5 Common Signs of a Clogged Drain

A clogged drain often occurs due to objects being flushed through the drain. It is most common for kids to flush things down the toilet or items to block the sink's drain. Hair, food waste, soap, toys, and dirt are some of these items. It may surprise you that even something as simple as a clogged drain can potentially cause damage to your home and pose a health risk.

You can resolve a clogged drain by knowing the signs. Here are some signs that we need to pay attention to.

1. Slow Drainage

Can't drain your sink, tub, or toilet? That may indicate a clogged drain. This hint also reveals at which specific point the clog originates.

There is a possibility that the pipes running from the sink may contain the clog. However, if other fixtures, such as the toilet or bathtub drains, are affected, it could indicate that the clog is further down the pipeline and not located at one fixture. The sewer pipe is the culprit in this case. As a result, water starts to drain slowly from all fixtures of the bathroom or even the home, depending on where the clot is.

2. Back-up of Water During Draining

The drain backing up is another sign that you have a clogged drain. Sinks and toilets will typically have this issue. There will be visible bubbles and a noticeable gurgling sound when you flush the toilet. A noise indicates objects are obstructing the pipes. The gurgling could be caused by obstructive objects in the pipes, which make the water flow less efficient. The toilet water starts to rise instead of flushing away as expected. This is a clear sign you have a drain problem.

3. Blocked Toilet

Having the water rise back in the toilet is one of the worst scenarios. There is even a chance that the bowl will overflow.

Several factors and reasons contribute to this problem. Perhaps too much toilet paper was flushed, or a foreign object was forced down the toilet.

In this case, stop the water flow from the tank and use a plunger to attempt to fix the problem. However, this doesn't always work, and you'll need to call a reliable plumber such as High-Speed Plumbing to help.

4. Bad smells

If the drains smell bad, this is a sign that you might have a clogged drain. Gray water is the water from the laundry and showers that can back up due to hair and other clogs. Toilets produce black water; if they back up, you could face raw sewage problems. These both can create some pretty bad smells.

5. Flies

Take note of any fruit flies or drain flies flying around. When drains become clogged, these insects begin showing up. Backed-up sewage is the breeding ground for these insects. If you notice these flies, you might have a clogged drain. However, flies with a combination of the other issues mentioned clearly indicate you have a clogged drain.