Indoor plumbing is so common these days, we rarely give it a thought. That is, until one day you get a drain clog that you can’t get rid of and instead of water going down the drain, it just fills up the sink.
That’s what happened to Terri and Sam. When the couple called us, they told us that their kitchen sink had always drained a little slow, but over time it kept getting slower and slower until one day it just stopped draining completely.
The couple had tried the usual methods, such as plunging the sink, a round of boiling water, they told us they had even vinegar and baking soda, but nothing seemed to clear their home drain clog. That’s when they knew they needed a professional plumber and contacted Trinity Plumbing.
Getting to the Bottom of the Clog Problem
Although we initially thought that the garbage disposal was the likely culprit, once we had removed and cleaned it thoroughly, we learned this was not the case.
The clog causing the problem was actually much further along in the drain line. After using our cameras to help us diagnosis the problem, we discovered there was a large clog near the end of an underground pipe that is known as a lateral line. This pipe is about 4 to 6 inches in diameter and is what connects a home’s drain system to a city’s sewer line.
While many of the home drain clog issues that we see are related to the fixtures in the bathroom, such as flushing down too much toilet paper at one time, or is from a combination of trapped hair, shampoo and other items that go down the bathroom sink or shower; in this particular case, the problem was mostly from oil and grease that had gone down the kitchen sink and turned into a gelatinous mound of goo.
What Forms a Clog?
Most people don’t think a lot about what is going down the sink when they are cleaning dishes or discarding items down into their garbage disposals, but food and other substances that don’t break down right away, such as egg shells, fibrous foods, and non-food items like peelings often travel down the kitchen sink along with oil and grease. When these items all meet up, they begin to form a clog in your drain.
This type of clog is the worst because when you use a drain snake, it only pushes through the clog near the bottom of the pipe. This will make an opening through the mess allowing water a way to flow through the pipes again, but it may not actually clear out the entire thing.
In this case, we chose to fight the clog with the use of flexible shafts. Flexible shafts are groups of springs that are tightly wound together. When we clean a drain with flexible shafts, it uses torsional, or rather, rotational strength instead of relying on the tension of the coils to clean the pipe, which is what occurs when you use a drain snake. Flexible shafts not only clear the clog, but also allows us to clean a pipe wall-to-wall.
Since flexible shafts are smaller, lighter, and more flexible, they also bend easier which is a big plus and as an added bonus, because of their size, it also allows us to use a camera while we drain clean, so we can ensure that we are removing the entire clog and not just a portion of it.
Another Satisfied Customer
Fixing this home drain clog may have all been just another typical plumbing repair for our team, but after talking to Terri and Sam again, we discovered that removing the clog and cleaning the drain lines had given them an extra benefit.
Both of them were quick to tell us that in the 10 years they had lived in their house, the water had never drained as quickly as it does now. Clog gone and Trinity Plumbing for the win!
Do You Need a Plumber?
If your kitchen sink isn’t draining as fast as it should and you don’t take action, the issue is only going to get worse. Trinity Plumbing can diagnose your plumbing problems and take corrective action before a small problem becomes a big one.
Contact Trinity Plumbing – We always provide a written estimate, so you never have to worry about any hidden surprises.
