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Outdoor Drain Cleaning: When to DIY and When to Call a Pro
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Imagine you’re out in the yard cleaning, raking leaves, going about your usual routine. Then you walk past the drain, sniff sniff, and you just get a whiff of something nasty, a foul and horrid smell. Must be a clogged drain, easy enough. It seems simple, it’s so tempting, yet it’s so wrong. Yes—we’re looking at you Mr. Do It Yourself. Put the drain snake down. Take it from us, blocked outside drains are no joke. From flooding your yard, stinking it up like a landfill, and worse, causing a whole lot of pipe damage, having an outside drain get clogged is a can of worms you don’t want to open.
So what do you do? It’s simple, call a professional. As easy as it may seem, cleaning your own drain is not the best move. You could hurt yourself in the process, cause more drain damage to your home, leading to an even bigger bill, and your lack of plumbing expertise can lead to you missing a whole lot of other plumbing issues you may have. So next time you want to get your DIY on—don’t. At least not with your drain. With a team full of plumbing professionals ready at your disposal, give C&C Plumbing a call instead.
Common Causes of Clogged Outdoor Drains
Clogged outdoor drains can be caused by a multitude of reasons, it’s never just one. From heavy rain, to poor plumbing, and even natural debris build-up, a clogged drain is one blown leaf away from happening.
Heavy Rain
During times of heavy rain and storms, it is completely normal for your drain to be clogged. This is due to your draining system having to deal with too much water too quickly, which it simply can’t handle, and it gets clogged. Heavy rain can also cause outside drains to be clogged with leaves and other natural debris. It’s important to keep an eye on your drain after a storm to ensure it is not clogged.
Natural Debris
One of the main culprits of clogged drains comes in the form of natural debris. This ranges from twigs and leaves to even grass clippings. This is why it is essential to clean up after doing yard work. So, next time you’re going about your weekend chores, make sure to bring a trash bin with you.
Sediment Buildup
If your outside drain is blocked, it could be a result of sediment build-up. This just means that over a period of time, dirt, mineral and debris particles have accumulated inside of your drain pipe. Sediment build-up is usually caused by hard water, which is water with high levels of calcium and magnesium. You may see keyboard plumbing technicians telling you to flush your drain with water, vinegar, and baking soda, but don’t. That stuff only works to make volcano science experiments and won't work on your pipes.
Poor Drainage System
Maybe you’ve got an older house or your drain system was improperly installed, regardless, a poor drainage system can cause a multitude of issues. From improper grading, to improperly installed downspouts, down to a lack of overall maintenance, all of these potential issues can cause drain blocks outside.
How Our Plumbers Clear Outdoor Clogged Drains
If your outside drain is blocked, clogged, or anything in between, our expert plumbing technicians at C&C Plumbing will remove any obstructions preventing proper drainage. Using specialized tools, our plumbing technicians implement safe and effective techniques to clean your outdoor drain. With over 20+ years in the business, you can rest easy knowing our plumbers got the job done right. Never worry about improper drainage with C&C Plumbing!
Drain Snake
The most popular outdoor drain cleaning tool for our plumbers is a drain snake, also known as an auger. A drain snake, plumber's snake, or drain auger, is a flexible metal cable, usually about 25ft long, that’s got a tip made up of coiled wire, similar to a corkscrew. Our plumber inserted the drain snake, twisting and rotating to remove any obstructions.
An electric drain snake is very similar to a normal drain snake, except it’s powered by a motor, and it has got a rotating blade-tip at the end. These are normally used for more heavy-duty situations.
Hydro Jetting
Hydro jetting is a drain cleaning process that blasts high-pressure water through your pipes. Doing so removes natural debris, sediment build-up, leaves, grease, and anything else that you can think of. Hydro jetting not only removes obstructions, but also helps prevent the likelihood of your outside drain getting clogged again.
Drain Camera Inspection
One of the benefits of hiring a real plumber is the tools we have at our disposal, like the ability to conduct a proper drain inspection with a sewer camera. A sewer camera is a small camera that’s attached to a cable, which goes in through the drain, and it emits real-time video to a screen or monitor, allowing us to get a real good look at what’s really going on with your pipes. This provides you with an accurate assessment, and the tranquility of knowing the job was done correctly.
The Risks of DIY Drain Cleaning
It may seem simple, like it’s no trouble at all, you may even think to yourself, ‘how hard can this really even be?’ The answer is: when your outside drain is blocked, unclogging it can be very difficult, dangerous even. So, don’t put yourself, your house, and health at risk for a problem we can easily solve. Here at C&C Plumbing no job is too big or too small for us!
Drain Damage
Attempting to unclog your drain on your own has many drawbacks, causing even more drain damage to your home being one of them. When you search up ‘how to unclog my outside drain,’ you’ll be provided with a hundred different answers. From DIY vinegar and baking soda methods, to aggressive cleaning solutions, the internet will tell you to try anything! Despite their best intentions, people on the internet are not professional licensed plumbing technicians. Fortunately for you, our plumbing professionals understand the proper way to best utilize drain cleaners, and the best drain cleaners to use. Some of these cleaning solutions are overly aggressive, and can be corrosive to metals, often compromising your drain pipes.
Health and Safety Hazards
Another cause for concern is your own safety. Whenever undertaking any home project, safety should be your number one priority, especially if attempting to unclog your drain with a drain cleaning solution. When using drain cleaners, it is important to keep in mind that these are chemicals and they can cause severe skin and eye damage if you’re not careful when using them. If a cleaning solution is the route you take, please remember to wear protective gear, such as gloves, long-sleeve shirts, and eye and face protection. Lastly, it is important to wash your hands, and all external parts of your body that may have come in contact with the cleaning solution.
You Could Have More Pressing Plumbing Problems
So, you’ve successfully unclogged your drain. It’s good to go, up and running, draining anything and everything. Except the fix wasn’t permanent. It was a band-aid solution for a much bigger problem. Before you know it, it’s clogged again. Often, you may be able to fix the first clog, and even the second, but by the third, you'll realize there is something seriously wrong with your plumbing. Maybe root intrusion? Or maybe even a collapsed mainline? Don’t hold your suspense waiting for an answer, instead, give us a call. Here at C&C Plumbing, we have the experience and equipment to handle any and all of your plumbing problems.
When to Call a Professional?
Our answer to this will be, ‘always call a professional.’ Pipe problems can sometimes be more troublesome than expected, especially if you’ve got no prior experience in plumbing. In attempting to handle things on your own, you can leave undiscovered problems to cause more damage to your home, you can hurt yourself in the process, and you could make a bigger hole in your wallet than if you’d called us in the first place. Call C&C Plumbing for professional help!
Areas We Serve
Here at C&C Plumbing, we take great pride in our ability to serve our customers and the community at large by providing them with affordable solutions to their plumbing problems. Call today and find out for yourself why we’re the best around. If you reside in any of the following areas, give us a call:
- Atlanta, GA
- Athens, GA
- Monroe, GA
- Winder, GA
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Gainesville, GA
- Buford, GA
- Elbert County, GA
Preventive Maintenance Tips
Clogged drains are no fun, so be sure to implement the following preventive maintenance tips, so that you never have to worry about unclogging a drain!
Flush Your Drain Regularly
It can be beneficial to regularly flush your drain as a preventative measure. You can do this by pouring hot boiling water into your drain. This can help loosen up any debris, sediment build-up, and any hardened dirt.
Pay Attention to Slow Drains
It is important to keep an eye out for any slow draining, as it could be an early telltale sign of a potential clog. Doing so can help you catch any problems early before they take a turn for the worse.
Hire Professional Help
The best way to prevent any clogs from ever taking place is by hiring professional help. With C&C Plumbing you can enlist our services for annual to bi-annual cleaning. We’ll show up, check everything is in order, clean your pipes, and notify you of any potential concerns. Keep your mind worry-free when you hire C&C Plumbing.
Leave the Pipes to the Pros!
Plumbing problems can be a handful, so it’s best to leave it to the pros! With over 100 years of combined experience, we have built a team of all-stars, equipped with the knowledge and expertise to handle any and all of your plumbing problems. For the best around, call C&C Plumbing!
