Did you know that some 790 million people around the world do not have access to adequate water and sanitation? That’s a whopping 11% of the planet’s total population!

Properly functioning plumbing is a luxury that many Americans take for granted. We expect our water to gush from the tap either ice cold or piping hot. We depend on our water to be clean, safe, and drinkable. And we don’t give our plumbing systems a moment’s thought — until something breaks down, that is.

Of course, if you can nip a problem in the bud, you can often save yourself hassle and hard-earned money. Here are some telltale indications that your home is going to need drain cleaning, and the sooner the better.

5 Signs You Need Drain Cleaning Services from a Professional Plumber

If you don’t have a plumber whose services you can rely on, take a few moments and get one lined up. When an emergency arises — the toilet is hopelessly clogged, the hot water has stopped working, or a pipe bursts — you don’t want to spend valuable time trying to hunt down a reliable plumbing company.

1. You Have Started to Hear Gurgling Noises

For the most part, a plumbing system should be quiet. Sure, there’s the sound of running water, water circling the drain, or the glug-glugging of a bathtub draining. But if you hear gurgling or bubbling noises emanating from the toilet, shower, or sink, it’s a good idea to investigate and troubleshoot the source.

These sounds generally indicate that there is air where it shouldn’t be, somewhere in your pipes. It could be that a clog has developed, in which case the gurgling comes from pockets of air being released from the clog into the water above it.

Another common cause of a noisy drain is blocked air vents. These vents are intended to help sewer gas escape from the system, keeping the air in your home nice and fresh. When those vents up on the housetop get blocked by birds’ nests, leaves, or debris, the gas is forced to take another path — into your drains.

2. Things Don’t Smell So Great

Let’s be honest; the bathroom isn’t always the sweetest-smelling room in the house. But the odor of a sewer is unmistakable. If you notice a sewage smell, or if other unpleasant odors never seem to dissipate, it is likely that something is amiss with your plumbing.

It could be that sewage and gas are building up inside the pipes or the drains. This, in turn, can lead to serious issues above and beyond the smell. Call in the experts and get the problem taken care of ASAP.

3. Your Drains Are Sluggish

A sudden clog makes itself known in no uncertain terms. Your toddler tries to flush her stuffed angelfish so that Dory can go visit her friends, and the next thing you know, the toilet is overflowing.

Most of the time, however, a clogged drain builds up over time. You might not notice right away that your tub or bathroom sink is draining more slowly than usual. And then one day you find yourself standing in several inches’ worth of water as you’re finishing up your shower. Uh-oh!

When this happens, most people reach for a commercial drain cleaner. You might want to rethink that treatment, however. There are a couple of reasons why drain cleaning liquids are a bad idea.

First, they are incredibly toxic, and even after the liquid has gone into the drain and been flushed out by hot water, the fumes remain in the bathroom or kitchen. Moreover, these toxic chemicals can actually damage your plumbing pipes with long-term usage.

Lastly, liquid drain cleaners don’t even work all that well! You’re much better off using a plumber’s snake, or better yet, having the pros come clean out all your drains. (If one is clogged, chances are the others might be, too.)

4. There Are Multiple Clogs

That brings us to our next telltale sign that drain cleaning is in your future. When more than one of your home’s drains seem to be working slowly, it might not be the individual drains themselves. Instead, it could be a clog in the main sewer drain.

As you can imagine, this does not bode well for your plumbing system. Nor is this an easy fix that you can DIY. If you find that several of your sinks, bathtubs, and/or toilets are all acting as though they’re clogged, it’s important to have the entire system, including the main sewer, checked out by a professional drain cleaning company.

5. Fruit Flies Have Invaded Your Kitchen

Fruit flies are a summertime scourge that can be exasperating. As their name implies, these pests’ meal of choice is ripe or overripe food. They also enjoy the occasional glass of wine, lemonade, or fruit juice.

And while it’s certainly not appetizing to us, the buildup of food waste in your kitchen drain is like a delectable smorgasbord to fruit flies. Have you tried every trick in the book to get rid of fruit flies, but still see them hovering around your sink? Take a peek at your sink drain.

If your sink has a garbage disposal, make sure to clean it regularly. You can do this with ordinary household items like ice cubes, baking soda and vinegar, and citrus peels. This should help take care of food waste building up in the drain.

Let Us Help!

If you suspect that trouble is a-brewin’ in your pipes, vents, or any other aspect of your plumbing system and that you need drain cleaning, give us a call! We offer same day and next day appointments for urgent matters, as well as emergency services for after-hours plumbing crises.

We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and pride ourselves on our superior customer service. Let’s get those drains of yours unclogged and your water flowing freely again!