About Plumbers, With Honor

Buying a new home is an exciting experience, but the honeymoon period can often end far quicker than most people would like. Fortunately, drain clogs are usually relatively minor issues, so an obstructed drain is often a far better first problem to experience than many of the alternatives. Of course, it can still be frustrating and even potentially damaging.

Whether you're a first-time homeowner or simply moving into a new place, there are a few things you'll want to keep in mind when you experience that first clog. These three tips will help you deal with your clog with the smallest amount of time, effort, and mess.

1. Have Basic Tools on Hand

If you don't already have some basic drain cleaning tools, now is a great time to get them. At a minimum, you'll want at least one plunger and a simple drain snake. Avoid chemical cleaners since these can potentially damage your drains. It's also unnecessary to purchase professional-grade drain cleaning tools, as it's best to leave any truly stubborn clog to an expert.

Once you have these tools on hand and know their differences, you can try to clear out your clog. Many drain clogs won't require much effort to clear, so you can often handle this problem yourself. However, you shouldn't spend too much time or effort on a clogged sink, toilet, or shower. If the clog doesn't break up relatively quickly, that's often an indication that you need professional help.

2. Know Your Clean-Out Locations

Moving into a new place means getting to know its little details. While you'll probably familiarize yourself with most aspects of your home pretty quickly, there's a good chance you won't spend those first few weeks hunting for sewer clean-outs. Still, these clean-out locations will quickly become your best friends when something goes wrong with your plumbing.

Professional plumbers will often need access to these clean-outs for intensive cleaning methods such as hydro-jetting or as an access point for inspection cameras. Once you call a plumber, it's a good idea to hunt down the location of at least one of your sewer clean-outs. Knowing where to find this important home feature will save your plumber time and may save you some money.

3. Don't Wait for the Situation to Become Critical

Drain clogs aren't a static situation. If one drain in your home backs up, the issue may be deeper in your sewer lines. Continuing to use the drains in your house can cause more water to fill your plumbing, ultimately causing backups at other drains. Since you're unlikely to be familiar with your new home's quirks, it's best to avoid taking any chances with drain clogs.

Once you notice a drain running slowly or not running, you should treat the situation as a problem requiring immediate attention. If you can't solve the issue yourself, calling in a plumber for drain cleaning will often be the most cost-effective option to avoid a far messier and more expensive problem in the future.

For more information about drain cleaning, contact a local plumber.