Homeowners typically don’t pay much attention to their home’s drain system if the water flows freely every time they flush the toilet, shower, or wash the dishes. The only time you think of the drains is when they do not work as expected, says Vineyard Property Management, maybe because there is a clog somewhere in the system. Are you in need of drain cleaning services?
But drains need to be maintained like any other system in your house. Water washes into your home’s drains carrying materials that can harm your drain system. These materials include solid waste, dissolved chemicals, fat, oil, grease, soap, food particles, and more.
These materials can impede water flow through the pipes, causing them to slow down and resulting in some of the materials being deposited inside the drainpipes. Over time, as this process repeats, your drain system can become clogged with debris so that water no longer flows freely.
At the same time, the corrosive materials inside wastewater can start to attack the pipes in the drain system. The longer these corrosives sit inside the drains, the more time they can weaken and eventually damage the pipes. This can result in sewer line leaks and other kinds of problems.
While all this is happening, your drain system is also under assault from the natural environment. Tree roots can pose a major threat to underground drainage systems. If tree roots are in the vicinity of your drainpipes, they can puncture the pipes and eventually block them altogether.
These are just a few reasons why your drains need maintenance. The simplest way to maintain your drain system is to clean the pipes of debris by cleaning them professionally. Drain cleaning will solve and prevent the issues listed above. But how often should you clean your drains?
How often do you need professional drain cleaning?
How often you should clean the drain depends on the following factors:
- The number of people in the home and how much the occupants generate wastewater.
- The age of the sewer line, the types of pipes, and their condition (drain systems with cast iron, clay, and older materials need to be cleaned more often).
- The frequency of drain issues in the home (frequent drain issues mean you should clean the drains more often).
That being said, here are the simple guidelines for cleaning your drains.
For residential properties: once or twice a year
For most homes having the drains cleaned once a year is enough to keep the system clear of buildup. This should be done even if there are no apparent signs of blockage. If you clean the drains once a year, you can avoid major problems requiring you to replace parts of the system. Sewer line replacement is expensive, but annual drain cleaning can help you avoid it.
For commercial properties: monthly or quarterly
Commercial drain systems see more usage than residential drains. More people are using the building, so there is a greater likelihood for problems to occur. If the commercial property has a kitchen or laundry on the premises, the drains will be subject to even heavier use. For commercial properties, the recommended drain cleaning schedule is monthly to quarterly.
Whenever there is a problem
You should schedule drain cleaning if you notice any of the following: the drain is slow (and it is happening with toilets, sinks, and tubs at the same time), foul odors are coming from multiple drains, there is a gurgling sound from the pipes or the water inside the toilet bowl moves every time you use the other drains in the home. These are all signs of impending trouble.
Inspect sewer lines once a year
In addition to having them cleaned, it is important to have your sewer lines inspected yearly. Cleaning the sewer line will clear away the debris in them, but it will not identify budding issues with the system. An annual sewer line inspection will help you identify and preempt future problems. This simple step can save you tens of thousands of dollars.
Schedule annual tree root removal
If you have trees or shrubs on your property, and they are planted close to the location of your drainpipes, you need annual tree root removal. A permanent solution to this problem would be to remove the offending plants. But doing that could affect your property’s aesthetics and possibly the market value. A better way is to do annual tree root removal to prevent tree root intrusion into drainpipes.
Clean your drains before you sell your home
Before listing your home for sale, you want to ensure your plumbing system works efficiently. A blocked drain will show up when the buyer does their home inspection. This avoidable problem can either delay the sale of your home or force you to sell the property below your desired selling price.