Salt Lake Drain Cleaning: How to Avoid an Expensive Clog

Short answer: Homeowners should have professional drain cleaning in Salt Lake at least annually to prevent severe clogs. Regular maintenance by Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter prevents grease, hair, and hard water scaling from wreaking havoc on local plumbing and creating costly damage inside of homes.

Few homeowners enjoy listening to a slow drain. That gurgling sound the sink makes or watching water creep down the shower drain means something big and hairy is lurking further down your pipes. When drains become clogged and don’t allow water to flow quickly, air is trapped inside the pipes and can make your home smell like sewage. Plus, pressure builds up behind clogs and can cause pipes to burst, flooding your home and costing thousands in water damage repairs.

Inside and outside your home can impact how your pipes drain. Seasonal weather changes, old trees, and even water quality can affect your plumbing over time. Every home is different, and that’s why homeowners should understand how to minimize risk and prevent bothersome floods and huge plumbing bills.

Maintenance should start long before you have a drainage problem. Let Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter teach you what you need to know about preventative maintenance to protect your home. By knowing these few simple tricks and having regular drain cleaning in Salt Lake performed by professionals, you’ll be able to keep your property safe and sound.

Why do people get clogged drains?

Major clogs take time to develop. Whether it’s the bathroom or kitchen sink, liquid grease and hair combine with everyday products to create giant clogs that slowly grow wider each month. Oils, bacon grease, and animal fats should never be poured down your drains. As they make their way down your pipes and cool off, they stick to the inside of your plumbing and harden into a trap for food particles.

Soap scum and dead skin are two other issues that affect drainability in the bathroom. Combine that with anything else that could stick to hair like toothpaste and thick shower gel, and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for a serious clog that can quickly overflow your toilet. Throw away used wipes and don’t put large amounts of toilet paper down the toilet. Women’s menstrual pads, diapers, and large cardboard towels do not break down quickly and can stay inside your pipes for years.

Will hard water affect my plumbing?

local salt lake plumber

local salt lake plumber

Water coming into your home from the city of Salt Lake has high amounts of calcium and magnesium minerals. As water rushes through your plumbing, the minerals begin to separate from the water and accumulate on the inside of your pipes. Eventually, hard water creates layers of these minerals that glue together and form a hard scale coating on the inside of your pipes.

Water damage becomes much worse when you have hard water running through your plumbing. The scale from hard water buildup creates a rough surface on the inside of your pipes. Debris from your sinks and showers doesn’t slide up and down smoothly but gets caught on the crud buildup. The technicians at Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter have seen many houses where hard water scale has made it impossible to remove a hair clog. Yearly maintenance will scrub the scale from your pipes and prevent permanent buildup.

What are some ways you know you have a clog?

The best time to fix a problem is before it happens. If you notice it takes a little longer for your sink, bathtub, or shower to drain water, you could be facing a clog. Another way to know if you have a clog is if you have to step in puddles of water at the end of your shower. This means that there’s a blockage slowling draining the water away.

Smells are also a great indicator that you might have a problem. Maybe your kitchen sink is beginning to smell like rotten eggs, or there’s an unpleasant scent coming from your bathtub drain. This odor is trapped air being pushed through your pipes instead of water. Sewage smells and poor drainage go hand in hand, meaning you should call Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter immediately if you notice this issue.

Why shouldn’t homeowners use chemical drain cleaners?

It’s tempting to grab the jug of liquid plumber from the store and pour it down your drain hoping for the best. Liquid chemicals are terrible for your plumbing and don’t properly remove clogs. They may burn through the center of a clog, but they don’t always clear the pipe entirely. Your clog will return weeks after you use a store-bought chemical treatment.

Chemical drain cleaners are also bad for your pipes. The chemicals are corrosive and can warp your plumbing or eat away at the glue that seals older metal pipes together. These liquids are also terrible for the environment and not safe to breathe in if Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter technicians have to come in later and manually cut your pipes apart to remove a clog.

How do professional plumbers clear really bad clogs?

Professional drain cleaning service has access to the best technology for tackling clogs. The first thing technicians at Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter will do is insert a video inspection camera into your plumbing. Not only does this allow us to see the exact problem you’re facing, but we don’t have to dig through your house or yard to find the clog.

Once we find the clog, we have powerful plumbing tools to get your water flowing correctly again. High-powered cutting devices can easily chew through massive tree roots or other physical objects. Water jets blast hard water deposits and grease buildups to restore flow and ensure your pipes are completely clean.

When is it time for my next plumbing inspection?

Don’t wait until your toilet is overflowing before you schedule maintenance on your plumbing. Yearly maintenance is the best way to ensure you don’t have any nasty surprises with your plumbing. Contact Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter today to schedule your yearly inspection, and let our professionals take a look at what may be lurking inside your pipes.

FAQ

Do you offer free estimates?

At Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter, most service calls are free. We believe that the customer should know up front how much services will cost. We do not want you to be surprised with a bill at the end. We feel that by giving you the estimate first you will trust us to do the job right.

How long does it take to unclog a drain?

Typically one hour for smaller jobs. Depending on the severity of your clogged drain, we can have your pipes flowing as good as new in a couple of hours. We understand you are going about your day and don’t want to be without water for an extended period. Our technicians will work quickly and efficiently to get your home back to normal as soon as possible.

Do I need regular maintenance if I have a new house?

You should think of cleaning your drains like you do your teeth. You wouldn’t wait until your teeth started falling out to brush them twice a day. Preventative maintenance will remove the build up from your pipes before it becomes a bigger, more expensive problem. If you start early we can help prevent build up from ever happening.

Trust Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter Today

Reach out to Electric Drain & Sewer Rooter today to ensure your plumbing stays in tip top shape all year round! Our professional Drain Cleaning services are here for you! Call now at (801) 266-8041.