Most of the time, your drainage implement system will not require a lot of attention from you. Once they are installed, they can work for decades without showing a single problem. But, if there have been some errors during installation or if you have the habit of pouring things down the sink that you should not, problems might start popping up. So, a drain inspection or cleaning once in a while might not be a bad idea.
From time to time, drainpipes can easily get clogged from too much dirt, dust, food, oil, or even from outside elements such as leaves or branches. If you are careful and inspect it regularly, more specifically once or twice in half a year, you most probably will not have any kind of problems. But, if you start noticing some leaking or water accumulating in places it should not, maybe it is time for professional drain inspection and maybe even cleaning.
If you are unsure whether professional help is required, I am going to tell you about all the possible signs that might tell you a bit more about your drainage system.
All drains are slower
The most obvious sign that something might be wrong with your plumbing system is when all of your drains are suddenly slower. It does not matter whether the sink is in the kitchen or in the bathroom, you will notice a difference if there is some kind of problem with the drainage.
In fact, you also notice that different in the shower and maybe even in the toilet. Although, if you notice a slow drain in the toilet, that might be assigned to an even bigger problem.
When this starts to happen, I recommend calling a professional for inspection and cleaning as soon as possible. The earlier you deal with this problem, the better the outcome, and the less money you will have to pay for the cleaning.
Weird smell in your kitchen or bathroom
Another very obvious sign is when you start noticing a weird smell while you are in your kitchen or bathroom. At first, you will probably thing that smell comes from you or someone else that used the kitchen or bathroom, but it probably is not.
When such odors start to frequent in your bathroom, there probably is something wrong with your plumbing system. Something could be stuck in the pipes or it might be gases coming from the sewer. Most of the time, those gases should not be able to come back to the pipes.
Call for immediate inspection and cleaning as quickly as you can.
Frequent clogging
If you find yourself forced to unclog your shower, your kitchen sink, or your toilet frequently, that is a definite sign that something is wrong. Of course, clogs do happen because something can get stuck in the pipes, but if this is a frequent situation, it probably is something that requires help from a professional.
By frequent, and talking about more than once in a month. In fact, a clogged drain or toilet is very rare these days. Happens maybe once a year.
Contractors are very familiar with frequently clogged toilets and they will probably recommend you to replace certain piping and valves. Do not let that scare you. It is easier and cheaper than you think. If you click here, as you can see that a ball valve can be purchased for less than $30. It seems like plumbing parts are becoming cheaper and cheaper as time goes by. It is more affordable than ever.
Weird sounds coming from down the drain
This is a sign that is not exactly obvious that something might be wrong with your drainage system. When you start to hear weird sounds coming from the sink, something is definitely not ok. Honestly, the first time I heard those sounds, I was very confused. I did not even think about the possibility that something might actually be wrong with my plumbing. I just thought that it was the pipes creaking or something else like that.
Well, I was very wrong because my plumbing needed an immediate inspection. Thankfully, I had a friend over who noticed and told me about this sign. I called for a professional and he cleaned out the drainage system in less than an hour and those sounds were permanently gone.
So, if you have noticed a weird gargling sounds coming from down the drain in the sink, the toilet, or in the shower, you might have to pick up your phone and make a call.
Sewage odor in front of your house or down the street
This is another sign that you probably will not relate to the plumbing system of your own home. Who would have thought that the smell in front of your home or down the street is because of the pipes in your house or clogged?
So, the next time you are drawing down your own driveway or walking around your neighborhood and you notice a sewage stench, it might actually because there is a problem with the waterworks in your neighborhood or with your house.
Of course, you cannot be exactly certain that your house is the culprit, but it is better to be safe than sorry. I would rather pay for a professional to do some inspection instead of waiting for the problems to develop into something even more serious.
If such problems develop further, the repairs can cost up to several thousand dollars. I assume that you do not feel like paying so much money for the repair, so make sure you give a call to your local plumber.
You have not done an inspection a long time
The last sign, but definitely not the least is when you have not done an inspection of your drain in a long time. You need to build the habit of calling a plumber at least once in two or three years. So, if you have no idea in what kind of state your plumbing system is, you should probably call someone to do the inspection for you.
These are the most common and obvious signs that your drain might require cleaning.