How Often Should I Have My Drains Professionally Cleaned?

Having clean drains reduces your risk of stagnant water, odors, insects, and property damage. While drains are easy to maintain, they still need professional services from time to time. So how often should you have a professional drain cleaning in Florida? It depends on your situation. Although you need to have regular professional drain cleaning, there are some instances when you will need a visit outside of maintenance.

1. If You’ve Never Had a Professional Cleaning

Homeowners may experience severe plumbing issues from cleaning their own drains of buildup. You might have tried caustic drain cleaning products. Unfortunately, this can damage your drain system. Or, maybe you tried pouring a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, followed by hot water, to break down and push away the clog.

The problem is that these methods will only work for mild to moderate blockages. Similarly, using a drain snake does not always work as it can only reach so far and will not work for more than moderate blockages.

It’s common to forget about professional maintenance services, especially if you have never used them and DIY methods seem to have worked. However, professional drain cleaning from a qualified plumber can clear away gunk and buildup you didn’t know you had.

Professional drain cleaning does not use harsh chemicals that can eat away at pipes. You should not resort to these chemical drain cleaners. Although they are cheap and easy to find at many grocery and retail stores and work quickly, they can irreversibly damage your pipes in the long term. They are not designed for frequent use, so if you find yourself reaching for a chemical drain cleaner more than once in a blue moon, you need a professional plumber.

2. When You Don’t Remember Having It Done

If so much time has passed that you don’t remember the last time you had a professional drain cleaning, you need to make an appointment. A professional plumber saves you time and money in potential emergency service calls when you face a complete blockage. It also prevents damage to your pipes and property.

3. When You Have Sewer Smells, Pests, or Gurling Sounds

A bad odor is extremely unwelcoming and can lead to more serious issues. Some people get ill and experience dizziness, headaches, nausea, or vomiting as a result of foul odors from uncleaned drains. Also, the problem’s root cause could be any of several possible factors, including garbage or sewage gases. The odor is merely a symptom of a greater problem.

Another symptom that means you need a professional plumber is backed-up wastewater. This can increase humidity in the house and promote the development of fungus and mold. Backed-up sewage also poses a health risk. To prevent this issue, you should have a frequent professional drain cleaning.

The presence of pests in the home, such as rodents, roaches, and flies, might be because they are attracted to an odor coming from your pipes. These pests arrive when your pipes have decaying food and are not only aggravating to deal with, they often carry bacteria and pose other threats to your health. Plus, they can cause property damage to your home. A professional plumber can determine if an issue in your plumbing system is attracting pests. Either your drains require professional cleaning or a fracture leaks waste and allows pests in.

If you hear strange noises coming from your pipes, such as gurgling sounds, it’s also time to contact a plumber for professional drain cleaning. This sound could signal the presence of air in your drain, usually caused by a partial clog sucking air beyond the p-trap. Your sink may seem to drain fine, but a plumber can evaluate your system to identify and resolve the problem.

4. When a Clog or Backup Won’t Go Away

A professional drain cleaning tackles the most stubborn clogs, blocked drains, and backups. DIY remedies only provide a temporary solution that will recur later. If your blockage issue is worsening or your drains are getting blocked more often than usual, you must have a professional drain cleaning. Frequent blockages signal the possible presence of a larger obstruction deep in the system. Ignoring the situation could result in flooding.

Another problem is when sewage and wastewater backs up. Do you ever notice the water level rising from your drains when you flush the toilet? A blockage in your drain pipes could be causing wastewater to back up and exit through a different drain. If this occurs in your home, even if the water drains, contact a plumber immediately. This exposure to wastewater is a health risk.

5. When Water Drains Slowly

In Florida, weather issues such as flooding may require you to have a professional drain cleaning more often. If your drain won’t clear quickly as soon as you flush, it is a sign that it needs professional cleaning. It is typical for a clog in the drainage pipe to cause slower drainage, which could be from non-flushable and flushable objects.

You should contact a plumber if your sinks, showers, and toilets are draining more slowly than usual. Deeper clogs in the drainage or the mainline are only accessible by a professional plumber, so call one to resolve the problem.

6. When It’s Been a Year

It is normal for grease, oil, hair, mineral deposits from hard water, and other gunk to build up in your pipes. When they accumulate, they cause blockages.

Regular maintenance includes having a professional drain cleaning once a year. Although no particular season is better than others, you should have a drain cleaning around the same time every year. A professional cleaning can remove buildup, flush out potential blockages, and purify your drains thoroughly and safely. It can also reveal any structural repair you may need, such as water leaks, loose connections, or other damage. These issues can make blockages and other problems worse and will only continue until they are addressed.

Make an Appointment for Professional Drain Cleaning Today

Professional plumbers are the only professionals with the skill and equipment to deal with obstructions and structural problems in your pipes and drains. It is best to contact an expert instead of using anything more than non-toxic methods to unclog your drains. DIY methods are a temporary solution that may not address the real problem and may even make the situation worse.

Supply lines, fixtures, and drain pipes work together to create a plumbing system, so any problems with one will affect the system’s overall function. Home Service Heroes serves anyone needing drain cleaning, plumbing repair and replacement, and other services in Tampa and surrounding areas. You can also call us for all your residential or commercial electrical, heating, and air conditioning needs. With our qualified plumbers and advanced drain cleaning technology, we can provide for all your residential plumbing needs. Contact us today to learn about how we can keep your drains in peak working condition.