Columbia Drain Cleaning Services

How Mr. Rooter Handles Columbia Drain Cleaning Problems

Most people have encountered a clogged drain at some point in their lives. Typically, it's just a run-of-the-mill clog caused by too much toilet paper or accidentally dropping something into the kitchen drain, and it can be dealt with fairly easily using a plunger and some good old elbow grease. But occasionally, you get stuck with those really stubborn clogs that just won't go away no matter how hard you plunge—or you think you've got it taken care of because the water starts to drain, but that same fixture clogs right up again the next time you use it.

Those types of situations aren't just annoying. They can also be a sign that the problem is more serious than just basic blockage in your wastewater lines. Our team has the professional equipment for visual inspections and the know-how to figure out what's wrong and give you a professional recommendation on the best course of action to get it fixed up.

Inspection and Diagnosis

You may already know exactly what is causing the problem with your drain pipes, but in most cases, it's something of a mystery. The problem is all tucked away in your pipes, well out of sight, and it's usually being caused by something—or numerous things—accumulating slowly over a long period of time. In order to solve the problem, we first need to find out what's causing it and where exactly the issue is located.

One of the methods we use for inspection and diagnostic purposes during an appointment for Columbia drain cleaning is called video camera inspection. A small video camera with an LED light on it is connected to a flexible cable and fed into your wastewater line. Your service technician navigates it through the pipe while it records footage, and once it's removed, we can play back the footage and interpret it to figure out the location and nature of the issue.

HydroScrub® Jetting

When it's time to get started on the actual Columbia drain cleaning process, hydro jetting is one of the solutions that is often employed. It is a revolutionary drain-cleaning method that uses high-pressure water jets to blast away years of buildup. This highly effective pipe cleaning method is a non-invasive, efficient way to remove clogs in their entirety instead of just pulling up part of the blockage with a toilet auger and leaving plenty of substances behind that will quickly form into a new clog, so you have to call a plumber all over again. Hydro jetting scours the inside of your pipes clean, so there's nothing for clog-causing substances to get caught on.

When this technique is used, you won't have to worry about dealing with the repair or replacement of your sewer lines as frequently because regular hydro jetting keeps them in great shape and extends the lifespan of your system. As an added bonus, hydro jetting is more sanitary than plunging or augering because instead of pulling the clog back out of the pipe and into your house, it pushes it through the pipe and into the municipal sewer drains.

Top Signs That Indicate You Need Columbia Drain Cleaning Services

We all know the main sign that you need Columbia drain cleaning: water just sits there in your fixture and doesn't drain away into your wastewater pipes. But there are usually warning signs before it gets to the point where your fixture is unusable, and if you know what they are, you can call an experienced drain cleaning professional before it gets to the worst-case scenario.

Here are some of the signs that trouble is coming down the pipe:

• Slow drains which take a long time to move water out of fixtures like sinks, bathtubs, or showers.
• Foul odors that smell musty or rotten.
• Low water pressure that is localized in one fixture (i.e., kitchen sink).
• Strange reactions from fixtures—for example, if the toilet gurgles when you use the tap in your bathroom.
• Unusual noises come from pipes that sound like sucking, bubbling, grinding, or trickling.
• Small flies or gnats hovering around the sink or floor drains.
• Raw sewage backing up in fixtures close to the ground (i.e., toilets or bathtubs).

Why Mr. Rooter is the Best Choice for Drain Cleaning in Columbia, SC

When you need professional drain cleaning, you need it to be done right, and you need it to be done now. Plumbing emergencies never wait for a convenient time to happen, which is why our professional plumbing service is at your disposal. It's important to find a reputable company that will arrive promptly and gets the job taken care of efficiently, so you can have full access to your plumbing system again.

Need an efficient drain cleaning service? Count on the team of professionals at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Columbia, SC, for effective Columbia drain cleaning and other residential plumbing services. We are proud to provide the highest standards of professionalism, skill, and courtesy on every job.

Frequently Asked Questions About Columbia Drain Cleaning

Want to know more about Columbia drain cleaning or our other trusted plumbing services in Columbia and nearby parts of the Columbia, SC area? Call us to chat with our knowledgeable customer service staff and find out everything you want to know, or check out our replies to a few common questions down below.

Why Do Drains Clog?

Drains often clog because many people don’t know what can and can’t be flushed down them. For example, people put a lot more credit for food disposal in their kitchen sink drains than they probably should. While garbage disposals help prevent clogs, they’re not indestructible, and they can’t dissolve everything. One good example is throwing hard food scraps like eggshells down the garbage disposal, which risks the material getting caught in the garbage disposal teeth. This can prevent the mechanism from working, resulting in a clog.

Here are a few things you should dispose of in the trash rather than flushing or rinsing them into your wastewater system so that you can avoid the need for Columbia drain cleaning:

• Coffee grounds
• Eggshells
• Feminine hygiene products
• Disposable makeup cloths
• Pasta
• Rice and other food particles
• Grease, oil, and fats
• Ear swabs
• Cotton balls
• Cotton pads
• Hair
• Paint
• Medication
• Household cleaners
• Condoms
• Paper towels
• Kitty litter
• Produce stickers

Being unable to throw fat and grease down the sinks surprises many people since getting rid of fat is part of the cooking process if you're using the same pan for multiple dishes. However, hot water can only do so much to clear your drains. Once the water cools and the drain's temperature falls, the liquified grease begins to solidify into grease buildup, reducing room in the drain and catching other materials that get flushed down the drains.

Another way to avoid clogs as much as possible is to use hair catchers on your bathroom sink and shower drains. Human hair is one of the most common causes of drain clogs. Humans shed consistently, and hair doesn't dissolve in the drains. If it catches on other materials in the drains like soap, it's the perfect recipe for a tougher clog that will require Columbia drain cleaning services.

How Much Does It Cost for Drain Cleaning in Columbia, SC?

The cost of Columbia drain cleaning service can vary. The difference in price is mostly the result of the location and severity of the clog. For instance, a clog in the kitchen sink might be quick and easy to solve, and it can take a professional plumber less than two hours to get it done. This kind of drain cleaning will be on the less expensive side because it doesn’t involve a lot of time to resolve.

On the other hand, if you have a clog in your main sewer line, Columbia drain cleaning services may be more costly. Several things could cause main sewer line clogs, but one of the toughest to solve is tree roots. Tree roots can severely clog the main line by growing into and through a broken pipe. Not only can these roots cause clogs, but they can also destroy your sewer line in the process, meaning it will need to be replaced. For this reason, main sewer line clogs tend to be more expensive to clean out because sewer line repair is necessary as well.

Is It Safe to Use Baking Soda and Vinegar for Columbia Drain Cleaning?

When it comes to homemade solutions like baking soda and vinegar, they aren't unsafe so much as just ineffective. We all know from elementary school science class that these two substances will create an explosive reaction in a closed environment like a capped bottle, but your wastewater disposal line doesn't qualify as a closed environment. The mixture will fizz harmlessly for a minute or two without making much headway on the issue, and then you'll have just added more material to the clog. Cola is another DIY solution that isn't really going to do much of anything, and that sticky sugar isn't very good for your plumbing system.

We also don't recommend harsh chemical drain cleaners in most situations. Overuse of acid-based drain cleaning products can have a really negative effect on your lines and cause them to corrode on the inside, meaning you'll need a sewer line replacement sooner rather than later. The best liquid to use on a stubborn blockage is water—it just has to be pressurized, as it is with Columbia drain cleaning methods like HydroScrub® jetting.

How Often Does Columbia Drain Cleaning Need to Be Done?

It can be tricky to narrow down exactly how many times you should have Columbia drain cleaning taken care of for preventative maintenance purposes because there's naturally quite a bit of variation in how often one household may use their wastewater disposal lines versus another household. Generally speaking, most expert plumbers agree that annual drain cleaning is going to be adequate to keep your system in good working order. And, with regular maintenance, you can rest easy knowing you won't have to deal with a nasty, aggravating drain problem in the near future.

For Reliable Drain Cleaning in Columbia, SC, Call the Pros at Mr. Rooter Plumbing!

If you live in Columbia, SC, or other nearby communities, such as Irmo, Lexington, and Red Bank, and you're dealing with plumbing issues that include tough clogs in your drain lines, you can get the expert plumbing services you need from the experienced team at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Columbia SC. Our plumbing professionals have your back with our wide range of reliable services for everything from leaking pipes to sewer line backups—including major plumbing repairs in Columbia, SC.

Need it taken care of yesterday? We offer same-day services, so give us a quick call or schedule an appointment online for professional drain cleaning in Columbia, SC!