Our FAQ
Wondering If Your Plumbing Problem Requires a Professional?
Drain Rex answers all your questions about residential and commercial plumbing. We help you understand when to act, how to prevent costly problems, and what solutions are available to protect your home.
FAQs
1. How do I know if I need professional drain cleaning or if I can do it myself?
You need a professional if:
- Water drains slowly in multiple drains
- Odours persist despite cleaning
- You hear gurgling sounds in the pipes
These signs indicate deep blockages that chemical drain cleaners cannot completely resolve. Home solutions work for small surface clogs, but obstructions caused by grease buildup, tree roots, or calcium deposits require professional equipment.
At Drain Rex, we use high-pressure hydro-jetting and HD camera inspection to permanently eliminate blockages. If the problem returns frequently after your unclogging attempts, it's a sign that professional intervention is necessary to avoid costly water damage.
2. How often should I have my pipes inspected to prevent major problems?
For a single-family home, have your pipes inspected every 5 to 10 years. For a condo or multi-unit building, maintenance should be performed every 3 to 4 years due to more intensive use.
Increase frequency if you have mature trees near your sewer lines (inspection every 2-3 years) or if your home is over 30 years old without recent inspection. Preventive maintenance with HD camera inspection identifies cracks, corrosion, or infiltrated roots before they cause sewer backups or basement flooding.
This proactive approach saves you costly emergency repairs and protects your real estate investment.
3. What are the signs that a sump pump is no longer working properly?
Main signs include:
- A pump that runs continuously without stopping
- Unusual noises (grinding, clicking)
- Visible rust and standing water in your basement
These symptoms indicate imminent failure. If your pump is over 7 to 10 years old, it's approaching its end of service life and requires inspection. Test your pump at least once a year, ideally before spring or snowmelt in Montreal. A defective float, mechanical wear, or mineral deposits can compromise its effectiveness.
At Drain Rex, we offer inspection and preventive maintenance services to ensure your system works properly during critical periods of heavy rainfall.
4. How does HD camera inspection work and what problems can it detect in my pipes?
HD camera inspection uses a high-definition camera inserted into your pipes to visualize the interior of pipes in real-time, without excavation or demolition. This technology precisely identifies the location and nature of problems.
The camera detects:
- Infiltrated tree roots
- Cracks or pipe ruptures
- Grease or calcium buildup
- Stuck objects
- Pipe sagging
- Corrosion
It's particularly useful for recurring slow drains, before purchasing a property, or after nearby construction work. This method allows us to provide precise diagnosis and recommend the most appropriate solutions, while reducing repair costs through exact problem location.
5. What is a French drain and how can it protect my home against water infiltration?
A French drain is an underground drainage system that collects and diverts water away from your foundation to prevent infiltration into your basement. It consists of a perforated pipe surrounded by gravel installed around the perimeter of your home.
This system is essential in Montreal due to freeze-thaw cycles, heavy rainfall, and snowmelt that create pressure on foundations.
You need a French drain if you observe:
- Moisture in the basement
- Foundation cracks, musty odours
- Water accumulating around your home
A properly installed French drain lasts 20 to 30 years. If your home dates before 1990, your system could be clogged or deteriorated and require replacement.
6. Why does my drain keep clogging, and how can I prevent these recurring obstructions?
Recurring blockages signal an underlying problem: grease accumulation, infiltrated tree roots, sagging pipes, or internal corrosion. Repeated unclogging only temporarily resolves the symptom, not the cause.
Kitchen prevention:
- Never pour grease down the sink
- Use protective screens
- Rinse with hot water regularly
Bathroom prevention:
- Install hair catchers
- Avoid flushing hygiene products down toilets
Properties with trees:
- Do hydro-jetting cleaning every 2-3 years to eliminate roots
If your drains clog more than twice a year, an HD camera inspection will identify the root cause and enable a permanent solution rather than repeated interventions.
