You have a clog in your pipe, and you aren’t sure what to do about it. Do you plunge it? Try to remove it another way? Call a professional? For simple clogs, a plunger may do the trick. For more stubborn blockages, you’ll need a plumber. Clearing drains requires special skills and expertise that only a professional in the Denver, CO, area can tackle. If a plunger doesn’t do the trick to remove your blockage, call an experienced plumber.
How Does Professional Drain Cleaning Work?
A professional plumber uses specialized tools and equipment to remove clogs and buildup from your drains. Experienced plumbers may be able to use a plunger to move a blockage, even if you’ve had no success on your own. For stubborn clogs, a plumber may use a drain snake or auger to break apart the mass and remove debris. For small obstructions and a buildup of debris, a plumber may blast pressurized water through your pipes. This high-powered water removes items that stick to the walls of your pipes and flushes all debris out of the system.
Drain cleaning is often done as a preventative measure to keep your pipes clear and avoid the hassle of clogs and other messes. Our experts recommend scheduling routine drain cleaning services once per year to keep material from building up. If you’ve skipped routine cleaning, you can still benefit from professional services as a reactive measure against obstructions and buildup in your pipes.
Why Hire a Professional?
Experienced plumbers understand how plumbing works and know how to clear your drains without causing damage to the pipes. Trying to clear a clog yourself could result in further damage and mess. Chemical drain cleaners that you can buy at a local hardware store are often harsh and can weaken your plumbing system. As pipes weaken, they are prone to corrosion and leaks. Broken and leaky pipes can result in water damage and the need for expensive repairs. Drain cleaners may also stain surfaces, including stainless steel sinks. Most professionals recommend avoiding these products.
You might be tempted to use a coat hanger, screwdriver, or other tool to remove debris from your pipes. Doing so could puncture the pipe and result in leaks. Never put a foreign object down the drain to remove clogs. Even augers and drain snakes should only be used by a trained plumber. These items can damage your plumbing system if used incorrectly.
Plunging your sink, tub, or toilet is usually safe and sometimes effective. Toilets clog quite regularly, and a plunger is typically enough to move the blockage. Be sure to use different plungers in the sink and toilet for sanitary reasons. There are smaller plungers designed for use in sinks and tubs. Anything a plunger cannot fix requires help from a knowledgeable plumber.
Signs You Require Drain Cleaning
From subtle to obvious, there are many warning signs that you need professional drain cleaning services. Unfortunately, you may not notice you have a problem until it’s too late. Delaying service could result in further damage, nasty messes, and a high price tag for repairs.
- Drains that won’t empty
- Drains that empty slower than normal
- Frequent clogs and backups
- Burst pipes or water leaks
- Foul odors coming from drains
- Presence of mold and mildew
- Gurgling noises in the pipes
Benefits of Drain Cleaning
Having your drains cleaned by a professional plumber once a year offers numerous benefits, including convenience, cleanliness, and structural longevity that pay off in the long run.
Prevention of Clogs
Clogs in your pipes happen when foreign material builds up over time and obstructs the flow of water and waste. Clogs are generally the result of putting food, grease, or hair down the drain. Professional cleaning lowers your risk of messy clogs and ensures your waterways stay clear and empty.
Better Drainage
Even small areas of buildup can affect the speed of drain emptying. Your sink or tub may drain much slower than normal as hair, food, and other debris narrow the passageway that water escapes through. The gradual buildup may happen so slowly that you don’t even notice until it’s too late and you have standing water in your sink or tub. After professional cleaning, your fixtures will empty quickly and completely.
Eliminate Smells
Foul odors linger with buildup inside your drains. You may smell musty odors associated with mold and mildew growing inside your drains. Mold and mildew spread easily in damp, dark environments such as clogged pipes. You might also notice a rotten odor, like spoiled food, if you have food material stuck in the drain.
Prevent Structural Damage
Clogs and buildup inside your pipes can cause damage to the structural integrity of your plumbing system. As water and foreign material sit inside the pipe, the stress could cause the pipe to burst. Nasty buildup may also erode your pipe over time, leading to leaks.
Avoid Floods and Overflows
A blocked pipe means that water has nowhere else to go. When this happens, your fixture may overflow with water and waste. Overflows can cause extensive damage to other areas of your house, including floors, walls, and personal belongings.
Save Money
By scheduling preventative drain cleaning, you’ll avoid the mess that comes with burst pipes, leaks, floods, and overflows. You’ll save money on repairs if the plumbing is intact. You will also avoid the hefty costs of repairing and replacing water damage. If a burst pipe or leak occurs and goes unnoticed for any length of time, you could be looking at a total remodel in that part of the house. This is especially true if mold starts to grow, which can occur in as little as 24 hours. You may also have to replace personal property such as furniture, bedding, and other items.
Improve Cleanliness and Health
As high-pressure water runs through your pipes during drain cleaning, it removes foreign substances from the walls and interior of the pipes. This cleaning removes mold, mildew, and bacteria that build up due to the moist environment and debris. Mold, mildew, and bacteria pose health risks if left to linger and grow inside your plumbing system.
Stop Noisy Pipes
Removing buildup from the pipe walls and clogs in the plumbing eliminates these noises for quiet drainage. The only noise you should hear is the water running out of the drain and through the pipes.
Keep your plumbing system healthy and clear with routine drain cleaning by our professional plumbers at High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. We strive for excellence in everything we do, ensuring we leave you with peace of mind and total satisfaction. In addition to expert drain cleaning, our plumbers offer services related to your household plumbing, including maintenance and repairs. We also take care of repairing and installing water heaters, installing, and replacing pipes, and handling gas lines. Sewer, septic, and camera inspections are other top plumbing services we offer. Call High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to schedule an appointment in the Denver area.
