When Should You Call a Plumber for a Clogged Drain?
Drain clogging creates severe issues in your plumbing systems. Clogged drain systems can result in sewer backups and spills. Clogged drains have also caused sink overflows, bathtub backflow, and other inconveniences.
Drain lines get blocked because of various reasons, and most of the time, homeowners make use of harsh drain cleaning chemicals to clear the clogged drains. Over time, the use of such chemicals weakens the pipe material leading to leaks and pipe damage. To some extent, one can unclog drains using Do-It-Yourself methods. But if the clogging has caused a severe blockage in the pipeline or when the clogging has occurred deep down in the drain pipes, DIY jobs do not help much.
Before you think of DIY plumbing jobs, understand the type of plumbing lines in your home. It is extremely helpful to know the types of pipes and pipe sections used for different drain and water lines, even if you have a great go-to plumber to attend to any plumbing problems.
What Types of Drain Pipes Are There
Once you identify the types of pipes you have, you would be able to find out the best repair options for fixing leaks or using the right equipment for fixing the clogged pipes.
Polyvinyl Chloride Piping (PVC) Pipes
Polyvinyl chloride is a leading choice for building residential drain lines over the last forty or fifty years. PVC is a light-coloured and highly durable plastic material that resists corrosion and outlasts most other materials for drainage pipes. PVC comes in several different gradings ranging from 40, 80, and CPVC.
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
ABS plastic piping was a low-cost and easy to repair alternative to metal. ABS is usually known in the market as black piping. It was a plastic form of piping applicable for residential drainage architecture. Despite its rust-proof properties, the material itself is not proven as a long-haul solution, and in certain areas, this piping material is banned from use in the construction of new homes
Polyethene Pipes
Polyethene came into the world around the 1950s, and since then, it has found several applications. The polyethene material is very versatile and offers numerous advantages over steel, iron, and cement pipes. They are best for drainage pipes because of the manufacturing size variety and connect many sewage pipes in a chain.
Galvanised Steel Pipes
You can quickly identify these pipes by their grey and silvery exterior. These pipes usually come in galvanized and zinc-coated properties, which increase their durability. Galvanized steel pipes do wear down and rust when the zinc wears off. This corrosion can cause rust, clogs, slow water flow, and leaks. Galvanized steel pipes are also thick, which poses a risk during maintenance.
Clay Pipes
Clay pipes would be something you will find in homes built in the 1950-1990s. Clay pipes can seem like a bizarre option for drainage pipes, but they are viable. These pipes also have a porous surface that attracts tree roots, which can crack the pipes. Modern vitrified clay sewer pipes are used in sewer systems today, and their installations involve encasing the pipes in concrete.
When To Call A Plumber for Fixing Clogged Drain
When More Than One Drain Pipe is Clogged First, you should check the following water fixtures
1. Showers
2. Toilets
3. Bathtubs
4. Sinks
If more than one drain moves slowly, with gurgling movements, or smells bad, it could be very likely that there is a clog in the connecting sewer line pipes. Your home’s drain lines have a shape like a tree, which carries wastewater away from your home. This main sewer line looks like a tree with branches connecting to water fixtures in your bathroom, sink drain, toilet, and vent. All these pipe sections connect separately to the middle pipe, in which clogging could occur.
When more than one drain pipe section gets clogged, it is wiser to call a certified plumber in Escondido for a thorough inspection and fixing the issues.
When Clogging Events Become Frequent
Drain blockage happens once or twice in a long time, but what if you are experiencing it too much? The cause can be leaks of substances that pass through your drain filters and accumulate on your drainage pipes. Such substances are oil, grease, hair, and other waste materials.
You have to install better filters to stop hair from getting into the drain pipes and be careful not to dump food oil in your drain. Also, try using grease-free soap bars which do not leave residue inside the lines when they dry. You can call up plumbing inspection to identify where the issues lie and how you can fix them.
Contact a certified emergency plumber if the clogs and leaks have become frequent.
When There is Appearance of Black Sludge
Once you see this sludge, you will not be able to erase it from your memory, ever. This gooey substance which appears like it’s spilling from your bathroom sink pipe will look something like out of a horror movie. This creeping slime is nothing but a mixture of dead skin cells, toothpaste residue, shaving cream, hair, soap scum, mildew, and many bacteria.
Over time the flow of warm water in corners where the eye cannot see can build up this residue of waste into a slimy biological film that hangs from the pipes. Cleaning them is not always easy, and you should call a plumbing inspection who will diagnose and fix the problem in much less time.
You should call for professional assistance. Hire a professional plumber in Escondido to get rid of clogged drain issues, and ensure that you get a guarantee-backed solution. This will translate to long term peace of mind from recurring issues too.
When Foul Odors Are Coming From Drain Areas
A foul smell is a big sign that something is wrong, especially when it’s a sewage smell. Contact an emergency plumber in Escondido immediately, and get the problem fixed as soon as possible.
A sewage smell in your bathroom, laundry, or kitchen can be a significant indicator of a borderline issue of backed-up plumbing. It can also come from the sewage itself, which will require action from the local governmental cleaners. The problem can be a dry p-trap which will require you to run your tap. But it can also be a broken vent pipe which will require attention from plumbing inspection.
If the gas makes you sick with nausea or headaches, it might be methane from rotting bio-material.
When Kitchen Drains Clogs Lead to Minor Flooding
A flood in your kitchen can be one of the most stressful experiences of your life as a house owner. You will have to deal with broken appliances’ insurance policies and many long-lasting issues in your flooring, such as mold.
You also cannot work inside a leaking kitchen. Hire a licensed plumber in Escondido with the resources to get not only clogs and leaks detected and get the required cleanup done.
You will have to throw away the food which will rot because your appliances will not work. You should immediately call professionals to help with this issue as it will not be effortless to fix it. But you should always first try to turn off the main water valve, which will minimize the damage.
When Toilet Drain Line Clogs
Toilet drain line handles a lot of work carrying waste almost all day. The pipe can get clogged if you flush anything which does not mix with water. Toilet clogs can be tough to fix and can also create backflow of water, flooding your whole house with feces and drainage water. The result is a nasty smell, blackening of your furniture, and permanent damage to your carpet or appliances.
If you experience clogging, do not try flushing the toilet and instead call professional plumbing services – call a plumber near you with expertise and certifications in toilet drain line repairs.
When Clogs Are Deeper in The Drain Lines
You can get rid of many pipeline clogs by running hot water through your pipes, but some clogs are either difficult to get rid of or can handle hot water. In such cases, seek professional help by calling a plumber near you who will find the clog’s exact location using some valuable technologies and help fix it for you.
The clogs can be because of various reasons such as fibrous food waste, non-food items, and even eggshells. Grease and oil are the substances that cling all these waste products together. Leaving the drain clogged for too long can make pests make a home inside them, such as drain flies and rats. Hire an expert plumber for drain cleaning before your drain lines get a major clog leading to leaks and pipe damage.
Sewer Line Issues Occur
Many homes in southern California also suffer from iron sewer pipe damage because the internal sewer lines may contain such pipes. The average lifetime of cast iron pipes is 25-35 years which is pretty short compared to other types of pipes. If your lines get older than twenty-five years, they will start suffering damage.
Plastic pipes can also suffer damage if someone flushes extremely corrosive materials down them. The consequence can be a problem for everyone in the locality. Such sewer line issues require immediate professional action to make sure things do not get worse. Consult an experienced licensed plumber in Escondido with a good track record in fixing such issues.
A sewer line failure will cost tremendously more in comparison to proactive maintenance.
Conclusion
Pipe bursts and leaks are common occurrences, and sometimes they can cause some catastrophic damage around your home. Broken appliances are one of such issues which can intensify all the leaks and smell in your home. You cannot fix every issue; it is better to find a go-to plumber for such matters. It is better to solve plumbing problems in a comprehensive manner. A short gap fix could help save some dollars but could later cost you thousands of dollars.
