Keeping the drains clear in your home is essential. A drain system that is not working correctly can cause a lot of problems in the house. There are some things you can watch for that will let you know when it is time to clean the drains in your home to keep the system performing at its peak.

Slow Drains

One of the most prominent signs that something is happening in your home's drain system are drains that are running very slow or not at all. If you have a drain that is not allowing water to run down, you more than likely have a clog in the drain, and you need to consider having a residential drain cleaning service come and inspect the drain. 

If the problem is limited to one drain, the clog may be in the pipe immediately below the drain, and the residential drain cleaning company can more then likely clear it very quickly. Most of the time, a local clog can be cleared with an auger or snake and a little work. 

If all the drains in the house are running very slow, the blockage is more than likely in the main sewer line, and the drain cleaning service may need to do a more in-depth cleaning of the entire sewer line to clear it.

Cleaning The Main Line

If the main sewer line that carries all the water and wastes out of your home is blocked or restricted, the system can start to back up into the house and cause a huge mess. There are several ways to clean the mainline and get things flowing again, but the drain cleaning service may need to run a small camera down the line first to determine where the blockage is. 

The first step typically involves running a power auger down the drain to the blockage and trying to break it up manually. Sometimes that works, and the drain clears quickly, but if it does not, the drain cleaning service may need to jet the line.

Jet cleaning the lines involves running a high-pressure hose down to the blockage and pumping water into the drain under extremely high pressure. Typically this is down from the cleanout in the sewer line, so the water and debris run down the pipe as the water pressure breaks up the clog.

Once the blockage is cleared, the drains will start flowing correctly again. Jetting the line can also be used as a preventative measure to clean the line before any blockages occur, but the cost can run a few hundred dollars, so talk to the drain cleaning service to see if it is worth paying once a year to keep your system flowing smoothly.

For drain cleaning services, reach out to a local company like Johnson Plumbing.