Your Guide to Fixing Slow Drains in Your Victoria Home
Slow drains impact the entire home. They block sinks, showers, and tubs and delay your getting-ready routine in the morning. If you’re experiencing slow drains in your Victoria home, the cause could be an obstruction, such as food debris or hair in the drain line. Or it could be a more complex blockage associated with tree roots. This post will explain how you can diagnose the cause of your slow drains and fix this frustrating problem for the long term.
Why Drains Clog
Your home has a network of pipes leading to the main sewer line. The type of pipes within the home and the specific structure of your plumbing can impact the type of clogs you’re more likely to experience. However, there are generally several common reasons for slow and clogged drains. The following are the most common causes of slow drains for Victoria homeowners:
- The accumulation of hair and soap
- Mineral deposits from hard water
- Foreign objects such as toothpaste caps and excess toilet paper
- Pipe damage causes a misalignment in the home structure
- Clogged vent pipes cause a pressure buildup
Why It’s Important to Fix Slow Drains Promptly
While you might be able to handle a delay in your day caused by a slow drain as you wait for the water to clear in the sink, a slow drain is only likely to get worse with time. Below are several reasons to fix slow drains promptly:
Bacterial Buildup
When water settles in one area of the home for too long, it can become stagnant and a breeding ground for bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella. These bacteria are dangerous and can cause illnesses.
Insects and Mold
Insects such as mosquitoes are attracted to the stagnant water. Stagnant water in the home can cause high humidity, allowing mold and mildew to develop within your plumbing structure and spread throughout the property.
Slow Drains Lead to Serious Clogs
Slow drains indicate a hidden drainage problem requiring a resolution. They rarely improve by themselves. And so if you allow a slow drain to continue over a few weeks, you’ll likely see the problem worsen and the potential costs to fix the issue rise. That’s why we recommend you address slow drains as soon as possible.
What Can I Do to Fix Slow Drains?
The following steps can help fix slow drains caused by minor clogs. We don’t recommend using chemicals to resolve the issue without calling a plumber first. These products damage pipes, causing the material to weaken over time. While you might be able to fix a clog for the short term, the problem then returns and worsens, eventually leading to backflows into the home and leaks that require far more extensive plumbing work.
Below are a few steps you might try to address your slow drains:
- Turn on the faucet and fill the sink with a small amount of water
- Find a cup plunger if you have a slow-draining sink or a flange plunger for a slow-draining toilet
- Cover the drain with the plunger
- Plunge several times and remove the suction
- Then repeat the process
Use a Snake
If you’ve tried plunging and are unable to dislodge the clog and drain the water, you might try using one of the many retail snake products to try to pull up hair and soap scum that might be causing the blockage.
To begin, loosen the thumb screw on the drain snake and then extend the cable by pushing it into the drain pipe. When you reach an obstruction that the snake cannot get through, tighten the thumbscrew and rotate the handle twice. You can then loosen the thumb screw and retract the cable back towards you.
When to Call a Plumber for a Slow Drain
The earlier you call a plumber to fix your slow drains, the simpler and affordable the potential repair. It’s best to call a plumber when you notice the following:
- You tried snaking the drain, and it only worked for a day or two
- You have low water pressure and slow drains
- Resting water levels are rising as you use your home plumbing
- When hydrojetting is the only option to clean the drain
Contact Thunderbird Plumbing for Urgent Repair of Slow Drains
As the leading local plumber for drain repair, Thunderbird Plumbing has fixed thousands of home drains in its decades of serving Victoria, Oak Bay, and the surrounding Greater Victoria region. Our plumbers use the latest camera inspection tools to diagnose your drainage issue, helping identify serious problems such as sewer line repair issues that might be a root cause. Discover why Victoria homeowners trust Thunderbird Plumbing by calling our team today or booking your appointment online.