How do you know when it’s time to get professional drain cleaning? We’ve all dealt with slow or clogged drains before — perhaps you had good luck with a chemical drain cleaner, or even just rooting around with a straightened wire hanger. But the truth is that these are temporary solutions at best, and in some cases, can do more harm than good. Keep reading to learn the top signs that it’s time to hire a drain cleaning pro, and the many benefits of investing in this service.
1. Your Drains Are Slower Than Usual
Of course, the most obvious sign that you need drain cleaning services is a slow drain. This may not seem like such an issue at first, but even something as simple as brushing your teeth or washing your hands can become extremely inconvenient with a slow-draining sink. The plumbing pros at Chen Plumbing have the tools and knowledge to completely clear your drain of obstructions,
2. You Notice Frequent or Recurring Clogs
A common issue faced after DIY clogged drain repair is recurring drain clogs. This happens when DIY methods like chemical drain cleaning clear just enough to allow water to flow, while leaving the majority of the blockage intact. If it feels like your sink is constantly clogging, make the investment in professional drain cleaning.
3. Foul Odors Are Coming from Your Drains
Bad drain smells are another key sign of a drain issue. Depending on what your blockage is made up of, the scent itself can vary — rotting food smells and moldy odors are self-explanatory, but what about sulfuric, ‘rotten egg’ smells? This is usually caused by hydrogen sulfide, which can back up into your home either due to bacteria eating organic matter in your drains or by hazardous sewage gas escaping due to a dry P-trap or a blocked vent line.

4. You Hear Gurgling or Bubbling Sounds
One of the lesser-known signs of a clogged drain is hearing gurgling or bubbling sounds from your sink or tub. These noises are caused by air trapped in the pipes, usually indicating a partial clog in the drain pipe or a blockage of the vent pipe, which allows airflow. If multiple drains are making noise, however, it’s a sign of a problem with the sewer line. Make the call to get a sewer line camera inspection before a sewer line backup causes a serious issue in your home.
5. Water Is Backing Up into Sinks or Tubs
If your drain system has a total clog, the wastewater from your sink or tub has nowhere to go except right back up your drain. If you’re dealing with water backing up into drains, it’s time to contact a drain cleaning professional for help.
Benefits of Hiring a Professional Drain Cleaning Service
There are many reasons to work with a professional plumbing team for drain cleaning. Of course, their first job is to clear clogs in your kitchen or bathroom drains. This restores function to these fixtures and ensures your health and safety — no one wants to smell sewage gas or rotting food in the room where they cook meals or brush their teeth, after all.
Our experts ensure complete removal of any clogs and help support the overall health of your plumbing system by providing essential plumbing maintenance that saves you on costly repairs down the line. Ongoing clogs can lead to faster corrosion and wear on your pipes due to higher pressure, potentially causing pipe leaks or ruptures. By taking care of a slow drain proactively, you avoid serious plumbing problems and emergency drain cleaning.
Overall, working with a professional ensures a complete solution to your clogged drain problems. They protect your health, safeguard your plumbing system, and offer real peace of mind that your home is in good working order.
Schedule Drain Cleaning with Chen Plumbing
If you’re dealing with even a partially clogged drain, we recommend contacting a plumbing professional straight away. In Georgia, Chen Plumbing is known as one of the most reliable drain cleaning companies, helping homeowners address everything from slow drains to total blockages.
When you work with us, we thoroughly inspect the system and determine the root cause of the issue. Depending on the situation, we may use a special drain camera to get a look at the blockage, which will tell us whether drain snaking, hydro-jetting, or a combination approach will be the best move.
Once the inspection is complete, we get to work removing the blockage with specialized tools and techniques. We leverage our extensive experience on every job, and our plumbing technicians understand how to clear a clogged shower drain or restore flow to your kitchen sink in a matter of hours. We don’t just remove the clog, we ensure the entire drain line is clear and clean.
After the clog is removed, we provide advice for ongoing maintenance and care of your drains. This might include mesh drain filters in your shower, food strainers in your kitchen sink, and general drain care advice to prevent further drain clogs in the future.

Contact Chen Plumbing Today
Since 1998, Chen Plumbing has been proudly serving the Metro Atlanta area. From the very beginning, we’ve been guided by founder Tim Chen and his unwavering commitment to excellence for every client he works with.
We understand that working with a plumber is more than just hiring someone for a job. You’re putting your trust and the safety of your home in the hands of another person. That’s why we take the utmost care on every project, treating your space as if it were our own. We live by Tim’s original ethos of top-notch service, going the extra mile, and working with selfless care and total honesty.
So whether you’re dealing with a slow-draining bathtub, a foul odor from your kitchen sink, or a total drain blockage in your powder room, don’t waste your time and money on DIY methods. Contact the plumbing experts at Chen Plumbing to get reliable drain services that get to the root of your problem, leaving your home’s plumbing system in perfect working order. For more information or to get plumbing support today, don’t hesitate to reach out for a quote.
