One of the most unpleasant plumbing issues anyone can encounter in their home is having to deal with clogged drains. Your drains become clogged when they’re not able to remove wastewater anymore. This is often a temporary phenomenon, which may sometimes clear out on its own. In some other situations, you need to clear it out using a simple DIY approach or by calling an experienced sewer and drain specialist to help you.
This is because if left untreated or improperly cleaned, a lingering clogged drain creates the opportunity for further unpleasant drainage complications in your home. The blockage will most likely become worse and more difficult to remove if it stays for too long. As the clog build-up continues in your drain, it could lead to flooding, the development of a repugnant smell, and create potential health risks for your entire household and the community at large. A clogged drain is a breeding ground for disease-causing substances and bacteria to thrive. Discussed below is a more elaborate detail of the damages a clogged drain can cause in any home.
8 Damages Caused By a Clogged Drain
Plumbing Leaks
One of the first things you’ll observe after a clogged drain persists is leakages in pipes connected to your sinks, bathtubs, and garbage disposals. Since the clogs restrict the flow of water, you can expect that it will eventually lead to wastewater back up in the drainpipe of those plumbing fixtures.
The water will therefore begin to leak through the caulking and seals of the fixtures. You may not notice these issues right away until after a while, even some days. When a clogged drain persists for long untreated or unfixed, it causes mold growth and damages the surrounding structure.
Unpleasant Odors
You can’t escape unpleasant odors in your home when you’re dealing with clogged drains. As the standing water stays longer, terrible smells will begin to emanate from the drain. Obviously, clogged drains come with many annoying additions. First, you can’t get anything to go through your sink. Secondly, you have to deal with the risk of mold growth in your living space, and finally, you can’t escape the repugnant smell of the stagnant water.
The bad idea can make your kitchen, bathroom, and living space in general quite inconvenient for the occupants of the house. The earlier this is taken care of, the sooner you’re able to prevent the breakout of water or air-borne diseases in your home.
Potential Health Risks
Clogged drains are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, mold, and other disease-causing pathogens. They also contain contaminated water, attract pests and insects, and give off a foul odor. All of these pose a serious health risk to you and your family. Possible health complications associated with this kind of situation include bacterial infections like campylobacteriosis and typhoid. Symptoms of these infections include diarrhea and fever. Another is Helicobacter pylori, which causes peptic ulcers in the lining of the stomach of the small intestine.
There is also the possibility of suffering a respiratory condition called Legionnaires’ disease. As stated earlier, clogged drains also cause mold and mildew growth. Molds can cause a wide range of health issues, especially to people with allergies or suffering respiratory problems, such as asthma. Mold growth can exacerbate their symptoms. The unpleasant odors produced from the clogged drains also pose a serious health risk. This is because strong bad odors lead to headaches, dizziness, and nausea, as well as irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat. This is besides its negative effect on the mood of the building occupants.
Water Contamination
Clogged drains from waste buildup in your home’s pipes will definitely increase the chances of water contamination in your home. Water contamination is really a situation you don’t want to deal with in your home. Aside from the likelihood of disease spread, you’ll probably spend more money on healthcare. The best way to go about this is to quickly call a professional to inspect the plumbing system in your and free up the pipes to ensure a consistent flow of water.
In most cases, a DIY procedure might suffice. But if not, try to contact a local sewer and drain specialist as soon as you can.
Proliferation of Pests
The stagnant water resulting from clogged drains and blocked pipes typically attracts insects like cockroaches and mosquitoes. This is mostly because the stagnant water contains nutrients that support their survival and breeding. As they lay eggs and start breeding, you can expect that your home will gradually become infested over time.
Insects commonly found in clogged drains include cockroaches, drain flies, fruit flies, and phorid flies. These unsanitary insects use clogged drains as their breeding grounds and new homes. This alone is a major health risk, and must not be allowed to linger. By unclogging and thoroughly cleaning out your drain, you will be able to get rid of these insects living before they multiply.
Structural Damage
Clogged drains cause the glow of water to be slow or may stop the flow of water completely. In some cases, the flow of water goes backward. This backflow of water can weaken the structural integrity of your home. If untreated over a prolonged period, you risk significant damage to your building’s structure.
Flooding
In worst-case scenarios, clogged drains lead to flooding inside your home. Even localized flooding around the bathtub, toilet, or sink can bring a lot of distress and damage your floor. If you notice your drains are clogged and can’t fix them yourself before it becomes serious, time to call a trained professional. This will save you continued discomfort and more costs.
You’ll Spend More to Fix the Issue
When a clogged drain causes more damage inside your home, you risk running into costly repairs. You would definitely want to avoid this. Hence, speaking with a professional as soon as possible will save you more trouble.
Professional Help for Clogged Drains
If you find yourself constantly dealing with a slow-moving drain, water backup, or build-up of water in your sink, toilet, or bathtub, chances are, your drains are clogged. You need to get help immediately. At N.W. Sewer & Drain, we have a well-trained and ready-to-move team on standby. Areas we cover include Seattle and surrounding cities, including Edmonds, Marysville, Everett, Arlington, Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor, Bellingham, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shoreline, Renton, and Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace, Auburn, etc., and other surrounding areas.
N.W. Sewer & Drain provides top-notch drain cleaning and sewer repair services in Seattle, and we’ve been in the business for more than 20 years. Contact us today at 206-931-7728 to schedule an inspection of your sewer line and pipes.