No matter how much care you put into keeping your drains clean, every home reaches a point where it can benefit from professional drain cleaning. Drain cleaning is a preventative measure; it's much better to schedule drain cleaning before a serious clog develops so you can avoid potential damage to your plumbing. Here are four signs to watch out for that mean it's time for a professional drain cleaning.

1. Slow Drains

It's rare for a clog that completely blocks a drain to develop suddenly. Problems in your plumbing typically start small, and you may simply notice that water isn't draining out of your sinks or bathtub as quickly as it used to. This can occur as dirt and debris coat the inner walls of drain pipes in your home, restricting the space that's left for water to flow through the pipe.

Slow drains are often accompanied by a gurgling noise from your drains. This occurs when obstructions in the drain pipe cause air bubbles to form in the water as it drains. The air in the pipe must expand and escape, so it bubbles up through the pipe and exits through the top of the drain. The air bubbling inside the pipe creates the gurgling sound.

2. Frequent Minor Clogs

If you find that you need to use a plunger on your drains more often than you should, this could be a sign that the drain is nearing a complete clog. Grime inside of your drain pipes causes hair, food particles, and waste to cling to the walls of the pipe. This means small obstructions that would normally pass through the drain pipe without issue can stick around and cause clogs.

As clogs become more frequent, many homeowners turn to DIY drain cleaning options. Naturally, you don't want to call a plumber for every minor clog, but you should be careful about the steps you take on your own to remove them. Harsh chemical drain cleaners can damage your plumbing and are harmful to the environment. Using organic drain cleaners in conjunction with plunging or snaking the drain is usually the best option.

3. Standing Water

Slow drains and minor clogs are nuisances, but standing water around your drains means that the dirt and grime in the drain have reached the next level of severity. Standing water around one drain is likely the result of a complete blockage in that drain. Standing water in several sinks and plumbing fixtures throughout your home could be a sign of a more serious clog deep in your plumbing.



It's not uncommon for a complete blockage to cause standing water in sinks and bathtubs, but there are also other places in your home where this symptom can present itself. A backed-up toilet or water left in the bottom of your washing machine can also be signs that complete blockages are present and professional drain cleaning is needed.

4. Unpleasant Smells

Sometimes the first sign that it's time for professional drain cleaning isn't a change in your drains' performance. If you notice an unpleasant smell emitting from any of your drains, it's time to assess what may be causing it.

A sewage smell from your drains can be the first sign of a sewage backup due to a clogged sewage line. Rotting smells from your kitchen drains could be the result of food waste stuck deep in the drain pipes. Bacterial growth in bathroom drains can also lead to an unpleasant odor. Any unusual smells are a sign that something is present in the drain that shouldn't be, and a serious clog may be right around the corner.

Professional drain cleaning is the best way to eliminate clogs and ensure your plumbing is performing at peak efficiency. Keep these signs of drain troubles in mind, and contact us at Complete Plumbing for all your plumbing needs!