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Most people don’t think about a drain cleaning service until they experience a drain blockage. A drain blockage in Mansfield, TX is one of the worst plumbing issues you will need to deal with. It is unpleasant to clean up wastes after a backup occurs and if it is serious enough it could involve water damage that needs to be dealt with as well. You can avoid a plumbing disaster by scheduling a drain cleaning service on a regular basis with a local plumber. Preventative drain cleaning services are the best way to ensure that your drains stay free and clean of debris or grime that can build up and block your pipes.

Signs of a Drain Blockage

Obviously, if there is water backing up you know that you have a drain issue, but there are signs that can tip you off to a building blockage before you have wastewater floating in your basement. Partial blockages commonly occur before a complete blockage, and it is much less costly and messy to deal with a partial blockage.

Low Water Pressure

Low water pressure can be a sign that you have a drain blockage if it is not something that you typically deal with within a home. If you only have low water pressure in one room then it is more likely that something is wrong with a faucet, but if you start to notice water pressure all over your home it may be time to seriously consider booking a drain cleaning service. A blockage can cause water pressure to decrease since it prevents full water flow from passing through. The longer you wait the worse the situation will get, and then it will go from being annoying to actually preventing you from using your water.

Blocked Pipes

If you have a pipe that is blocked, there is a good chance that this can be the result of a sewer drain issue if the blockage is in more than one pipe. As the sewer system backs up the wastewater is forced back upwards. Your home plumbing is not equipped for that type of backwash. A lot of times individual clogs will occur in plumbing throughout our home. As you may imagine, this only exacerbates the problem which is why it is a better idea to deal with it sooner than later. A drain cleaning service that is scheduled to take place on a regular basis is much cheaper than dealing with multiple blocked pipes.

Smelly Drains or Basement

A smelly drain is a clear indication that you have a drain issue. When debris starts to build up in the drain it stagnates. If a partial blockage forms wastewater will not be able to fully pass and will begin to stink. That smell will slowly wait upwards and before too long you will notice that certain drains in your home smell like sewage. If you have a large blockage in the sewage system you may even notice your entire basement smells like sewage. Sometimes the smell is more noticeable after rain because the ground is saturated pushing wastewater back even more. If you start to notice the odor you should call and book drain cleaning services right away.

What Causes Drain Clogs?

Wondering why you need a drain cleaning service? The simple answer is because if you don’t have your drains cleaned eventually they will get blocked. There are a variety of reasons why your Mansfield, TX drains get clogged. Some of these things you can prevent with good plumbing behavior, but sometimes clogs form even with good plumbing habits. Here are a few of the most common reasons that drains clog.

Tree Roots

Trees or bushes around your sewer system can mean a large problem even though you cannot see it. The roots infiltrate the ground and eventually start to break through tiny holes in your piping near the joints. At first, this is not a major issue but the roots will gain nutrients from the wastewater and continue to grow in size and scope. Eventually, they will form a clog or even worse bust open your pipes causing a major break in your drain system.

Since you cannot see underground you will have no idea that any of this is happening if you do not get regular drain cleaning service. Most drain cleaning service companies can offer a sewer line inspection that takes a clear look along the lines underground using a closed-circuit video camera. Proper identification of roots that may cause a clog or burst your pipes can allow you to act before this occurs and becomes a much larger issue.

Grease and Oil

Grease and oil are two of the most common offenders when it comes to plumbing clogs. Most people don’t think twice about tossing a pan with grease or oil into the sink to rinse it because of the close proximity of kitchen sinks to the oven. However, grease and oil both set up and form a firm film. Think of how grease looks when it sets up in the pan and then imagine that sitting along the sides of your pipes.

Over time that gooey substance will attract other food particles and debris that will continue to build until a full blockage is performed. A drain cleaning service can remove the blockage but if you continue to put oil and grease down the drain it will come back. This is why proper plumbing habits are so important.

Hair

Most people don’t think twice about washing their hair in the shower and it is not something that you can avoid. However, if you have multiple people using a shower there’s a good chance that a large amount of hair is regularly going down the drain. You cannot avoid shedding in the shower but you can place a trap over your shower drain to catch the hair so that it stays above your plumbing system. It is much better to catch the hair before it drops down your drain than to deal with it later when it has formed a clog in your pipes.

Children

Believe it or not, children are often the car parts behind drain clogs. This is because children are more likely to place things down the drain or flush things in the toilet that should not be there. Almost every plumbing professional has the story of an odd toy or object that they have fished out of a drain after he formed a blockage. The best way to avoid this is by keeping an eye on your kids and keeping them out of the bathroom and kitchen sink.

Broken Pipes

Broken or damaged pipes will result in a blockage because the water flow is no longer able to get through. Oftentimes with sewer pipes, Erosion will cause pipes to say which can result in them no longer lining up properly. The result of this is that items get stuck in the pipes that normally would not until a blockage forms. Proper maintenance and drain cleaning service can help you spot this problem before it becomes irreparable.

Flushable Wipes

Flushable wipes or one of the most aggravating inventions to plumbers in Mansfield, TX, and anywhere else. While they are marketed to be safe or sewer systems they absolutely are not. Toilet paper is carefully designed to break down immediately once it hits the water which is why it is safe for use in almost all septic systems. Flushable wipes do not break down in this manner and in fact sometimes never dissolve. Instead, they lodge themselves on the side of your pipes catching other debris until a blockage forms.

Flushable wipes or one of the leading reasons that people need to replace their septic systems because of overuse and dependence on wipes that do not deteriorate properly. If you truly want to protect your plumbing system from needing excessive drain cleaning service you should avoid these at all costs. The golden rule of all plumbers is that nothing goes down the toilet unless it is toilet paper or waste.

Benefits of Regular Drain Cleaning

Outside of removing a blockage, there are many benefits to booking a regular drain cleaning service. Like most things, it is easier to proactively maintain your plumbing system then it is to troubleshoot a problem. As mentioned earlier, it’s also a lot less hassle to seem preventative drain cleaning service then reactive drain cleaning. This is just one of the many reasons to consider regular drain cleaning, here are a few more.

Safer Than Chemicals

A lot of people skip drain cleaning because they think they can just pick up commercial drain cleaners from their local hardware store. While it is available, it is not a solution to constant drain blockages and can eventually even cause more of a problem. Despite what the packaging may say, any plumber will tell you that commercial drain cleaners are not safe for your pipes.

The chemicals that make up most commercial drain cleaners are made to eat through anything that could be blocking your pipes. The acids do not discriminate against what they eat through. This means with continual use they will start to eat through your piping system along with any debris inside. In fact, commercial drain cleaning use is one of the number one reasons that pipes corrode.

If you want your plumbing system to last for years, you should call a professional plumber for a suspected clog and ditch the commercial cleaning solution. A drain cleaning service is a much safer way to clear a clog without harming your pipes in the process.

Plus, commercial drain cleaning solutions only break up a clog, they don’t troubleshoot the reason your drain clogged in the first place. If you don’t identify the source of the clog it will just form again forcing you to use more drain solution. It is this vicious cycle that will destroy your drains.

Extend the Lifespan of Your Plumbing System

While avoiding the use of chemical drain cleaners will help extend the lifespan of your plumbing system so will a regular drain cleaning service. Regular drain cleaning will protect your pipes by removing debris and dirt before it can cause damage. It reduces the risk of corrosion and protects your pipes from further damage.

In addition, a drain cleaning service that involves sewer line inspection can also spot any minor issues before they become major. For instance, if there are roots breaking through your pipes regular drain cleaning can catch the issue before the roots break or fracture your pipes which would result in a major repair bill.

Your drain system is not cheap, the best thing you can do to protect the plumbing system is to practice good plumbing habits. It is always cheaper to pay for preventative service now and it is fairly easy to book drain cleaning service versus paying for and dealing with an emergency plumber.

Quality You Can Trust

You can rent a snake and attempt to clean out your own drains, but you will be doing it blindly and have no idea what really is going on in your drains. It is a much better idea to allow a professional to clean out your drains so they can assess the situation and see if you have any trouble brewing before you end up knee-deep in your own sewage wastes. Regular drain cleaning is not a tedious task, and once you are set in a routine you will find that it is easy to keep up with.

Benjamin Franklin of Fort Worth – Mansfield, TX is a team of expert plumbers who have extensive experience working with sewer drains. Whether you need to have your drains cleaned or need help with a blockage we are here to assist. We offer emergency plumbing services and regular preventative services that are always just a phone call away.