Drain Cleaning Frequently Asked Questions
Types of Household Drains We Can Clean
If there is a drain in your home, we can clean it. All of our training and plumbing tools keep us ready to eliminate any clog in any room. You never have to flip through websites looking for a plumber who can handle your drain cleaning. You've already found us!
Types of drains we can clean:
- Kitchen - Most drain cleaning services place our plumbing technicians in the kitchen. Putting one wrong thing down your garbage disposal can wreak havoc on the drain, after all.
- Bathroom - Many drain cleaning jobs also require us to deal with a bad clog in a bathroom. Toothpaste and hair build-up are common causes.
- Garage - Garages used as workshops can spread debris into drains in the garage floor. While this habit seems innocuous, it can quickly lead to a clog.
- Sewer Line - You should not wait to get a sewer line clog cleared up. Sewer backflow can contaminate your home’s potable water.
Is My Drain Really Clogged?
Pouring water in a clogged tubDoes your drain really have a clog down in its pipes, or is it just a little slow at draining due to some other defect? The answer is not always obvious. However, there are a few surefire indicators that a clog has formed or is forming in a drain. It just comes down to being able to recognize them.
Call us for drain cleaning services if you notice:
- Pooling water: The water that goes down a drain should pretty much wash away as quickly as you expect. If it is slowing down to the point of pooling, then there is likely a clog in the pipes. The longer it takes to start pooling, the further down the drain it might be.
- Bubbling sounds: Water rushing down a drain should sound just like that. If it sounds like bubbles or gurgles, then there is likely a clog in the line. This causes the water to swirl or temporarily pool before draining away.
- Foul stenches: Do you get hit with a bad smell in the air whenever you walk into the bathroom or kitchen? It could be a sign that a clog of rotting materials is stuck in the drain. As the clog worsens, the foul smell gets stronger, filling more and more of your home.
What Clogs Bathroom & Kitchen Drains?
Some of the most common things that end up down drains and clogging them are:
- Food Waste - Not everything you can eat can be destroyed by garbage disposal. Starchy pasta, stringy vegetables, coffee grounds, and fatty foods, for example, will all increase the chances of your kitchen drain getting clogged.
- Nonbiodegradable Waste - Remember that the drains in your home are not trash cans. Never put paper, plastic, and cardboard into a sink, toilet, or garbage disposal. Even small scraps can create the foundation for a huge clog.
- Menstrual Hygiene Pads - Along the same line of thinking, only dispose of menstrual hygiene products in a trashcan. Although placing them in the toilet to flush away might seem convenient, it will be extremely inconvenient when a clog later forms.
- Hair - Bathtub and shower drains are usually clogged by wads of hair. Using a hair catch over the drain can stop most hair from flowing down there, but it is not guaranteed to be 100% effective. Soap scum residue from bathing can also build inside of a drain.
- Toys - If you have any small children in your home, then you probably already know that they can be a menace for your plumbing by putting small toys into toilets and sinks.
- Dirt, Sticks, and Dust - Garage, basement, and outdoor drains are susceptible to being clogged with natural debris, like dirt and sticks. When dirt becomes wet, it becomes mud, so trying to wash dirt down a drain might actually just make things worse.
What Can I Pour Down a Drain to Unclog It?
There are a few home DIY tricks you can rely on to try and unclog a drain. However, take this advice with a grain of salt. The best and safest way to handle a severe clog is to consult an experienced and licensed plumber near you.
Start with hot water. Boiling water is the best course of action if some liquid can trickle down the drain. Hot water melts whatever fats might be holding on to other debris in your pipes.
If the clog is too severe to let through any liquid, your next course of action should be to snake the drain with an old wire hanger or with an inexpensive drain snake from your local hardware store. Either of these tools will allow you to pull out any gunk and throw it away. If your drain clears more after this, consider using hot water.
Some will recommend pouring baking soda and vinegar down the drain. This chemical reaction will clean your drains, but you must be careful if your pipes are old. Baking soda and vinegar create gas in your pipes, which, in turn, pushes any debris up or down the drain. However, if your pipes are old, this could damage them.
Professional Drain Cleaning Services Near Me
We are the local team of plumbing and drain cleaning professionals that homeowners in Torrance go to first when in a plumbing pinch. Backed by the nationally recognized Mr. Rooter® Plumbing name, our team is ready for any drain cleaning job, no matter how difficult and regardless of the hour. That’s right – our 24 hour plumbers are near you and ready to provide skilled drain cleaning services at no additional after-hours charges. No matter why your drains are clogged, let our Torrance plumbing and drain company help!
Call for affordable drain cleaning services today!
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