Do you have a list of annual maintenance tasks you perform on your home? Perhaps that list contains things like "clean the gutters" and "launder the drapes." Here's another task to add to your yearly maintenance checklist: Have your drains professionally cleaned. While it may initially seem strange to call a plumber when your house isn't flooding and your toilets are still flushing, this annual maintenance can prevent all sorts of bigger problems down the road. Take a look!
1. Yucky Odors
Have you ever bent your head over the sink, perhaps to rinse your face or your mouth, and smelled a nasty odor coming up from the drain? This might not actually hurt you, but it definitely does not make for an enjoyable grooming experience. Having your drains cleaned will remove the soap scum buildup that could be growing smelly bacteria in your drains. You can then dip your head into the sink with confidence — and you don't have to worry that guests will be offended by your drain odors, too.
2. Unsanitary Conditions
The smelly bacteria that grow in soap scum residue are not exactly good for you, either. In some cases, they might cause skin infections. You could become exposed to them if you ever fill up the sink with water, or if you touch in or around the drain when cleaning your sink. Having your drains professionally cleaned will reduce this risk.
3. Clogs
Many clogs are ultimately caused by soap scum residue in drain pipes. That scum residue slowly grabs onto other particles like lint and human hair, and before long, a full clog occurs. If you have a plumber remove the scum in the first place, you should not get an actual clog, so you won't have to deal with a plugged drain or unusable shower.
4. Sewer Line Clogs
The debris that accumulates in your drains can slowly rinse down into your larger sewer lines. If there are any tree roots in your sewer lines, which is fairly common, the debris can get caught in the roots, leading to clogs. Having the drains cleaned preemptively can help keep these bigger lines clear, too. Depending on the company you hire, they may even use a strong water jet to blast away the tree roots while they're cleaning your smaller pipes.
Add "clean the drains" to your annual to-do list. Hiring a plumber for this once-a-year maintenance will save headaches later on.
For more information about drain cleaning, contact your local plumber.
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