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There are few plumbing problems more unsettling than water starting to back up in the tub, shower, or sink due to a drain clog. While the first instinct for many homeowners is to reach for a chemical drain cleaner to clean out the drain, this can actually damage your plumbing system further! Before you pour those corrosive chemicals down your clogged drain, call Len The Plumber instead!
Our drain specialists provide same day service seven days a week to the Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Northern Virginia; and Philadelphia areas for clogged drain cleaning and repair. Whether you’re dealing with one slow drain or a bigger problem, our team can handle it! Just call us at 800-950-4619 or contact us online today to schedule your appointment.
Warning Signs of Drain Clogs
A drain clog is pretty easy to spot. Whether it’s the drain in your sink, tub, shower, basement, or toilet, the water simply won’t go down (or goes down very slowly) when you run the water or flush. The key thing to remember is that if you’re seeing multiple clogged drains in your home or if drains begin to back up in one part of your home when you run water in another, it’s likely you’re dealing with a main sewer line clog. A single clogged drain is simple to repair, but an issue in your main sewer line may require repair or replacement. No matter the issue, the team at Len The Plumber can diagnose and solve it!
Learn more about the warning signs of main sewer line clogs »
Will a Home Remedy or Chemical Drain Cleaning Product Help My Clogged Drain?
If you’re simply dealing with a slow sink or tub drain, you can try rinsing your drains with a large pot of very hot, but not boiling, water (followed up with cool water) or a 1:1 solution of baking soda and vinegar followed by hot water the next morning. However, this technique is most effective for monthly drain maintenance to prevent gunk from building up along the walls of your pipes rather than clearing actual clogs after they’ve occurred.
Stay away from chemical drain cleaners—the chemicals in these products are harmful to your pipes, your family, and your pets. Even worse, they rarely clear up clogs, so you waste money and time on an ineffective solution.
Tips for Avoiding Clogged Drains
At Len The Plumber, we want to help you avoid clogged drains. While we’re happy to unclog drains when needed, we’d rather you didn’t have to call us in the first place! Here are some tips for avoiding drain clogs.
- Buy mesh strainers or hair catchers for your tubs and showers. Clearing these out once a day (or every other day in a small household) is much less hassle than dealing with a giant clog!
- Avoid putting the wrong items down your garbage disposal and in your toilet. Get familiar with our list of things not to put down the garbage disposal and live by it. In the toilet, the rule is simple: If it’s not toilet paper or human waste, don’t flush it!
- Perform monthly drain maintenance. As mentioned above, you can pour a 1:1 solution of baking soda and vinegar down your drain (about a half cup of each should do) and allow it to sit overnight, then follow it up with a pot of very hot water the next morning. This should keep water flowing freely through your pipes, as long as there’s nothing wrong with your sewer line.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drain Clogs
We’ve spent a lot of time successfully removing clogs for our customers, and we’ve learned a thing or two along the way. That’s why our team of experts decided to put together some of the most common drain clog questions we receive from homeowners just like you.
Sewage is backing up through my drains! What do I do?
It’s always important to have a plan in the event of a plumbing emergency, such as sewage backing up into your drains. Here are some steps you should take if you’re experiencing sewage backup in your home:
- Contact your local plumbing professional first – they will be able to diagnose your problem to see if it’s simply a small clog or a sewer line issue.
- Backups are typically identified by slow-moving or clogged drains. You can try to remedy a clog yourself using a snake, hot water, or a combination of vinegar and baking soda.
- If this doesn’t work, refrain from using the drain or plumbing fixtures where the backup is occurring.
- Check for standing water in your sewer cleanout. If you don’t see any water there, the clog is probably in your main sewer line.
- Keep children and pets away from the affected area, and if wastewater is overflowing, turn off your home’s central heating system to prevent the flow from reaching your air vents and contaminating the air that circulates through your home.
Once your plumbing professional arrives, they will be able to locate the problem and provide whatever repairs are needed. While dealing with sewage backup is stressful, you can trust that the experienced team at Len The Plumber will get your sewer line cleared quickly and effectively.
Why are all of my drains clogged?
When you have a main line sewer clog, if affects every plumbing fixture in your house. That’s because your main line is connected to every pipe in your home. Main line blockages prevent wastewater from flowing freely to your sewer system, leading to slow drains and potential wastewater backups. For expert main line clogs and clog removal services, contact the experienced team at Len The Plumber right away!
Can I use a plunger in my kitchen sink?
Yes, but when it comes to plunging your kitchen sink, it’s important to make sure you pick the right plunger! Our favorite plunger for use on your kitchen sink is the standard cup plunger.
Why is my tub draining slowly?
A clog is usually the culprit when it comes to a slow-draining bathtub. Bathtub clogs typically result from a combination of hair, dirt, grease, and soap buildup within pipes. These clogs can be tricky to remove because hair often wraps around different parts of the drain. However, there are some ways you can try to remove the clog yourself before calling on the help of professionals. Oftentimes, pouring hot (not boiling) water down the clogged drain will alleviate the clog. You can also try a combination of vinegar and baking soda for clog removal.
If these home remedies don’t work, just contact the team of clog removal pros at Len The Plumber and we’ll get your tub drain back in prime shape quickly and affordably!
What can I use to clear my drains safely?
Great question—we’re so glad you asked! Too many homeowners have no idea how harmful chemical drain cleaners are for their pipes, as they essentially eat away at not only your clog, but your entire plumbing system. To successfully clean your pipes, try pouring hot water down your drain or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to clear a clog. When all else fails, reach out to your local plumber and let them handle it. At Len The Plumber, we have the precise equipment to get rid of stubborn clogs safely and effectively—making sure that the entire clog is removed and your water can flow freely again!
What can I do to prevent my drains from clogging?
It’s a good idea to practice good drain maintenance to reduce your chances of having to deal with a stubborn drain clog. We recommend flushing your drains with hot water regularly, or creating a mixture of vinegar and baking soda and pouring it down your drains once a month. This will keep your pipes in peak shape and help prevent buildup that leads to blockages.
Why won’t my toilet flush?
If your toilet won’t flush, you most likely have one of the following issues:
- The water level in your toilet is too low
- You have a faulty flapper
- There’s a clog in your toilet
If you’re unsure which problem your toilet is facing, contact the experienced team at Len The Plumber and we will quickly assess the issue and provide prompt, affordable repairs – guaranteed!
What is rooter service?
Rooter service is a term that can refer to a number of drain repair or sewer line problems, anything from removing clogs to repairing tree root infiltration in your main sewer line. When you call for rooter service, your plumber will first diagnose the problem, which could include:
- Visually inspecting plumbing fixtures
- Testing or turning on your plumbing fixtures to observe the problems
- Conducting a video pipe and sewer line inspection to look for deeper clogs and pipe damage
Once the issue is detected, they will provide the necessary repairs. This could mean snaking one or more drain clog, removing sections of your home’s piping system to clear clogs, repairing sections of pipes that are corroded, or replacing pipes and sewer lines that are sagging, collapsed, damaged by tree roots, or otherwise beyond repair. Whatever rooter services you may need, our highly trained team can handle it with ease!
Have more questions about clogged drains? Contact our team online or call us today at 800-950-4619 and we’ll get you the answers you need, backed by our always fast and affordable services!
Our Expert Drain Cleaning Services
Wondering what our professional plumbing team will do for your slow or clogged drain that home remedies and chemical cleaners can’t? Our plumbers will use an auger or plumber’s snake to yank out the gunk, hair, and other debris causing the clog in your drain. If the snake’s not working, the problem may be further down your pipe—in that case, we can use video camera inspections to see inside your sewer line and advanced techniques to clear blockages and tree roots, depending on the problem.
Call us today if you have:
- Clogged bathroom sinks
- Clogged tub drains
- Clogged kitchen sinks
- Clogged garbage disposals
- Slow drains
- Clogged sewer lines
If you have a slow drain, don’t wait—contact us online or pick up the phone and dial 800-950-4619 today. We’ll have your clogged drains cleared up in no time!
Check out our service areas for a full list of the communities that Len The Plumber services.
