Why Regular Drain Cleaning Matters | Richmond, VA

9/9/2020

Photo By ByoungJoo at istock

Drains are an essential part of plumbing infrastructure, tasked with whisking used water away from your home. As part of a sophisticated system that is used on a daily basis, drains require a certain amount of maintenance to continue functioning smoothly. When a problem arises – a clog, a blockage, a leak, backed up water or strange smells and noises – homeowners have a choice. They can try to tackle the problem DIY-style. Or, they can call in a drain cleaning service such as bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA to assess the problem drain, and fix it right the first time.

How Do You Know Your Drains Need Cleaning?

There are often tell tale signs that indicate a problem may be brewing within your drain system. Ignore the following signs at your peril:

• Bubbles back flowing in your sink, shower, or tub when water is draining out usually means there is a blockage or clog in the making somewhere along the plumbing pipeline.
• Standing water in your dishwasher or washing machine can indicate a blockage which will need to be manually removed by a drain cleaning service specialist.
• A smelly drain may mean food waste or a combination of hair and grease or other substances has been trapped in the drain somewhere. Over time, debris can build up in drains and pipes making the free flow of wastewater more and more obstructed.
• Low water pressure can mean a clogged or broken pipe or any number of other issues. It can be a serious problem that manifests in sometimes subtle ways, and should not be ignored.
• Sluggish or noisy drains may be struggling to drain water through or around a physical obstruction. This can be one of the earliest warnings of a looming drainage problem. 

These are the signs of a drain that might soon be clogged or completely blocked. Calling in a professional drain cleaning service at this point could save you big emergency service bucks down the road.

The Benefits of Regular Maintenance 

Calling a drain cleaning service to fix a looming problem is one thing, regular maintenance is another. But if you’re a homeowner who prefers consistent functionality as opposed to occasional surprises, it can be money well spent.

On a maintenance drain cleaning service call, a qualified technician will assess the drain and plumbing infrastructure that keeps water flowing in and out of your home. Using advanced tools such as video diagnostic imaging and hydro-jetting to clear minor clogs and debris build-up, as well as other cutting edge technologies, a knowledgeable drain cleaning service expert can set your household up for a year of worry-free plumbing functionality.

Emergency Scenarios 

Generally speaking, any time you are unable to use part of your home’s plumbing infrastructure (toilet, sink, shower) it constitutes an emergency. Depending on the size of your household, even a day without smoothly running plumbing can be a trial. A flooded basement is an emergency. Waste materials or sewage backing up into your home is an emergency. 

When something like this happens, you want to have a reliable drain cleaning service and plumbing professional ready on speed dial. Technicians at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA are on call 24/7 to handle these types of scenarios. Better yet, avoid the likelihood of an emergency service call with a regular maintenance drain cleaning service, and a few household rules.

Preventative measures can also go a long to ensure you and your household never have to deal with the disruption and inconvenience of an emergency drain problem. These are some simple things to keep in mind:

• Never flush anything but toilet paper and human waste down the toilet. Sewer drains are not designed to accommodate other kinds of paper products, including so-called “flushable” sanitary wipes.
• Try to capture solid substances before they can go down the drain. This includes food waste, hair, grease and coffee grounds.
• If you are in an area that experiences regular flooding, or you’re worried about faulty municipal sewage infrastructure, install a backflow valve in your basement. This safety device ensures that if there is a flood, or damage to the sewer main, toxic backflow sewage will not enter your home.

Why Use a Professional Drain Cleaning Service?

You often hear home owners discouraged from undertaking DIY plumbing repairs on their drains and plumbing infrastructure. There’s a reason for that. Here’s why drain cleaning and other plumbing issues are spectacularly ill-suited for DIY solutions:

• For most DIY-ers, a common go-to solution is the use of chemical drain cleaners. These not only emit toxic fumes (do you really want them anywhere near your water supply?), they can damage pipes.
• Professional grade tools need to be used by a pro. From plumber’s snakes and augers to video feeds and hydro-jets, handled by someone with experience and skill, plumber’s tools are specifically designed for the task at hand.
• With plumbing, there is always the potential for disastrous damage. Infrastructure is integrated throughout the home and also often connects to external components. For this reason, a problem in one area can often indicate or cause a problem in another. A plumbing professional understands the drain and pipes system as a whole and can troubleshoot with this entirety in mind.
• In the case of emergency repairs or community-wide outages or problems, municipal inspections and certifications may be required. And if an insurance claim is in play, documentation and guarantees become especially important. DIY can’t cover you in that kind of scenario.

If you’d like to know more about the benefits of a regular drain cleaning service, or you’re in need of 24/7 emergency support, give the experts at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Richmond, VA a call. Their team of certified plumbing specialists offers prompt, courteous, professional and safe service for any kind of issue with household or commercial drains. Don’t mess around with DIY solutions – they can only take you so far and have the potential to cause real damage.