When you’re taking a shower, the last thing you expect is to feel the water around your ankles. But that’s exactly what can happen when a drain becomes clogged. It is an inconvenience, but also a hazard to your health. If it is not addressed, it can eventually cause property damage, leading to expensive repairs! 

Initially, you may try to unclog it with a plunger, but some cases are serious enough that they require a professional drain cleaning service. 

Your local plumber will have the tools and expertise to quickly figure out the cause of the blockage and safely remove it without causing further damage. 

Hiring a professional drain cleaner will immediately solve your issue, but it will also leave you with a cleaner, healthier drain that will perform better. 

How to Tell if Your Home Needs Drain Cleaning 

Most people notice one or more of the following signs when their home needs professional drain cleaning services:   

• Slow-draining sinks
• Frequently overflowing toilets 
• Water that fills up your sink or tub 
• A foul odor coming from your drains

If you think you have a blocked drain, don’t put off contacting a professional. 

What Is Drain Cleaning? 

Drain cleaning is often associated with pouring chemicals down the sink. While it may work to unblock minor clogs, that is not what plumbers use for drain cleaning. 

For simple drain unblocking, a plumber will clean your drain with a motorized drain auger, also called a drain snake. The snake will take care of most blockages within a drainpipe. This is commonly the first step to solving clogged drains.    

When a more thorough cleaning is required, a pro drain cleaner will use video pipe inspections to decide the best approach to cleaning your drain. 

These types of professional drain services use a fiber optic cable-mounted camera to travel through the drain pipes, sending images back to a monitor. This allows the drain cleaning professional to see the interior of the pipes. 

From there, they can target specific areas that need to be cleaned and determine the proper tools to get the job done.   

A hydrojetter is often the main tool used by plumbers for drain cleaning. It is a powerful device that uses motors to create water under pressure, blasting it out through a nozzle. 

The nozzle is inserted down into the drainpipe, allowing the water to force any buildup out of the pipes. The result is a set of pipes that are extremely clean, making it difficult for the buildup to accumulate again.  

Oftentimes, a drain cleaning plumber will use the hydrojetter and follow it with a video inspection to ensure the job is thoroughly done. Some plumbers will give you a flash drive of the video footage so you can see the work that was completed. 

The average drain cleaning service will take between one and two hours to finish. If a plumber notices sewer line damage during your drain cleaning, you may need to schedule sewer line replacement services. 

Preparing for a Professional Drain Cleaning 

There are a few things you can do to prepare for a visit from a drain cleaning professional:

• Clear a path to the access point that is at least three feet wide
• Remove items from under the sink or around the area having a backup 
• Remove any sewage waste 
• Understand that drain cleaning may be a temporary solution

Abuse of a sewer system may cause continuous backups and contribute to pipe damage and defects. 

Preventing Clogged Drains 

Clogged drains are frustrating, no matter when they happen. Slow-moving water in your sink or tub makes completing normal activities, like showering, more difficult. The best way to avoid struggles like these is to prevent clogged drains. 

To prevent the need for a drain cleaning professional:  

• Place hair and food screens over the drain to protect them from clogs
• Be careful about what you put down your garbage disposal
• Avoid pouring grease or oil down the drain 
• Hire a professional drain cleaner at least once a year
• Between professional drain cleanings, pour hot water down the drain once a month

You might not be able to see inside of your drains, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored! 

If a plunger doesn’t solve your problem or you think there is more than one backed up drain, contact a professional drain cleaner near Derry, Manchester, and Nashua, NH. 

Call Paul The Plumber when you need a plumber for residential or commercial drain cleaning. We always bring you service with a smile!