Some home problems occur often. Some home problems are particularly unpleasant when they do occur. And drain clogs are one of those delightful things that fits into both categories! It’s one of the most commonly-occurring home plumbing issues, and it is a smelly, yucky problem to have.
Since they are so common, and you would like so much to avoid them, we’d like to talk you through some of the factors that contribute to drain and sewer problems. We’ll go over how to avoid them, how to resolve them, and what things you should definitely not do.
Single Stinky Drains
If one drain (commonly the kitchen sink) has an unpleasant odor coming from it, there’s a simple home remedy that will probably work. Pour a plentiful amount of baking soda and vinegar into it and allow it to bubble for ten minutes before rinsing with water.
Single Clogged Drains
When just one drain in your home has a clog, it is likely specific to that location. This means two things: first, that it is a problem that exists only in that area, and second, that the cause is unique to what goes down that drain. If it’s your shower, it’s probably hair and soap scum. If it’s your kitchen sink, the blockage almost certainly contains a lot of FOG, which is plumber shorthand for fats, oils, and grease.
Safe and Unsafe Solutions
When you have a single clogged drain, there are two tools you should feel free to use when trying to break up or dislodge the blockage. First, try a plunger. (If you don’t have a smaller, cleaner sink plunger, it is an inexpensive and very useful thing to have.) If that doesn’t work, a hand-cranked drain snake might. If your problem remains, it’s time for a plumber. They can fix your clog with a motorized auger, which is like a super-powered version of your home snake, or even hydro jetting, which cleans your drains with pressurized water.
Liquid drain cleaners are unsafe solutions. They are caustic, which means they can burn your skin, and the fumes from them are unhealthy to breathe. They can do damage to the inside of your plumbing, and then the roughened texture from the damage is an ideal surface for clogs to build up even faster. And for all that risk, they rarely do much to resolve clogs anyway.
Multiple Clogged Drains
If you don’t have a localized problem, it’s time to consider your home plumbing system overall. Clogged drains in different parts of your home mean that there’s probably a deeper problem with your sewer line, where all the drains ultimately lead. Stinky drains throughout your home can signal a problem with the sewer vent, which is an urgent concern. If sewer gas is bubbling up through your drains, it’s highly toxic to breathe. Other sewer line warning signs include soggy places in your yard or areas where the grass or plants grow very lushly.
Safe Sewer Solutions
If you have any of those problems, you need sewer line repair in Wayne, PA. Our expert plumbing technicians have access to the latest equipment: tiny video cameras that can be extended into your sewer line to locate and diagnose problems. This means that we can determine whether repairs are needed, pinpoint the area so we only need to dig a small hole for repairs, and accurately guide hydro-jets to the place where they are most needed.
Reach out to Murphy’s Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment with our professionals. It’s always “Integrity Before Profit.”
