When you think about what goes down the drains in your home, the dirt that you wash off, the food particles, and debris in the kitchen sink, and last but not least the waste in your toilets, it’s not hard to imagine how filthy drain pipes can become. And while you never need to see them or handle them, they can begin to fill your home with a foul odor. But the worst by far is when a drain pipe becomes clogged, and that nasty waste backs up into your home. This is not only an expensive issue, but it also can have health implications due to the germs and bacteria in the waste. So how can a drain cleaning fix this issue?
How Professional Drain Cleaning Really Works
The key to understanding this next paragraph is that we are only referring to a professional drain cleaning done with professional grade equipment such as a hydro-jet. We are not talking about a jug of noxious chemicals that you get at the store and dump into your drain. That might eat through the clog, but it is just a likely to eat through your pipes as well. So forget about a DIY bottle of “drain cleaner”. Professionally trained plumbers use a high-pressure nozzle on a flexible tube that they can insert into your drains to clean them. There are no chemicals used, it is just the pressure of clean water that breaks up clogs that are beginning to form, and removes all of the oily or greasy residue that is sticking to the inside of the pipes. The water then flushes all of the debris away to the city sewer line.
Why Schedule Regular Drain Cleaning Maintenance?
The simple answer is that you can’t see inside your drain pipes to know when they are beginning to get clogged. You have no idea if the grease has covered the entire inside of the pipe and is beginning to catch stray food and debris particles as they pass by. You will only know this if you are paying very close attention to how your sinks and tub drain. If you are not watching for that first sign of a clog forming, then you will not be aware of the issue until there is potentially hazardous waste backing up into your home. And at that point, you are facing a drain repair, most likely a professional clean up, and repairs to any areas that are water and waste damaged.
Timing IS Important
Fixing a small issue is usually less expensive than fixing a large issue. So why not clean out small clogs before they become complete blockages? It will be a faster and less expensive service, and you will know that there are no backups lurking in your future. Most plumbers are happy to schedule a once a year drain cleaning at a very reasonable price. They keep the prices low because they know that the service will be simple and fast. The one year mark is normally when pipes are really beginning to get coated with oily build up, so eliminating it then is simple. If you discover that your home tends to have an issue with build up more often, then consider having the drains cleaned every 6 months. But proactive is always better than reactive service.
Once you have been forced to deal with a sewer line backup in your home, you will understand that this regular drain cleaning service is about far more than just saving a few bucks. No one wants to deal with the inconvenience, the awful smell, and the clean-up of this type of mess. So invest in your plumbing and your peace of mind and schedule a professional drain cleaning once each year.