Unusual Finds during Drain Cleaning

Domestic drains are only about 10cm wide so it's not surprising that sometimes professional drain cleaning's required. However, in Edmonton, drain cleaners are finding unusual items blocking drains, as well as the more common soap deposits, general dirt and hair.

Knowing the Time to Call for Drain Cleaning

Sewer drain problems are usually indicated by your toilet or shower drains. Such an issue should not be ignored or delayed, considering that the water in your plumbing system does not have anywhere else to go, it will ultimately find its way to any other plumbing fixture in your house.

How will you know if you have a drain problem? One of the sure signs is a foul odour coming from your bathroom or from the drains, which means that something is blocking the flow of the drain line. Bigger sewer drain problems usually begin manifesting itself in the toilet, which has the most direct line to the sewer. Also, you might notice that your shower or tub drains won’t begin to work the way they should, since these two fixtures sit lower than a sink drain.

Handling Stubborn Drain Clogs

A clogged drain can cause real trouble for the family. Virtually all activities have to halt until the clog that keeps dirty water from running out of the house is removed. Serious cases of clogging have to be dealt with by professional plumbers. Here’s how you can handle drain clogs.

Avoiding clogged drains and toilets

It’s easier to stop these clogs from happening than make a mess trying to fix them when they do occur. It’s as simple as installing a hair catcher in bathroom drains and a food catcher in the kitchen sink, since hair and food particles are among the major causes of clogging.

Drain Cleaning: Just Add Hot Water or Vinegar

An out-of-order sink or toilet can cause a great deal of inconvenience. Here are some "life hacks" that can help you prevent major clogs.

Hot Water

In case you do not feel confident about using chemical cleaners, hot water can be your staunchest ally. As most dishes leave oily residues, hot water can keep pushing them down, preventing the oil from latching onto the drain pipe. Having a hot water function in the kitchen sink can be really helpful in this case.

Drain Cleaning with Baking Soda

Baking soda, scientifically known as sodium bicarbonate, has natural cleaning properties that can substitute most chemical cleaners. This white crystalline substance can either be solid or powered, is water soluble, and when combined with water churns up a mildly corrosive solution that is alkaline in nature.

Chemical cleaners contain sodium hydroxide, which makes the solution poisonous when swallowed, inhaled, or gets in contact with the skin. Drain cleaning with baking soda is a safer and more eco-friendly way to do kitchen and bathroom chores. This is one of the safest and risk-free DIY drain cleaning methods.

Some Do-it-Yourself Drain Cleaning Tips

Your household drainage system is important in ensuring an uninterrupted water supply. Water flows down the drain, where it is directed to water treatment and sanitation systems, then back to you. For this reason, it is important to ensure there’s no break in the cycle, so here are tips for DIY drain cleaning:

Common Causes of Drain Clogs

Of all the plumbing problems your home could face, a clogged drain seems to be one of the most common. Whereas leaking toilets or burst pipes may be caused by some long-developing event that you might not have known about, clogs can be caused by something as simple as negligence, specifically, not being able to properly dispose of things like: