Your bathroom faucets and bathtubs are suddenly slow to drain water and you’re not sure why. An issue such as this is occurring for several reasons. Shaving cream, toothpaste, hair and soap are making their way into your drain, so you are inevitably going to experience some buildup. However, there are DIY methods and preventative solutions out there that will allow you to avoid any major damage to your bathroom drainage system.
Faucets that are free-flowing and clear of any buildup are easier to clean and maintain. They are a lot less likely to get clogged up with gunk and other waste materials. Here are some helpful tips that allow you to avoid having to undergo any major bathroom drain repair services.
Avoiding Dirty Drains
Why should you try to avoid a clogged and dirty drain? Not only is this going to be a major nuisance, but your drainage system could end up undergoing a lot of severe damage. Think about it, your system is no longer functional and now you need to hire a professional plumber. The plumber undergoes a drain and sewer line inspection and, as it turns out, they have discovered a major leak. Leaks can quickly get out of hand and lead to serious structural issues, so you will want to address the issue accordingly. Here is are some reason why regular bathroom drain cleaning will benefit you:
- Avoiding Health Concerns: A clogged drain in your bathroom can end up worsening an existing problem with someone’s health. For example, excessive exposure to bacteria and microbial contamination can irritate someone’s asthma.
- Structural Damage: A worst-case scenario with neglecting to clean your bathroom drain is that you will end up undergoing extensive sewer line repairs. This can end up becoming an extremely costly and time-consuming process. Also, water leaks are something you also want to avoid. When standing water makes its way into your basement, it will damage and compromise the structural integrity of your home. Extensive water damage will require you to repair entire sections of your home, which will also cost you quite a bit of money.
Keeping Your Drains Clean and Clear
- DIY Pipe Clearing Solutions: When cleaning your bathroom drain, table salt can be very effective. Pour a tablespoon of salt into your bathroom drain. Next, pour a fourth of a cup of white vinegar and let it sit for an hour or so. Then you will want to run hot water down your drain to loosen up the buildup inside your drain. Be careful not to overdo any of this.
- Regularly-Scheduled Maintenance: Hiring a professional plumber to undergo bathroom drain cleaning services will benefit you immensely. You are putting your trust in an experienced and reliable technician who knows what they are doing. They know all the best techniques for clearing out any buildup in your bathroom drain. Also, a professional plumber can provide leak detection services if you are beginning to notice standing water is forming inside your home.
- Don’t Use Chemical Cleaners: You will want to avoid chemical cleaners if you can. If you happen to encounter a clog in your bathroom drain, we recommend that you use a drain snake or hire a plumber to provide hydro jetting services. Most commercial cleaners contain harsh acidic chemicals that will cause corrosion and damage your plumbing. Many of these cleaners are also not worth the trouble they are going to put you through. For example, some of these cleaners will react with aluminum piping which will produce a pungent and unhealthy odor. They can end up damaging your entire plumbing system if you are not careful.
The Two Main Plumbing Blockages
As a longtime homeowner, you understand all too well the things that can go wrong with your home. You are probably also aware of the two main types of plumbing blockages: sink clogs and main line clogs.
A sink clog is limited to the drain of your faucet or bathtub. This usually happens because a lot of hair, soap scum, debris, and other gunk ends up inside the drain and forms a clog. You can often observe a sink clog developing. Your sink won’t drain as quickly as it did before, or the water is backed up and it won’t drain altogether.
A main line clog is when the issue originates inside your sewer line. If this is the case, you will need to hire a plumber to perform a sewer line inspection. There are many indicators that the clog or obstruction is occurring inside an underground pipe. Usually, multiples faucets and shower drains on the same side of the house are not working. This means the root cause of the issue is located somewhere in one of the main lines of your plumbing system.
There are several reasons why you are experiencing some sort of clog in your sewer line, but the most common culprit is tree root intrusion. Tree roots will inevitably overgrow and then infiltrate your main sewer line. Defective plumbing fixtures will also play a role in clogs that originate in any underground piping.
Sewer Line Maintenance
With bathroom drains, a lot of gunk is inevitably going to wind up inside your sewer line. Once this happens, you can expect some sort of blockage to occur. However, hiring professional drain cleaning and maintenance service will prevent those materials from building up inside your system. Going for long periods of time without flushing out your sewer line can be detrimental to the long-term performance of your plumbing system. Also, diagnosing a minor issue early on will go a long way in preventing any major structural damage. This will greatly reduce your future repair expenses.
We always advise that you consult a professional plumber to better understand the importance of cleaning your bathroom drain regularly. If you are interested in learning more about preventive solutions for bathroom drainage systems, then give us a call today. One of our technicians can provide you with tips to ensure that your drain is performing optimally at all times.