The drainage system in your house plays an important role in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. It can be bad for your health and convenience when contaminants accumulate and clog the pipes. Keeping them thoroughly clean is tricky, as they are out of sight. Blocked drains cause water to flow in the reverse direction. Since the overflowing water will first flow to the lowest points in buildings, basements

get flooded. It usually happens when the main plumbing line, which channels wastewater from washrooms or appliances, is blocked. If only one isolated area is clogged, only the related appliances will face a problem. In such situations, hire experienced professionals from Canessco Services Inc. for quality drain cleaning services, and better drain water management.

Drain Cleaning - A Way to Prevent Basement Flooding

The drainage system in your house plays an important role in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. It can be bad for your health and convenience when contaminants accumulate and clog the pipes. Keeping them thoroughly clean is tricky, as they are out of sight. Blocked drains cause water to flow in the reverse direction. Since the overflowing water will first flow to the lowest points in buildings, basements get flooded. It usually happens when the main plumbing line, which channels wastewater from washrooms or appliances, is blocked. If only one isolated area is clogged, only the related appliances will face a problem. In such situations, hire experienced professionals from Canessco Services Inc. for quality drain cleaning services, and better drain water management.

Regularly cleaning the drains help in maintaining your plumbing system. The following are a few ways through which it helps:
· Clog prevention
  Water doesn’t drain smoothly through clogged pipes. You may experience problems with standing water in washrooms. It gets worse when the septic tank is clogged.

· Bacteria growth
  Bacteria and pathogens thrive in drains with waste buildups, which is a health hazard for the household.
· Damage protection
  If the buildup persists for many days, the pipes may corrode or experience an increase in air pressure, causing leaks. Too much water loss will result in significant water bills.

A buildup in pipes consists of various materials, particularly insoluble ones (eggshells, plastic, etc.). Food like flour, pasta and rice when mixed with water becomes like glue and is hard to remove. Sometimes, tree roots may dig deep into the underground pipes causing obstruction.

Identify Blocked Drains to Avoid Flooded Basements

Long neglected clogs lead to flooding and to avoid this, you must identify and fix the initial symptoms. Look out for:

1. Gurgling noises in plumbing fixtures in toilets, bathtubs, showers and sinks. Wastewater slowly moves around the clog hitting air pockets and when air bubbles reach the surface, you hear the sounds.
2. Slowly draining sinks and tubs
3. Strong sewage gas odor from worsening clogs

How to Unclog a Sewer Drain in the Basement

When you find your basement flooded, turn off the water supply immediately. Next, open the cap of the cleanout sewer line to release the pressure. This will force backed-up water to drain.

You can then proceed with any of the following drain cleaning methods:

1. Mechanical
Also known as “drain snake” due to its long hose, augers are common tools for cleaning drain clogs. It is available in different shapes and sizes. Choose the appropriate one, and place it in the sewer line. Hit  the clog, and progress further until you break it. You can also use a high-pressure water jet or the combination of both methods.

2. Chemical
You can use chemical substances like copper sulfate to fix the problem. Flush these down the pipe as it dissolves blockages. Do it more than once to achieve better results. However, keep in mind that it is not septic friendly and may cause problems in the long run.

3. Backflow Preventers
Sometimes, flooding happens due to heavy rains. If the overall water table rises, and the lowest drain in your basement is below this temporary water level, the drain backs up. You can install backflow preventers to prevent such a scenario. Available in both manual and automatic versions, these block the reverse flow of water.

Prevent Unnecessary Clogging in The First Place

A few precautions can go a long way in preventing drain blockages. These are:
· Using a regular maintenance program to cut down the clogs in your pipes
· Not emptying any substance down drains which can accumulate and produce obstruction
· Not flushing insoluble materials down the drainage like rubber and plastic



Plumbing professionals at Canessco Services Inc., use CCTV cameras to inspect sewer and pipe blockages for drain cleaning. We will provide you with a written report of identified problems and solutions. Give us a call today or email us to learn more about our services.