5 Warning Signs You Need Emergency Drain Cleaning

A drain that empties a little slower than usual is easy to ignore. Most of the time it means something is building up further down the pipe, not fixing itself.

Signs to watch for

• Water backing up in a different fixture when you run another one, such as the toilet gurgling when the washing machine drains
• A smell of rotten eggs or sewage near a drain
• Gurgling sounds after you flush or drain a sink
• Water pooling around a floor drain
• More than one drain in the house acting up at the same time

When to call right away

If more than one drain is affected, or water is backing up instead of draining, stop using those fixtures and call a plumber. This usually points to a blockage in the main line, not one clogged pipe, and it can turn into sewage backing up into your home if it is left alone.

Regular drain cleaning catches this kind of buildup long before it becomes an emergency.