Five Signs That You Need Drain Clearing

Maybe it’s happened to you before: Suddenly, none of your home’s drains work anymore. You try pouring commercial drain cleaner in them, you work a plunger up and down… all to no avail. And after trying everything you can think of, you eventually call a plumber — only by now it’s after six o’clock in the evening and you’ll have to pay emergency prices. But what else can you do?

Of course, if you were aware that your home’s drains need clearing in the first place, then you could have prevented them getting clogged — and you could have saved yourself a lot of hassle and money. Keep reading to learn how to recognize the signs you need drain clearing:

1. There’s a bad smell coming from the drains. A foul odor can indicate a bad clog forming in the drain system. Since the clog captures more and more organic waste, that waste will simply sit and rot in the drain. Sometimes it attracts little fruit flies that gather around the drains in the kitchen and bathrooms. The clog and flies can eventually even attract vermin and become a health hazard to you and your family.
2. The drains are slow to drain. If your bathroom and kitchen drains keep getting slower and slower, then there’s a problem somewhere in the drain. It could simply be a clog, but it could also be tree roots since they oftentimes penetrate the sewer line looking for nutrients in the wastewater. It could also be a damaged drain that has caved in due to shifting ground or some other cause, like a burrowing animal.
3. Your toilet won’t drain. If your toilet won’t drain at all and simply using the plunger doesn’t solve the problem, then you’re dealing with a serious issue. You probably have a clog further in the sewer line.
4. You keep hearing strange noises coming from the drains. When clogs build up and water is slow to drain, it can create gurgling and bubbling noises in the drain.
5. Standing water in the bath or shower. If you have a serious clog, then the water from the drain system will eventually back up. You’ll first notice it in the shower and bath since those drains are closest to the floor. If the problem gets worse, you’ll notice it in the sinks and your toilet, as well.

When to call Flatley’s

If you notice one or more of warning signs, then you need to call Flatley’s right away. We know how important it is to keep your drains clean and clear, and we can help the bathroom, kitchen, basement, and outdoor drains from clogging in your Chicagoland home.

Don’t wait for a clog to worsen! Before the winter weather arrives, call Flatley’s to schedule your drain cleaning service.