The first sign of a faulty drain in your home is when it fails to quickly empty out water. If you start to notice this happening, it’s time to give your home’s drains a thorough cleaning.
A clogged drain can lead to a host of problems, such as flooding and the growth of bacteria and mold. In other words, a blocked drain can become a serious health hazard. If you have the tools and know-how for the job, you’re good to go, but there are a few mistakes any homeowner should avoid if they want a healthy plumbing system.
Here are a few mistakes that you need to avoid to maintain a healthy drainage system in your home and reduce the need for drain cleaning in San Diego.
1. Neglecting Regular Maintenance
Just like any part of your home, your drains need regular maintenance too. If you neglect to check your drains regularly, chances are that blockages are already starting to form.
Left unchecked, these blockages could lead to serious indoor flooding, causing damage to your home’s floor and furniture. Also, in San Diego, water conservation is vital, so routine drain cleaning can help prevent leaks and ensure the efficient use of water.
2. DIY Solutions Can Go Wrong
If you’re confident about cleaning your drains yourself, you need to be careful as DIY solutions may not always work as expected.
For example, pouring chemicals down drains is a popular way to clear them, but this isn’t always safe. Not all of these chemicals do what they promise, and some of them can be harmful to humans and pets.
So, if you’re cleaning drains in San Diego, try to clean out your drain in a way that doesn’t involve using chemicals yourself, such as calling drain cleaning services in San Diego.
3. Ignoring Slow Drains
Have you noticed any of your drains draining water slower than they should? This may be a big red flag! A slow drain is almost certainly a blocked one, and if you leave it as is for too long, it might stop draining water completely.
Sometimes, it can be hard to notice something’s wrong with your drain. So, make sure to have a professional check your drains regularly to see if they’re all working properly.
4. Using a Garden Hose
Some homeowners even use garden hoses to unclog their drains! It’s an age-old method for clearing drains, but it can backfire—often spectacularly.
When you try to unclog a drain using a garden hose, you just pump more water into the drain. If the blockage is too strong or the water pressure from the hose is too low, chances are that you’re just going to flood your home with even more water.
This is one of the worst ways to clean a drain and you’ll only be making the situation worse.
5. Grease and Food Disposal
According to San Diego’s Public Utilities Department, grease buildup causes 47% of sewer overflows. Grease is one of the biggest reasons why household drains become blocked, and they can build up slowly over time when you keep disposing of oil and grease in the drain.
To prevent grease from blocking your drains, make sure to always dispose of oil and grease instead of flushing them down the drain. Sometimes washing grease down the drain can be inevitable, like when you’re washing dishes. In this case, have a professional check your drains for grease buildup every few months.
6. Not Getting Professional Help
Finally, the biggest mistake you can make is not seeking professional help to clean your drains. Even if you have some experience in handling this task yourself, it’s always a good idea to leave it to the professionals.
Professional drain cleaning services have highly experienced personnel and the best equipment to help you keep your drains clean and perfectly maintained. Also, attempting to clean drains on your own can be dangerous if you’re unsure about what you’re doing.
So, if you’re uncertain about cleaning and maintaining your drains by yourself, don’t hesitate to call a professional!
For all homes, regardless of their size and location, ensuring their drains are clean and in perfect working order is crucial. This makes sure the home remains dry, cozy, and safe for all the occupants.
That said, it might not always be possible to avoid common drain-cleaning mistakes when you’re doing it by yourself. So, to avoid common drain cleaning mistakes and keep your home plumbing system healthy, contact Voyager Plumbing today for high-quality drain cleaning in San Diego!