Clogged Drains and sewers

Your drains are essential to your home or business. It's important to take care of your drains to avoid causing blockages and to watch for signs of trouble to avoid messy and costly repairs caused by a drain back up.

1. Slow Drainage: Water draining slowly in your sink, bathtub, or shower can be an early sign of a clog forming.

2. Water Backup: If water starts to back up out of a sink drain, it's a clear sign that a clog could be present.

3. Unpleasant Odor: A foul smell coming from your drains can indicate that food or waste is stuck and decomposing.

4. Gurgling Sounds: These noises can signify that air is being trapped by the blockage and being forced up through the system.

5. Frequent Need for Plunging: If you find yourself frequently needing to plunge or snake your drains, this could signal an ongoing issue.

Common Causes of Clogged Drains:

1. Hair: This is one of the most common culprits, often getting tangled into clumps that cause blockages.

2. Grease and Fat: These substances solidify when they cool down and can stick to the insides of pipes, building up over time.

3. Food Waste: Certain types of food debris like coffee grounds or tea leaves are notorious for clogging drains.

4. Soap Scum: Over time, soap residue can build up in pipes and cause blockages.

5. Foreign Objects: Items such as sanitary products, wet wipes, or children's toys can easily cause a drain to clog if accidentally flushed down toilets or dropped into drains.

6. Tree Roots: In some cases, tree roots may invade sewer lines causing significant blockages and damage.

In most circumstances, there is no need to have your drains cleaned on a regular basis.

The most important thing to do is to take care of your drains by protecting them from things going down them. The most common causes of drain clogs are things other than water going down the drain. 

Oil, coffee grinds, egg shells, flour, and product stickers are the most common causes of kitchen drain blockages. Hair, wipes (even the flushable ones), toys, and cotton swaps cause the majority of toilet and bathroom drain clogs.

If you have a problem draining having it cleaned regularly is a good short-term strategy to avoid a drain backup which can cause a costly mess. The best long-term solution is to have the drain inspected to assess the drain and determine where the problem is.

If you are on city sewer and your main drain is backing up, the Region of Durham will clean your main drain from your main drain cleanout in your home (it's in your basement) to the city street for free.

To be eligible for this free service you must have an accessible main drain clean out in your home. If you do not have one give us a call and we can install one for you.