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Clogged Drains? A Drain Cleaning Service in Richmond, VA Can Help
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Drain cleaning is one of the most important investments you can make in your home’s plumbing system. By calling a drain cleaning service, you can prevent the buildup of material within your drains that typically causes devastating and costly backups and flooding in the home. Whether you already have backups, or you are hoping to prevent them, having a professional service provide this type of deep cleaning is essential. It is also cost-effective.
At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA, our team can provide you with drain cleaning. Let’s talk about your options today.
What Does a Drain Cleaning Service Do?
Drain cleaning is a process in which high-powered water jets are used to push away the material clogging your drains. While it sounds easy to do, it is a bit more complex than this. Generally speaking, our team follows a few specific steps before performing the cleaning.
#1: Viewing the Damage
The first step is to get a good idea of what is lurking in your pipes and drains. To do this, we insert a very small, fiber-optic video camera into the drain lines. This only takes a few minutes, but it provides a good visual of what’s happening in the lines and into the drain. Because we can thread it throughout the entire area, we can see where any potential clogs are. We can also see damage in the pipes, such as broken areas.
#2: We Look for the Problems
During this process, the drain cleaning service will inspect the entire line for any signs of problems. This can include even small fractures and fissures. We may see clogs present. We may see a buildup of material along the inner edge of the pipes. In some cases, we may see tree roots growing into the pipe or areas of fracture.
#3: We Use This Information to Make Decisions
Once we know what is present, we can take the right type of steps to ensure the drain lines are clear and moving. If we see big breaks or damage, we don’t want to use a high-powered jet of water in the area as that could worsen it. However, we can often use water to wash out the drain lines of much other debris.
What Are the Benefits of Drain Cleaning?
When you use a professional drain cleaning service like this, it is possible to get all of the material stuck in those lines moving out of the pipes and into the sewer. You want to unclog these lines, of course, but we also want to work on fixing the problem if there is damage to the lines themselves.
Drain clogs are not uncommon. They occur for various reasons, often because items too sticky or heavy are pushed into the drains in your sinks. Not everything that flows through the sink drain is going to make it to the sewer right away. Sometimes, it will hold onto the sides of the pipes or get caught up on other stuck material. As this happens, the lines themselves become more narrow. The narrower they become, the more problematic they become because material cannot flow as well.
Some of the most common problem materials going down a drain include:
- Tissues
- Paper towels
- Foreign objects
- Grease from cooking
- Hair
- Soap scum
- Debris and dirt
- Makeup products
- Tree roots
- Minerals
- Baby wipes
- Cleaning wipes
- Feminine products
None of these materials should ever go down your drains. Yet, they often do. That’s where a drain cleaning service is necessary.
Signs You Need a Drain Cleaning Service
It is a good idea to have your drains inspected and cleaned like this every few years. You may benefit from doing this more often if you have had problems in the past. Your technician can provide you with more insight into when this is beneficial. Some additional signs that your drain needs to be cleaned include:
- Sinks that do not drain as fast as they used to
- Gurgling noises coming from your drains or toilets
- Toilets that do not flush completely or require several steps
- Backed up drains that backflow material into the sink
- Drains that have a foul odor
- Strange sounds coming from the drain itself
When you notice these signs, it is best to call a drain cleaning service right away. They can provide a full inspection of the drain lines, determine if there is a clog present, and then remove it.
What You Should Never Do
Properly caring for your drains is easy to do. Keep materials from doing down the lines whenever possible. The one thing you should never do, though, is to use liquid unclogging products. These drain cleaning products contain a high concentration of toxic chemicals. Those chemicals work to eat away at the clog present. However, they also eat away at the inner lining of your pipes. As this happens, the lines weaken, and that puts your home at risk for larger problems and much more significant drain problems.
Often, these cleaners have no real ability to break down enough of the material clogging your drain to allow for them to pass through easily. In short, they end up costing you a lot of money.
Preventative Maintenance
Work with a drain cleaning service on a frequent basis to ensure all of your lines are moving properly. It is best to have drain cleaning like this done at least every few years. You can also install a garbage disposal to help with minimizing the size of material and debris going down your drains. By taking these actions, you may be able to avoid some of the most costly damage.
Hire a Trusted Plumber for Maintenance and Treatment Needs
As a drain cleaning service, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA provides exceptional service. Whether you have a backed-up sewer line or tree roots clogging your drain, our team can find the problem and resolve it fast. Call us today for fast, reliable service every time.
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