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At some point in your life you will face the horror of a clogged drain — it might seem like it’s not a big deal but it can be quite exasperating, especially if there’s a recurring clog. Clogs can occur at any time and sometimes drain cleaners don’t do the trick.  

Symptoms of a clogged drain
Most of the time people do not pay much attention to their drainage systems, so when they are clogged, they are unable to realize it initially. It is only after a serious clog problem occurs that they understand the signs they were getting. However, you can save yourself the headache if you are able to spot any one or more symptoms that clearly indicate a clogged drain. Here are a few:

• If you notice that your toilet is gurgling after you have used the dishwasher or washing machine, it is likely that your sewer line is clogged.
• If your toilet gurgles and water comes up in your shower and bath tub, that is another sign.
  
• If you are able to flush your toilet and drain out water from the bath tub and shower, but your kitchen sink is clogged, it means that there’s a sewer drain problem.
• If water is draining out slower than it usually does, you most likely have a clogged drain.
• If toilet water level increases or decreases, it is another symptom to look out for.
• If there is a strange, unpleasant odor in the house, it could very much be a result of the rotting elements in the clogged drain.

Causes of clogged drain
Now that you know the symptoms of a clogged drain, let’s understand why it happens:

• Grease and fat in the drain
  When you pour cooking oil or fat down the sink, it is highly likely that the drain of the kitchen sink will get clogged. Regular dishwashing and cooking activities can allow small food particles to flow down the drain as well and as they continue to accumulate in the pipe, the gunk of grease clogs the drain.

• Tree roots in the drain
  If you live near an area where there is a variety of plants or roots, drain blockage may be a common issue. If your drain pipes are broken or damaged, roots might infiltrate through the cracks and clog the drain. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Burleson, TX provides a camera drain inspection that helps to locate where the pipe is exactly blocked.
• Silt in the drain
  Gullies stop silt from entering your drain. If there are gullies around your property, silt will accumulate in them and your drain might get clogged. Over time when silt is gathered, it reduces the capacity of the pipe and may cause flooding during the monsoon season. Silted drains can also cause drainage problems in the garden.

Drainage cleaning
You might find a lot of solutions that seem promising, but drain clogs can sometimes not be fixed by running vinegar and baking soda down the drain. Drain cleaning is important as it promotes a healthy living standard and saves you a lot of unhygienic hassle. To better understand the problem and find a safer and inexpensive one-time solution, get in touch with a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing expert in Burleson, TX.

Types of drainage systems
There are 4 main types of drainage systems:

1. Surface drainage system:
   If you reside in an area that is flat, this drainage system will suit you the best. It avoids pooling and flooding in the area around the house. For this system to work effectively however, it is important that ditches are dug in a parallel pattern that create a pathway for water to flow off into the main drain.
2. Subsurface drainage system:
   Also known as the French drain system, subsurface pipes are placed beneath the soil. The placement of pipes is underground which makes the land water-logged. This also  causes plants to die due to excess water. Deep ditches are dug and either a large collector drain which collects water or a sump pump is needed to pump out the water being stored in underground pipes.
3. Downspout drainage system
   This drainage system which is usually seen on the exterior of homes and buildings collects water from the gutters and runs it down to the ground. It is connected to the building and runs from the top to the ground.
4. Slope drainage system
   Allowing gravity to help water move away from a residential structure, this drainage system, as the name suggests, runs down a slope. The pipe is positioned in an incline, allowing water to freely flow through the pipe to an area of water disposal, away from the building or home.
   

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing

To be able to understand what causes drain problems and how you can be careful with future issues, a reliable and trusted drain cleaning expert opinion is needed. Benjamin Franklin is a family run plumbing service in Burleson, TX that prioritizes customer satisfaction. They provide a camera inspection of your drains so you can see what caused the blockage in the first place. They provide suggestions and solutions to your drain cleaning problems and offer remedial actions to prevent drain damage. They also offer a first after-service inspection for free because they know that you’ve invested in the repair.