Professional University City, MO Drain Cleaning solves drain plumbing issues before they grow into larger issues. Whether your water is draining sluggishly or not at all, professional drain cleaning protects your pipes and helps prevent repeat issues. Signature Plumbing's licensed experts are available 24/7 to help your home. get in touch today at (636) 742-2533 or get in touch online to schedule your drain cleaning appointment today.

Fast and effective, our team of plumbing professionals treats your University City, MO house's plumbing with care. We handle sinks, sewers, drain inspection, and other plumbing operations that prevents major issues from occuring.

On this page, we'll be reviewing warning signs of a dirty drain, issues you might run into with a dirty drain, common questions about drain cleaning, and the University City, MO drain cleaning services we assist you with at Signature Plumbing.

Learn what our previous customers have to say in our reviews to learn why we've been University City, MO's top plumbing service since we first opened in 2011.


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5 Signs Your University City, MO Drain Needs to be Cleaned

To prevent small plumbing issues from growing into bigger ones, pay attention to your drain's performance and watch out for signs that you need to have it cleaned. We've picked out our five top signals to watch out for below:

1. Slow Drains

If it's taking a while for your sinks, showers, bathrooms, and/or more to drain water, it could be clogged. No matter how hard you try, everyone occasionally sends solids and/or grease down the drain, and over time hair, food scraps, toiletries, and more will accumulate, creating clogs. Professional cleaning can evacuate these blocks, improving your drains' performance.

2. Water Backing Up

Depending on your home's piping, having a blockage in one area can cause water to back up in another. For example, if your toilet line is clogged, the toilet could initially appear to flush as normal. Instead, water can flow up out of a sink's drain, unable to properly flow into the correct pipe.

3. Foul Odors

Watch out for bad smells that are present in and around your drain. Dirt, grime, bacteria, and fungi are not the only reasons for bad smells. Foul odors can also be the result of sewage backup or air getting stuck in the pipes. In the short term, it's just a bad smell, but extended exposure can be dangerous.

4. Gurgling Sounds

If your line has a partial clog, you could hear gurgling or bubbling noises coming from trapped air. This allows some water to flow through, but creates bubbles and air pockets which allow gas up into your home. Besides being annoying, these sounds are signals that something larger could be wrong.

5. Multiple Clogged Lines

Finally, all these issues can be amplified by having multiple clogged lines. The more clogs and blocks in your home's plumbing, the more you will see slow drains, water backup, foul odors, and gurgling sounds in each of the drains. It's also possible that rather than multiple smaller clogs, you have one large one.

If you see all the warnings at multiple drains, it's possible that there's another root cause: Issues with your main sewer line. A main sewer line issue is a big deal because wastewater can back up and mix with your clean water. If you suspect your sewer system is broken, it's important to reach out to a plumber right away.


Drain Cleaning 2

Common Drain Cleaning Problems in University City, MO

Home drain maintenence goes beyond the surface appeal – it's important for the long-term health and safety of your home. Over time, clogs will damage your house, increase your chance of getting sick, attract pests, and degrade your home's overall plumbing performance.

Corrosion

When a blockage occurs in your University City, MO drain and pipes, over time, it can corrode the pipes, priming them for cracks and breaks. This is caused via increased friction, changing the pH of the water, or both. Corrosion is extra difficult because it generally can't be detected externally until it springs a leak.

Clogs

Clogs can occur when debris builds up and narrows the drain, creating bottlenecks and even blockages. When your drain is not able to handle as much water, its performance will suffer, and eventually it can spit debris and dirty water back up the drain. Additionally, if pressure builds up, it can create a crack in the pipe.

Water Damage

If your pipe springs a leak, major water damage can result. it may be visible, but sometimes it can happen behind the walls and below the floors. If water leaks in these areas, the damage can be deep and structural, necessitating repairs.

Health Risks: Bacteria, Mold, and Mildew

Bacteria, mold, and mildew aren't just sources of bad odors – they can be sources of health issues, too. The organic matter in uncleaned drains makes an ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to grow, which can expand and get into your air. On top of that, they can also damage the pipe structure, leading to more issues.

Pest Infestations

Moist environments with organic matter can attract pests, particularly insects. In University City, MO, mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches can all build up colonies in these conditions and create long-standing problems. Working with an exterminator can remove the pests, and working with a plumber to clean the drains can discourage them from returning.

Reduced Performance in Your Home's Plumbing

Without regular drain cleaning, you'll see reductions in your home's plumbing efficiency. It may slowly build up over time, but slow drains will become more of a hindrance than you realize:

  • Sinks full of dirt and gunk
  • Toilets that don't flush properly
  • Showers with grimy floors and low water pressure

As time goes on, the debris will build up and eventually totally block the pipe. At this stage, your pipes may start to leak, letting water out and hurting your property's value. To prevent this, do what you can to ensure that only water (and in the toilet, waste) goes down the pipes and hire a plumber to inspect them regularly.


Our University City, MO Drain Cleaning Services

Whatever your drain cleaning needs are, Signature Plumbing is equipped for the job. Our goal is to fix the problem, whatever the cause is.

  • Sink Drain Cleaning: Food, hair, and even toothpaste can get into sink drains and cause clogs. Our University City, MO drain cleaning professionals clean out clogs and restore your drain's performance.
  • Basement Drain Cleaning: The lower elevation makes basement drains prone to catch all kinds of clogs, whether from washing machine sediment, heavy rain, or something else. At Signature Plumbing, we do more than fix the clog: We'll look for any damage to your foundation or cracked pipes.
  • Sewer Drain Cleaning: At the end of your home's plumbing system, your sewer is at risk of clogs from anything that clogged any of the other drains in your house, as well as outside complications like tree roots. If we notice any damage while unclogging your drain, we can excavate the sewer line to go in and repair it.
  • Toilet Drain Cleaning: Wipes (even if they are labelled as flushable) frequently cause blockages, in addition to toilet paper and other debris. Our industrial grade cleaners, drain snakes, and hydro jets are fine-tuned to manage stubborn clogs.
  • Bathtub Drain Cleaning: Hair, soap, dirt, and pet fur often collect in shower and bath drains, leading to buildups and blocks over time. We'll remove the clog, and wipe out any growths like mold or mildew.
  • Drain Camera Inspections: Beyond uncloging your drain, we search for other issues in your plumbing – with our drain inspection services, we can look further into your pipes to find any deeper issues that are causing clogs. This can eliminate guesswork and confirm whether or not you have a larger problem.

Call us now for 24/7 drain cleaning (or other plumbing) services, at 636-742-2533.


University City, MO Drain Cleaning FAQs

Drain cleaning in University City, MO means working together - regular professional drain cleaning attacks the tough clogs, while individual maintenance helps keep things operational the rest of the time. Below, we've answered some of the most pervailing University City, MO drain cleaning questions:

Should I use chemical drain cleaners?

We don't recommend using chemical drain cleaners for several reasons - they are often harmful for your plumbing, struggle to fix total blockages, and can be hazardous to your health. If they linger in your pipes, too, they can combine with other chemicals in your pipes to make dangerous compounds.

Can clogged drains make you sick?

Yes, in two ways. First, clogs can make ideal growing conditions for harmful bacteria and fungi. This can lead to exposure to infections and the like around the given drain.
Second, if the flow of water is blocked, it can cause waste water to flow backwards, contaminating the rest of your University City, MO home's water system.

How often should drain pipes be cleaned in University City, MO?

Regular professional drain cleaning services should be conducted every 6 months to 1 year, so that they can eliminate any major blocks. You can do your own month-to-month home cleanings to decrease buildup.

What things should I avoid putting down drains?

While a complete list of items would go on forever, these are some common items that people tend to send down their drains, but actually shouldn't:

  • Fats/Oils/Grease
  • Coffee Grounds
  • Egg Shells
  • Paper (besides Toilet Paper)
  • Cleaning Products
  • Rice or Pasta
  • Paint
What are common causes of drain clogs?

No matter how hard you try to avoid sending any of the above items down your drains, at some point, some sort of debris will build up in them. Grease, hair, soap, and food waste are the most frequent causes of clogs.

Is it okay to pour boiling water down the drain?

Probably not - boiling water is bad for some common pipe materials, so we advice you to let water cool before pouring it in a drain. There are some limited examples where it is not harmful, but you're better off using slightly cooled down water, with significantly less risk of damaging your drains.

How can I protect my drain?

Besides regular cleaning/inspections, drain covers can prevent blockages by stopping debris before it flows down. Compost or trash food scraps, don't send them down the garbage disposal. And pour hot (not boiling!) water down the drain weekly to guard against grease blockages.




Let Signature Plumbing Handle Your University City, MO Drain Cleaning Needs

University City, MO drain cleaning isn't always easy, but it is always important. At Signature Plumbing we're dedicated to providing top quality plumbing service for your home.

  • Licensed Plumbing Professionals: Our team is licensed, insured, and have been serving University City, MO for over a decade.
  • Highly Responsive: We're available 24/7 to help with everything from standard maintenence to plumbing emergencies.
  • Transparent Pricing: We won't surprise you with fees halfway through the cleaning - we're clear with our pricing and quotes before you hire us.
  • On-The-Spot Fixes: Our team's trucks are stocked to fix surprise issues we find, so if we find bigger or deeper issues than we initially thought, we're still prepared.

We also offer these services in University City, MO:

Don't let blocks or clogs become a drain on your life. Call us today at (636) 742-2533 or contact us online for all your University City, MO drain cleaning needs.