The holidays may be over but they could still have their lingering effects, and no, we don’t mean on your credit card bill.
We’re talking about your plumbing! If you hosted any big meals this past holiday season, you likely made a lot of use of your kitchen sink and garbage disposal system. As such, you may have a buildup of FOG (fats, oils, and grease) and other food items.
Kitchens aren’t the only victim of the holidays, either, when it comes to your plumbing system. Visiting guests means excessive use of your bathrooms as well, where clogs are just as likely.
But how do you know if you need professional drain cleaning? Read on as we uncover some of the signs.
Slow Drainage
When it comes to your drain and sewer system, the most likely cause of a plumbing repair call will be a clog. Clogs often build up slowly, as waste accumulates on your drainpipe walls. As the clog builds toward the center of the pipe, it restricts water flow more and more, leaving you with slow drainage. If you notice one or two drains removing water slower than normal, you more than likely have a clog that needs removing.
Smelly Drains
This symptom is most commonly found in kitchen drains, which as we mentioned above, have to deal with quite a bit of food waste. Whether it is your kitchen drain or your bathroom drain, foul odors typically mean there’s a waste buildup in the pipes that need to be cleaned out. Take note, too, if the foul odors are housewide or not—this can be the sign of a sewer line blockage.
Gurgling Noises
If you hear gurgling when you use your bathtub or your sink, there’s a chance that your drain has collected too much dirt and grease. This type of obstruction creates air bubbles, leading to the gurgling noise you detect. Once the drain is cleared, water and air can moth freely move down without creating this issue or the subsequent noise.
Standing Water
Does your bathtub look more like a swamp than a bathtub when you pull the drain? Standing water means there’s a blockage. It may be something superficial, like hair near the surface that can be picked out or removed with a plunger. If this doesn’t do the trick though, it’s time to give us a call.
“Can’t I Just Use a Bottle of Store-Bought Drain Cleaner?”
You could, but you would be doing more harm than good, most likely. These chemical-laden “solutions” are very caustic. Sure they might eat through whatever is clogging your drain or causing it to smell, but it also eats away at the pipes, leading to premature repiping needs or leak repair needs.
When you contact a professional, you can rely on comprehensive drain cleaning with the use of a drain snake or hydro-jet. No chemicals will be used, and this type of cleaning relieves the clog you have now and makes it less likely it will occur again.
Established in 1912, Max Sr & Paul Schoenwalder Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, A Corp. is your trusted resource for professional plumbing in Chatham, NJ. Contact us today!