while others can turn into full-blown emergencies. Here are a couple of the problems that dirty drains can cause for you.

Foul Odors

Foul odors coming up from the drains may be the first sign that you should have your drains cleaned. All the debris that has collected inside your drains can begin to decay. When that happens, you may begin to smell septic odors in your drains. As soon as you smell those odors, you should contact your plumber, like Pro-Trade Plumbing & Maintenance, and schedule a professional cleaning.

To reduce the odors while you wait for the plumber, you can clean your drains using a couple of different methods.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is an effective way to get rid of odors. Simply cut a large lemon into several individual pieces, and place them in your garbage disposal. The lemon will clean your disposal blades, and remove the odors from the drain.

Baking Soda And Vinegar

You can also use vinegar and baking soda to reduce the odors that come up from your drains. You'll need about 1 cup each of baking soda and vinegar.

Directions

  1. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down your drains, and leave it to set for about 10 minutes.
  2. Pour 1 cup of vinegar down the drains, and wait for it to begin foaming.
  3. Allow the foam to work for about 15 minutes.
  4. Flush with about a gallon of hot water.

Raw Sewage Baking Up Into Your Bathtub

This is by far the most significant problem associated with dirty drains. Once your drains become so dirty, they can get clogged. When that happens, it can be difficult for the raw sewage to make its way through to the sewer or septic tank. You may notice that you have small amounts of raw sewage baking up into your bathtub.

Your plumber will be able to get rid of the blockage, and clean out your drain pipes. Once your drains are cleaned, your toilets will flush properly again, and you should stop seeing sewage in your bathtub.

Professional Cleaning

There are two ways to have your drains professionally cleaned; high pressure jet nozzles, and electric augers. Your plumber will determine which will work best for your particular drain issues.

High Pressure Nozzles

The high pressure nozzle will send a stream of water through your drains. The water can cut through grease, hair, and other debris. The benefit of the high pressure nozzle is that it will wash all the debris straight through to the septic tank or sewer system.

Electric Auger

The electric auger is a small blade-like attachment that attaches to the end of a metal cable. The cable is fed through the drains so that the blade can cut through the debris. The electric auger can cut through tough problems like tree roots that might have grown in your drain pipes. In some cases, a high pressure nozzle will be used to remove the debris that the auger cuts loose.

To keep your drains flowing smoothly, you should have them cleaned at least once a year. As soon as you notice problems with your drains, such as foul odors, you should contact your plumber and schedule a professional cleaning.