Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing issues in residential buildings. Whether caused by buildups of soap scum, hair, and biofilm or the result of trapped, non-degradable items, blocked drains render important plumbing fixtures temporarily unusable. While you might be tempted to grab your drain snake, plunger, or chemical drain cleaner, there are good reasons to call a professional first. The following are 10 reasons why hiring a plumber to repair your drains is the best way to protect your Boise, ID home.
1. Accurately Diagnose Your Problem
If you have just one clogged or slow-moving drain, the solution could be as easy as breaking down, pulling out, or moving the obstruction into and through your sewer line. However, if you have more than one blocked drain at once, you might have an impending whole-house backup.
All of the drains in your Boise home converge onto a single sewer line. This line routes your waste to the municipal sewer main or a private, underground septic tank. In Boise’s historic Garden District, many homes still have clay or terracotta sewer pipes. These and other sewer pipes are frequently encroached upon by aggressive weeds and tree roots that create blockages. When sewer lines are blocked, both solid waste and wastewater have nowhere to go but back into homes.
Whole-house backups send effluence rushing into all drains and all connected appliances. These events can cause tremendous property damage, and they expose residents to dangerous, illness-causing pathogens and chemical contaminants. A plumber can determine whether you have a single drain issue or a widespread problem. More importantly, a plumber can implement a solution that keeps everyone and everything protected.
2. Identify the Exact Location of Your Clog
It’s easy to assume that the cause of a clogged drain looms just within reach. People often imagine that they’re dealing with trapped toilet paper, hair, or other soft or semi-soft items that don’t require invasive measures or the use of significant force. However, you may find that the source of your clogged drain lies within an in-wall pipe. If you have an obstruction in a hidden and difficult-to-reach area, you won’t be able to dislodge it with chemical drain cleaners or common household tools.
One very important part of professional drain repair is clog locating. Not only can seasoned plumbers accurately pinpoint the exact location of your blockage, but they can also determine the least invasive way to eliminate it.
3. Avoid Pushing Obstructions Deeper Into Your System
Most simple, household plumbing tools are only meant to address minor and fast-degrading blockages. For instance, a plunger will clear your blocked toilet after someone has used too much toilet paper or passed a larger-than-normal stool. However, it won’t get rid of your obstruction if a resident has accidentally flushed a toothbrush, toy, razor, or other solid item.
Taking matters into your own hands when your drains aren’t working can make the required repairs more costly and complex. Vigorously snaking and plunging blocked drains often force tough clogs deeper into plumbing systems. Rather than breaking an obstruction up or pulling it out, your plumber might need to cut into your drywall and open up your pipes as a result.
Protect Your Pipes
The use of chemical drain cleaners can also cause more problems than it resolves. When these agents can’t clear and move through drains, they stay trapped in place indefinitely while eating through organic materials indiscriminately. Using store-bought drain cleaners too often or trapping them in pipes for too long could create the need for pipe replacement.
4. Preserve Manufacturer Warranties
Inserting an auger or snake down your drains can scratch porcelain coatings, gouge holes in pipes, and cause other structural and functional damages. When do-it-yourself repairs go wrong, manufacturer warranties might not pay for even formerly covered issues. These standard guarantees cover all problems resulting from defective parts, faulty assembly, and substandard manufacturing. However, they’re mutually binding agreements. Just as product manufacturers agree to cover their mistakes, homeowners agree to avoid introducing errors of their own. In addition to frustrating claim denials or claim delays, you could have a manufacturer warranty voided outright if your DIY repairs go wrong.
5. Get Things Working Fast
Spare yourself the hassle of making multiple trips to your local home and hardware store and get your drain problems solved quickly by hiring a professional. With the right skills and equipment, plumbers can often clear clogs in minutes. Lacking experience and the ability to accurately locate and diagnose drain problems, homeowners can take hours or days.
6. Avoid Physical Injury and Illness
Plumbing is dirty work. Even kitchen sink drains are often rife with dangerous bacteria and other germs. Having these pathogens get into your eyes, airways, or open cuts could lead to serious infection.
DIY drain repairs are dangerous in other ways. When augers or drain snakes slip or malfunction, people can sustain elbow, shoulder, hand, and eye injuries. Both corrosive and caustic chemical drain cleaners can also cause eye and skin burns and respiratory damage.
7. DIY Tutorials Rarely Account for the Unexpected
Homeowners currently have access to many easy, follow-along tutorials that explain how to find and clear clogs without hiring professionals. Unfortunately, these videos and other online resources rarely account for the unexpected. If you puncture a pipe, damage a plumbing fixture, or cause problems along a water supply, you could find yourself ankle-deep in water with no information about how to mitigate or resolve the issue. It’s also important to note that DIY tutorials aren’t guaranteed to be specific to the types of drains, pipes, and fixtures you own.
8. Sidestep Issues With Your Insurance Company
When things go awry with DIY repairs, product manufacturer warranties aren’t the only things consumers need to worry about. Your home insurance policy and home warranty are mutually binding agreements as well. Much like manufacturer warranties, these agreements require homeowners to outsource repairs to licensed professionals so that they don’t introduce problems on their own. Failing to adhere to the terms of these agreements can result in the loss of coverage, claims denials, and significant out-of-pocket spending.
9. Ensure Correct Permits
If your clogged drain requires a major fixture replacement, you may need to have the work permitted. Taking larger repair and replacement projects under your wing can cause frustration. Unpermitted plumbing work will make it harder to pass lender-required home inspections should you ever choose to sell or refinance your property.
10. Get Accurate Parts Specifications and the Right Tools
Another great reason to hire a plumber to fix your drain issues is that they have access to the right tools and parts specifications for your system. Few things are as frustrating as equipping yourself for a DIY project only to find that your selected parts don’t fit or aren’t right for the intended application.
Homeowners in Boise, ID can count on Perfect, Plumbing Heating & Air to solve their plumbing problems with excellent and long-lasting results. We offer outstanding plumbing, drain, heating, and cooling services. We also provide cutting-edge indoor air quality improvements. With 100% satisfaction guarantees and 10-year parts and labor guarantees, we’re a top choice for residential drain repairs and cleaning. To schedule an appointment or learn about our preventative maintenance plans and other plumbing repairs, contact Perfect, Plumbing Heating & Air now.
