Plumbing is an important part of any business, but it’s not something most business owners spend a lot of time thinking about — until there’s a problem. And unfortunately, plumbing problems seem to come up at exactly the worst possible moments! Here are some signs of a blocked drain that you should not ignore so you can avoid damage and expensive emergency visits from a plumber.
Standing Water
Whether it’s in a sink or around a floor drain, standing water is an obvious sign of a blocked or extremely slow drain. The clog can be caused by anything from food and grease to hair or a small object that rolled into the drain by chance. It can be difficult to determine how serious the clog is without further investigation by you or a professional.
Gurgling Sounds and Offensive Odors
A gurgling sound is not your drain line greeting you at the beginning of the day. It’s them saying, “Hey! There’s a problem down here!” Gurgling noises are caused by gas bubbles or air that gets trapped in blocked drain lines because they’re being prevented from reaching your plumbing vent. When the gas or air finally escapes, this can cause unpleasant odors to come out of your drains.
Food and other biological material that’s routinely washed down restaurant drains also attract bacteria. This can become another source of foul smells in your kitchen.
Drain Flies
Drain flies are another sign of a blocked drain because they’re attracted to the decomposing matter in your drains. Female flies also lay their eggs in drains, so the offspring have food to eat when they hatch. This situation goes beyond standing water or unpleasant odors. A fly infestation could cause you to fail a health inspection and lose customers.
Clearing Blocked Drains
Depending on the type of business you own, you can probably guess what substances may be clogging your drains. That may help you decide whether you need to call in a professional or try clearing the drain yourself. For example, a beauty salon owner knows that hair is the likely culprit causing their blocked drains. Clearing the drain could mean using a hair-removing drain snake that can be relatively cheap to buy and easy to use.
Restaurants, bars, and other foodservice businesses are likely to have drain problems caused by fats, oils, and greases, otherwise known as FOGs. These substances stick to the inside of drainpipes and build up over time. You can buy or rent a plumbing snake or auger at most home improvement stores. These devices can be helpful to dislodge a clog or remove debris from a blocked drain, but you’ll need to use them regularly because FOGs will continue to build up and create new clogs.
You can also buy chemical-based products and pour them down a slow or clogged drain, but these products can damage pipes with prolonged use. If you want an organic solution to get rid of a blocked drain and keep them clear, considered using Enviro-Master’s commercial drain cleaning service.
Let Enviro-Master Take Care of Your Drains
Enviro-Master’s weekly drain services use an enzyme bio-active foam. The unique formulation in this product removes fats, oils, and greases by digesting them and turning them into carbon dioxide and water. The foam application process allows our certified technicians to coat the entire pipe from top to bottom, which speeds up the digestion process versus other types of drain line services. In our opinion, it’s the best drain clog remover for commercial drain cleaning.
This service will solve your slow or blocked drain problems and reduce your risk for an expensive service call to a plumber. It will also put an end to gurgling noises, unpleasant smells, and drain flies. Would you like to learn more about our drain treatment program or other commercial services that Enviro-Master offers? Complete the form below and get in touch with us today!
