Cleaning the pipes and drains in your home routinely is severely important if you want to prevent a disaster from happening. A routine drain cleanup can cost a few dollars compared to thousands of dollars worth of damages if something bad were to happen. Many people don’t know a quick inspection may cost even less and the peace of mind that comes along with it is priceless.
Those situations can be avoided just by doing some preventative maintenance. While that does take time and money, it’s worth it in the long run compared to a systematic failure. Here are some of the benefits that can come from regularly cleaning your drain pipes:
1. Draining Quicker
This is fairly obvious, but keeping your drains clean means they will drain a lot faster and more efficiently. That means water won’t just be sitting around in your faucet or tub, which is an eyesore as well as being a place for bacteria to grow. If you notice that your sink isn’t emptying as fast as it should, that is an indication that you could benefit from a cleaning. You’ll also prevent your toilet from backflowing, which is something that nobody wants to deal with.
2. Improved Drain Life
Even if everything appears to be in good working order from the outside, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem on the inside. Your pipes could be corroding, which will eventually cause them to leak. By cleaning buildups before they pose too much of a problem, you will extend the lifetime of all of your pipes. Especially with certain systems, needing to replace your drain pipes due to corrosion can be both expensive and force you to tear up your home.
3. Prevention of Bad Smells
Bacteria growth has already been mentioned as it pertains to standing water, but the same applies to fluids that are backed up within your pipes. Remember, a lot more than just clean water is getting drained. You are washing your bodies and cleaning dishes of filth, and that can cause potential problems if it’s all hanging out too long in your system. In the same way that mold grows in the damp corners of your basement, they can also thrive in dirty pipes. Getting your drains cleaned means one less spot for spores to pose future health problems for you and your family.
4. Prevent Damage to Your Home
If chemical deposits are bad enough to cause corrosion to your pipes, they can also be very dangerous to the rest of your home. This is especially true if it causes a leak that you don’t immediately notice. That chemical-laced water will eventually drip into your home, which can cause damage to anything it comes into contact with. All of a sudden, a preventable problem in your pipes has now impacted your house. Floors or walls can become discolored, which would be a very costly replacement. Besides, just dealing with water damage with untainted water is already problematic. Regularly scheduled cleaning to clear out your drains will greatly decrease the chance of something like that happening.
5. Prevent Clogs
If you leave slow-flowing pipes alone, you risk that problem eventually becoming a blockage. Anyone who has lost the ability to flush their toilets will know how horrible of an experience this can be. Even if you hire a plumber to snake the blockage out, the underlying issue of dirty pipes will be ready to cause more trouble.
Cleaning Your Drains
Now that the why has been covered, it’s important to know about the how. You’ve most likely heard of chemical drain cleaners already, which can be very helpful when used in moderation. However, overuse can end up causing more harm than good. Because they generate heat, these products can melt and warp plastic pipes. Even if your pipes are metal, preexisting corrosion can get a lot worse if you use this kind of solution. It’s also important to remember that using them when a drain is completely clogged is dangerous. If a drain cleaner can’t unblock a pipe, it’ll just sit there and eat away at the material from the inside. Besides, these treatments won’t actually clean out your pipes by themselves. Instead, you should look into one of the following solutions.
Clean Pipes With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Something that is a lot safer to use than chemical cleaners is a mixture of ingredients you probably already have in your home. Using hot water with vinegar and baking soda is an effective method of cleaning drains and also tackle bad smells. First, take a half cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain, followed by an equal amount of vinegar. Leave it alone for about 15 minutes to really absorb in and do its work. Once that time is up, pour some boiling water after it to clean everything up. This is a simple and effective way you can keep up with regular maintenance without breaking the bank. It can also remove build ups of mineral deposits safely.
Clean Pipes With Tools
If the vinegar soak isn’t doing the job to unclog a drain, you might want to look into getting some tools. A plunger is the obvious choice, but another option would be a drain snake. The way they work is by inserting one end of the implement down the pipe. Thanks to how they are made, they can twist or “snake” past bends. Most units meant for home use are hand-operated, so you crank the tool to clear out buildup along your pipes. Unfortunately, the kinds you can purchase cheaply in a store usually can’t handle bigger problems. In those situations, it’s time to call in the big guns.
Hiring Professional Help To Clean Your Drains
A pro will have access to heavy duty equipment that can get the job done. Along with using industrial strength drain snakes, they can hydro-jet your pipes clean. For those not in the know, that involves using high pressure to shoot water through your system. Hiring a professional is the quickest and most reliable way to unclog a drain while also ensuring that your pipes will be cleaned properly.
