When you think of a plumber, what comes to mind first? Perhaps it’s a toilet, faucet, water heater, sewer line or a number of other different spots around the house. Yet another popular answer to that question though would be slow or clogged drains. Whether that be a sink drain, shower drain or anywhere else, drains can unfortunately experience some issues from time-to-time as a result of routine usage. Luckily, with some smart maintenance and general up-keep tips, you can prevent it from becoming a major issue.
Before we get into this week’s blog, we would like to welcome any new visitors to our Kansas City-based plumbing blog. Our company, Stine-Nichols Plumbing, is located in North Kansas City, MO. Since opening our shop back in 2014, we’ve taken pride in not only providing reliable and affordable plumbing solutions, but also educating our customers on how they can prevent the same plumbing issues from popping up again in the future. And this mindset has coincided with our website blog, which provides a whole host of plumbing tips that any homeowner can implement.
Having said all of that, this week on the blog, we’ll be discussing drain cleaning. We’ll touch on the instances where you may need to invest in professional drain cleaning services, as well as why it’s never a good idea to just use chemical drain cleaners to clear up a clogged or slow drain.
What does drain cleaning provide?
On the surface, drain cleaning is a rather straightforward concept, right? Through regular usage, a wide range of things can make their way down the drain. Take the shower drain for example. Over time, it’s not uncommon for soap scum, hair, dirt and other particles to accumulate in your drains. And the longer those sit and the more particles that build up inside, you could eventually be faced with bigger issues. So, what are the benefits of regularly cleaning out your drains?
Faster Drains
Unsurprisingly, the most well-known benefit of regular drain cleaning is quicker drains. One tell-tale sign that there’s something brewing inside of your pipes is when it starts taking longer and longer for the water to drain down. As you can likely guess, this is a direct result of particles or items building up inside the pipes, thus permitting less room for the water to drain down. With professional drain cleaning services, you can alleviate these concerns and clear up the clogs before they continue to build up.
Better Return on Your Investment
As a homeowner, when it comes to your plumbing system, I’m going to guess your two primary goals consist of keeping everything working correctly and getting the maximum years out of the various components. This can be said about water heaters, water softeners, faucets and even the internal piping. As we often tell homeowners, approaching plumbing in a proactive manner is always going to be more beneficial in the long run, compared to doing so in a reactive manner. When it comes to drains, letting clogs sit for extended periods of time is only going to speed up the decline of your actual pipes. So, if you’re looking to keep your drains going for as long as possible, routine drain cleaning is a great start!
Prevent Strong Smells
As we’ve mentioned throughout this blog post, when there is a slow-moving or clogged drain, you have something built-up inside your pipes that’s preventing the water from flowing freely down the pipes. Simple enough, right? Well, when you consider what actually could be sitting inside your pipes, it’s not hard to believe that these clogs can typically be accompanied by a not so pleasant smell. That could be old food particles in the kitchen drain, hair or soap scum in the shower drain or a number of other things. In any case, if you start noticing some strong smells making their way into your home and also have drains moving slower than normal, it’s probably going to be a good idea to invest in professional drain cleaning services.
To sum it up, drain cleaning is definitely something you’ll want to invest in once you notice your drains are running slower than normal. In addition though, if you like to plan ahead, drain cleaning is also one of those items that you could add to your routine maintenance list. It never hurts to keep them running smoothly at all times!
What about using chemical drain cleaners?
Chemical drain cleaners are certainly nothing new in 2021. They’ve been around for quite some time and can be found in plenty of stores around town, whether that be Walmart, Home Depot and so on. On the surface, they sound like the perfect solution for a clogged drain. You don’t have to hire a plumbing professional to come out. You simply pour it down the drain and before you know it, you’re back in business! Unfortunately, drain cleaning isn’t always that easy and chemical drain cleaners could be causing more harm than good for the long haul.
So…you might be wondering why these chemical drain cleaners that appear to be so popular are also capable of causing issues for your plumbing system? Well, once you briefly understand how they operate, it’s fairly easy to put two and two together. When chemical drain cleaners are poured down your drain, they clear up the clogs by means of heat generated through a chemical reaction. This is remarkably effective at eliminating these clogged substances and creating a clear path for water to make its way down the drain. However, at the same time, this chemical reaction can actually be wreaking havoc on your pipes. No matter if that be PVC or metal pipes, it can certainly cause some trouble. Long story short, before you try and take the short-cut with chemical drain cleaners, just remember that this strategy doesn’t always pay off in the long run. Consider investing in professional drain cleaning services the next time you’re experiencing a slow or clogged drain.
Reliable Drain Cleaning in Kansas City
As a full-service residential and commercial plumbing company, drain cleaning is undoubtedly something we deal with on a daily basis. And as you can likely guess, drain cleaning comes in all different shapes and sizes. Some of the time, it may be a minor clog in a kitchen sink, while other times, you’re trying to clear up a clog in the sewer line. In any case, we hope you took away a few helpful tips from this week’s blog. We’ve already mentioned it a few times throughout this blog post, but it goes without saying that there truly is value in approaching plumbing in a proactive manner. Simply put, when plumbing issues sit for very long without getting fixed, you’re likely setting yourself up for potential future headaches.
If you live in or near the Kansas City, Stine-Nichols Plumbing is always here to help with all of your plumbing needs. Water heater installation, gas lines, water softeners, drain cleaning, preventative maintenance, remodeling, you name it! To get started and speak with a member of our team, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE for a free quote. We look forward to hearing from you!