With holiday gatherings, extra guests, and the generally busy nature of the holidays, your pipes have gotten quite a workout. And if you live in a cold section of the nation, freezing could be a serious concern going forward. Right now is a good time to keep an eye on your pipes. Drain cleaning is an essential part of preventative maintenance. Drain cleaning makes your system more efficient, and can potentially avoid bigger plumbing problems down the line.
If you hear gurgling sounds, notice foul odors, experience recurrent clogs or see slow drainage, consider hiring a licensed plumber or drain cleaner to take a look. In some cases, you might be able to solve the problem yourself with a simple drain snake purchased at a big-box store. But more complex clogs will require the attention of a pro; running complicated equipment down your pipes is a delicate and complicated task that shouldn’t be treated as a DIY task.
Your outside sewer lines are often prone to clogging, especially if you have a lot of trees and roots that might interfere with it. Even if you don’t notice specific problems, pros suggest cleaning your sewer drain once every two years, in order to clear out built-up debris and prevent major blockages from happening. The average preventative sewer drain cleaning costs about $235.
The overall cost of a drain cleaning job depends on how far down the clog can be found, and where it originates. Snaking a toilet or kitchen sink tends to be the least expensive, starting around $110. Bathtubs and showers cost a bit more, usually starting around $225, and a sewer main line is the most expensive, especially if there are a lot of roots blocking it up. This cleaning can cost up to $800 if your pro needs to use particularly specialized equipment such as a roto-rooter or if it takes a long time.
Many drain cleaning jobs involve either snakes or long augers that slide down into the pipes and tear up or pull out debris. You can also consider a hydro jetting service. This uses high-powered water jets to blast through debris. It’s a very effective and efficient method, but also tends to cost more — around $475 on average. Hydro jetting is not always recommended for older pipes, because the intense levels of pressure can damage them. More modern PVC pipes can usually handle hydro jets without much trouble.
Sometimes a camera inspection is required to identify the problems. Sewer scopes allow plumbers to get a clear visual all the way down in the pipes. It can cost several hundred dollars, but there’s no better way to find out exactly what’s wrong. Camera inspections can often be bundled with other services in order to bring the price down.
No matter what the final problem turns out to be, ask your plumber for advice on how to avoid future problems like it, and if they have recommendations for other possible issues to look out for.
Tweet your home care questions with #AskingAngi and we’ll try to answer them in a future column.
