Scheduling regular drain cleaning for your Gilbert, AZ plumbing system maintains your pipes, prevents repairs, and ensures efficiency. Unfortunately, many people don’t think about their drains until something goes wrong. This can lead to problems ranging from foul odors to major plumbing emergencies. Let our team at A/C & Plumbing Doctors help you explore the benefits of regular drain cleaning for your plumbing system.
Preventing Clogs and Blockages
A clog can be a major interruption in your daily schedule. Things like soap scum, hair, oils, and foot particles can accumulate inside drains and pipes. This buildup can take many months or even years to create a blockage. When it does, you’ll be faced with overflowing sinks, slow drainage, and sewer backups.
Preventive drain cleaning keeps your pipes clear so water flows through freely. You’ll experience fewer emergencies, which saves you money and time.
Protecting Your Plumbing System
The accumulation of debris and mineral deposits inside your pipes and drains can cause a lot of strain. Corrosion can also occur when this debris is left alone. Joints, pipes, and fixtures may start to leak when clogs are present. One of the many benefits of drain cleaning includes protecting your drains and pipes so they last longer. Galvanized pipes have a life expectancy of about 20 to 50 years. Copper pipes last for 50 to 70 years, and PEX pipes last for 40 to 50 years. Skipping drain cleaning can shorten these time frames substantially.
Consider the cost of replacing some or all of your plumbing system. Not only is this an expensive undertaking, but it can also be invasive. Expect a major cleanup and renovation effort when the work is complete. It’s far more convenient and affordable to schedule preventive maintenance for your drains.
Health and Safety
When debris can accumulate inside your drains, foul odors can occur. This often indicates the presence of harmful bacteria and mold. Maintain a cleaner and safer home environment by scheduling routine drain cleaning. This helps keep kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry spaces sanitary. You may find this is a priority if you have small children or immunocompromised individuals in your home.
Ensuring Ample Water Flow
When your pipes and drains are clear, water and waste can move through them freely. This reduces uneven water pressure and slow drainage issues. Ample water flow is also important for the protection of your dishwasher, washing machine, and other water-using appliances. If you’re struggling with flow, you can experience more frequent appliance repairs and shorter equipment lifespans.
Avoiding Hazardous Gases
The methods that we use to preventively clean your drains and pipes are very safe. Drain snakes, augers, and hydro jetting eliminate the need for caustic chemicals. When you opt for store-bought drain cleaners, chemicals can release gas into your home and leach into your local water supply. This is bad for the environment and even worse for your health.
An efficient plumbing system reduces water waste that is the result of leaks and backups. Reduce your carbon footprint with routine plumbing maintenance like drain cleaning.
Avoiding Catastrophic Damage
A sewage backup is one of the worst plumbing disasters you can experience. This can lead to serious health problems and property damage. Imagine walls, flooring, and belongings destroyed beyond repair. In some cases, you may need to evacuate your home for a period. In many cases, routine drain cleaning would prevent a problem from occurring. You can achieve peace of mind by scheduling this simple preventive maintenance task.
Early Detection of Problems
Routine drain cleaning is the perfect time for our team to spot minor issues before they spiral out of control. We often perform a camera inspection to see what’s going on inside your drains. This allows us to see any small cracks or leaks that have the potential to grow or cause a pipe to burst. Tree root intrusion can also be found during a camera inspection. Depending on what we find, we’ll determine what the next steps are for maintenance and potential repairs.
If you have any problematic areas in your plumbing system, this routine maintenance allows us to address your concerns. You may have a section of pipe that frequently clogs due to its narrow circumference or the direction it takes. Very tight turns don’t allow debris to easily move through your pipes. Gravity is also an important part of drainage. If your pipes are not pitched at a specific angle, water and debris will accumulate instead of draining away from your home. Too steep a slope can be a problem as well. Water can quickly drain away while solids are left behind in your pipe to solidify. If your pipes and drains were not installed properly, there may be rough surfaces on their interior. These surfaces allow debris to catch and accumulate rather than washing away. Proper venting balances air pressure inside your pipes and promotes drainage. Modifications may be an option to reduce the need for repairs in the future.
Professional Drain Cleaning or DIY
We always recommend that you rely on our team for your drain cleaning and plumbing needs. We have the extensive knowledge and experience necessary to spot issues early, perform cleaning safely, and take care of repair needs. While a baking soda flush may be effective now and again, there’s no substitute for professional attention. Homeowners lack the equipment to perform hydro jetting and camera inspections. This equipment is a big part of why routine drain cleaning is so effective.
There are some things you can do to prevent drain clogs. These simple practices, combined with professional drain cleaning, have the potential to keep your plumbing system in top shape. For example, avoid putting grease, fats, oils, starchy foods, and debris down your drains. Instead, dispose of them in your garbage can. When using your garbage disposal, don’t insert bones or peels into the unit. Run cold water through your disposal when it’s in use to prevent solidification of fats and oils inside your drain.
Use strainers on your drains to catch items before they go into your pipes. Clean these strainers periodically to ensure they work well. This is an affordable maintenance tool that can be used in your kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, and other areas where sinks and drains are present.
Avoid the use of chemical drain cleaners. They contain caustic chemicals that can irritate your eyes, airways, and skin. Also, they corrode the interior of your pipes and lead to leaks. They rarely provide long-lasting results, leading to ongoing clogs. Professional methods, like high-pressure water, are much safer for you, your family, and your plumbing system.
Professional plumbing attention and drain cleaning ensure long-term use and protection of your plumbing system. Rely on our team here at A/C & Plumbing Doctors to help with all your plumbing maintenance, repair, and installation needs. We offer leak detection, pipe repair, water heater support, sewer services, and much more. Contact us at A/C & Plumbing Doctors in Gilbert today to schedule an appointment with our experienced team.
