Ever stop to think about how important your drainage and plumbing systems are to your daily life at home? Especially with a full house of family that has been repurposed as a location for both work and school, you need abundant water for cleaning, cooking, bathing, flushing the toilet and watering the lawn. That’s a lot of water use. And it can result in a lot of water draining from your home.
Now consider what happens when any part of that plumbing infrastructure becomes defective or obstructed. It can feel like a disaster, am I right? Knowing that a knowledgeable drain cleaning service is not far away can be a comfort, and, in times of emergency, a downright blessing. If you live in the greater St. Paul, MN area, Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains should be part of your regular home maintenance and repair team. Especially when it comes to having a reliable drain cleaning service to maintain your systems.
Understanding Your Drainage System
Made up of different sized pipes and connections, your plumbing system makes it possible for you to get water when you turn on the taps, dishwasher or washing machine. Plumbing infrastructure is also responsible for draining water from the system and away from your home. All the components of the system work together and if you clog one pipe or drain, you can end up with major problems throughout the entire system. This applies whether your home is connected to municipal sewage and water mains, or your home is serviced by a dug well or cistern, and septic system.
What Can Clog Drains?
Most often clogged drains are a sign of a physical obstruction somewhere, such as hair and soap that has collected in a pipe bend over time. When bits of food, hair, tissue, garbage, fats, oils, cleaning chemicals and and other substances are rinsed down the sink or flushed down the toilet, the risk increases for blocking drains and backing up your pipes.
In the current climate of pandemic and sheltering in place, additional strain is placed on pipes and drains from flushed sanitary wipes and the other hygiene products that many people are using to stay safe. And, of course, more people staying and working from home, means more debris going down the drains or flushed down the toilet. At a certain point, the added demand may trigger a drainage problem, or create more frequent and larger clogs. That’s when a drain cleaning service specialist can help.
Tell Tale Signs That You Need To Call in a Pro
With plumbing and drainage, you know pretty quickly when something is off. The trick is to catch the problem before it becomes really serious. Taking a chance on letting things go as long as possible may result in serious damage, flooding, an unhealthy environment and many other unpleasant outcomes. Better to get a professional plumber or drain cleaning service involved before it reaches that point. Consider calling in the experts at Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains in St. Paul, MN if you notice any of the following:
- a bad smell emanating from drains
- a loud gurgling sound during drainage, or pipes making thumping noises
- standing water in a shower, sink or bathtub
- weird leaks that you can’t pinpoint the source of
- slow circling drains
Other Types of Drainage Problem
Clogged sewer main or sewer lines outside the home. This can be a serious problem that can also be completely out of your control. The most devastating consequence of a sewer line or main back-up can be raw sewage backing up into your home, which can cause serious damage. Because solving this type of problem can involve advanced diagnostic equipment and perhaps even excavation, it’s important to bring in a professional as soon as you have a suspicion. You can also protect your household by investing in a sewer line back flow trap, which prevents sewage from backing up into your basement. Ask your drain cleaning service professional about the pros and cons of installing these kinds of traps.
Tree Roots. In neighbourhoods with mature trees, the vast underground root network can come dangerously close to foundations and pipelines. Sometimes they will even puncture or disrupt pipes which can lead to serious drainage and plumbing problems.
Severe weather events. Certain extreme conditions can put fatal strain on plumbing infrastructure. Floods, extreme precipitation and even earthquakes can shift the earth surrounding your home. This can disconnect or destroy pipe networks resulting in floods and property damage. You’ll want to work with a professional when this type of event occurs, especially if there may be an insurance claim at some point. Having a certified plumbing and drain specialist on board makes all the difference if you want a swift and satisfactory resolution.
The Importance of Regular Maintenance
Many plumbing and drainage catastrophes can be avoided completely by scheduling regular maintenance calls with an experienced drain cleaning service professional. They will visually inspect pipes and drains (sometimes with a tiny video camera) looking for existing or potential clogs, or accumulated debris that might cause problems at a future date. They’ll manually remove clogs and use high-pressure water to flush out pipes and drains. Then they’ll re-inspect the lines to ensure they’re clear. If small repairs are required, a trained drain cleaning service specialist can perform them on the spot, making sure your plumbing and drainage systems can perform optimally until the next service call.
These days especially be sure to provide an unobstructed route within your home and hand washing facilities for your drain cleaning service technician. They will have their own industry-wide protocols to adhere to in order to conduct troubleshooting and repairs safely; please respect them. If you’re not sure about any aspect of the new pandemic-related etiquette and protocols, ask your drain cleaning service provider.
If you live in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN area and you’ve got a minor or major drainage problem on your hands, don’t hesitate to give the drain cleaning service specialists at Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains a call. And if you’d like to schedule regular maintenance and cleaning call throughout the year to head off any potential problems at the pass, get in touch today.
