You wash your hands or take a shower, and the water takes a little longer than usual to go down the drain. At first, it may not seem like anything. But that delay is the way that your drain waves a red flag. A slow drain is always your first indicator that a clog is beginning to form. If you hold off until it’s fully stopped, you could contend with more than a blockage, as you could have water damage or mold. Here are some warning signs that a clog is forming.
Gurgling Sounds Mean Trouble
A gurgling noise is a sign that air is finding its way into the pipes, which can be caused by a partial blockage. That noise could come from your sink when you flush the toilet or from the shower when the washing machine drains. These sounds will not dissipate on their own. Instead, they tend to get worse — and quickly. So, if your pipes are grumbling, don’t write it off to aging plumbing. It’s time to call a professional.
Bad Smells Might Be More Than Just Gross
Sometimes, a sluggish drain results in an odor that’s impossible to ignore. You may be smelling rotting food from the kitchen sink or mildew from the bathroom. Those smells are from bacteria eating the gunk that got stuck in your pipes. It means that a clog has gotten big enough that it’s going to cause some major trouble soon. Running hot water or pouring bleach down the drain might cover up the smell for a little bit, but it won’t do anything to solve the actual problem.
How to Prevent a Full-On Clog Before It Happens
When you see indications of a slow drain, your job is to deal with the buildup before you have a full blockage. There are a few ways to do this.
One way to keep blockages at bay is to pour a pot of boiling water down the drain — this can melt grease or loosen soap scum. If that doesn’t do the trick, use a drain snake or, in a pinch, a bent wire hanger to fish out hair or whatever’s clogging the system. It’s messy, but it works.
Don’t dump harsh chemicals down the drain. They might appear to be an easy solution, but they can also cause damage to your pipes and kill beneficial bacteria if you have a septic system.
The Best Offense Is a Good Defense
It’s easier to prevent than to clean up. Put drain screens in your sinks and showers to catch hair and food before they wash down the pipes. Never pour oil or grease down the kitchen sink, and avoid flushing anything but human waste and toilet paper down the toilets.
Having your drains professionally cleaned is another effective solution you can implement for keeping clogs away. Plumbers have several tools at their disposal for thoroughly cleaning the insides of pipes. To schedule drain cleaning services in Ormond Beach, FL, contact Andy’s Plumbing.
