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Why Drains are Slower After the Holidays

I spent the entire day yesterday trying to put the house back together from the holidays. All of the kids were home, plus we had relatives visiting from out of town, which made for a full house. So, after the whirling dervish of gifts, guests, food, and parties, the house felt more than a little beat up! But beyond all of the post-holiday wear and tear to floors, walls, carpets, and furniture, the house has been under a lot of internal stress as well.

Probably many of you know what I mean: after the holidays, toilets, sinks, and showers might be draining slower, or the main drain might be gurgling. If you had guests for the holidays and are wondering why some of your drains are slow or have started backing up, according to Jesse Wheeler, drains manager at Any Hour Services, this is a common by-product of holiday houseguests.
Jesse can tell you that, in his 10+ years of experience, whether it’s the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve, holidays are the times of the year when homeowners experience the most trouble with their drains. So I asked him why that is and what we can do to prevent drain issues from occurring.

First, he says that the reason this happens is because new objects are being introduced to your plumbing system and your system is experiencing higher volume usage than usual. Think of it this way: why did Aunt Edna’s fruitcake give you indigestion? It’s because you only have it once a year and it shocked your system. And why do you feel bloated and backed up after eating four helpings of Christmas dinner? It’s because you ate four times as much as you usually do and your digestive system wasn’t equipped to handle the onslaught. Your plumbing and sewer system actually work exactly the same way.

Second, Jesse explains the issue simply: the things we use most often wear out the fastest. This is as true with your favorite slippers you wear around the house every day as it is with your home’s plumbing system: the toilets, sinks, and other drains that you use most often will wear out the fastest. Therefore, your most commonly-used lines are the ones that most commonly back up. Simply, holidays are the times of the year when we experience the most trouble with our drains because usage increases and parts wear out faster.

Obviously preparing for this ahead of time is ideal and don’t worry, we’ll remind you in November so you can be ready for next holiday, BUT what can you do right now -- great question. Here are some of the suggestions Jesse had if you find yourself with slow drains this time of year.

Let me start with what we recommend you don’t do. Chemical drain cleaners are not the best choice when trying to clear a blocked or slow drain. There are better things to try. Most plumbers will tell you not to use these products.
BLOCKED DRAINS:
Now, If a toilet or sink is completely blocked you can try a plunger or hand auger. For more stubborn clogs you may need to enlist the help of someone that has a mechanical auger. Many people call a company that specializes in clearing blocked drains.
SLOW DRAINS:
A lot of times this can be grease, grime, soap scum, hair, toothpaste, and anything else that can cling to the sidewalls of your drains and slow the flow of water. You can try running hot soapy water down the drain to try and loosen and remove some of the build-ups.

A chemical reaction you can try is vinegar and baking soda. It is a mild chemical reaction that can sometimes loosen the blockage and restore flow. If you notice a small improvement after trying this, you may want to do it a couple more times to see if this gets the water flowing the way you want.

You can try an organic drain treatment like bio-clean or bio-one, treat the drains overnight and see if that improves the drains. These treatments are great for slow drains because of the are made of safe, natural bacteria that feed on the gunk in your pipes that cause them to drain slow.

If you are feeling adventurous you can disassemble the drain under the sink, clean with a bottle cleaner and then reassemble. This is going to give you the fastest, most thorough cleaning of the pipes under your sink but keep this in mind if you find a lot of build-up there, chances are the pipes behind the wall have build-up in them as well and you won’t be able to reach them to clean them the same way.

If you like the thoroughness of cleaning your drains, there is a technology that can clean the pipes behind the walls and restore them to like-new condition. This process is called hydro jetting. High-pressure jets of water scour the insides of your drains and removes all the build-up. Most homeowners don’t have one of these machines in the garage so you’ll probably have to contact a company that offers drain services like this. 
Slow and blocked drains can be a pain and I hope you are not experiencing any of these frustrations. If you are and you need a little professional help clearing a drain or jetting a line, Any Hour Services is here to help.
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Logo for Any Hour Electric, Plumbing, Heating & Air featuring a smiling technician with crossed arms, a stopwatch, and a bold, professional tone.

Any Hour Services

1374 West 130 South, Orem, UT 84058

© Copyright 2024 Any Hour Services LLC
© 2024 Any Hour Services LLC

Pricing FAQ

A:

The prices you are quoted come out of our pricing guide. We have looked at the most common tasks we are asked to perform and figured out the average time to perform the task, the cost of the materials, and the cost associated with running a drain business that is able to stand behind that work.

To calculate the cost of your drain project, your plumber will determine the tasks needed. Each task has a price associated with it, which your plumber will add together to arrive at your total. This method allows us to identify and rule out unnecessary tasks, prioritizing fairness and transparency (while saving you money).

Our pricing method is not influenced by the neighborhood someone lives in but is designed to be fair and transparent. When we designed our pricing guide, we asked ourselves, “What does it take to perform this task?” NOT, “How much can we get a person to pay?” This commitment to honest, clear pricing reflects our respect for our clients.

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When you charge by the hour, you can only give a price after the job is finished. We don’t want you to have to wait until the end of the job to find out how much it costs.

We believe there are too many variables that make “charging by the hour” more of a win for the company than for the homeowner. There are the things that a homeowner has no control over but ends up paying the price for anyway: if a technician has to leave the job to get a part, if technicians work more slowly, if the job takes longer than expected, etc. With “charging by the hour,” there’s no accountability on the plumbing company to have their trucks stocked better, train their technicians better, or run their business more efficiently.

Our commitment to a fair and transparent pricing model is unwavering. We believe in doing right by everyone involved: the homeowner, the technician, and the company. This is not just a business decision, but a moral one, ensuring that everyone is treated with the fairness and respect they deserve.

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The staff answering our phones and scheduling appointments are not technicians. They do not understand how the plumbing in your home works or how to price the work you need help with.

Our process involves a comprehensive on-site assessment by our technicians to ensure no crucial details are missed. This thorough approach that looks at all variables is how we can provide you with a price that remains unchanged from the start to the completion of the work: the price we give you before the begins is what the cost will be after the work is performed. Here at Any Hour Services, we believe in honest pricing.

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Requesting a quote is simple. Contact Any Hour Services, and we will assess your needs, providing a transparent estimate for the repairs.

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Yes, you can request a quote online, and our team at Any Hour Services strives to respond promptly to all inquiries.

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It costs $269 to inspect your sewer main line with our sewer camera equipment. If you’d like to see what the inside of your sewer line looks like, our sewer supervisors have high-definition cameras to show you a live video of the inside your sewer main line.

Residential, owner occupied special:
$29 drain clear / rooter service. Unclog any drain, including the sewer mainline, as long as it has an easily accessible cleanout.

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A:

It costs $269 to inspect your sewer main line with our sewer camera equipment. Below you will find a couple internet specials to help you save. If you’d like to see what the inside of your sewer line looks like, our sewer supervisors have hi definition cameras to show you a live video of the inside your sewer main line.

Residential Special:
$149 live camera inspection. High-definition camera is set down your drain so you can inspect the condition of your sewer mainline. Need an easily accessible clean-out.

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A:

If you are looking to replace your sewer main line, one of our sewer supervisors will come to your home and inspect your sewer main line with a high-definition camera and show you what options are available. The visit doesn’t cost you anything, so call us if you have questions about replacing your sewer main line.

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Yes, in addition to our coupons, we offer senior discounts and military discounts. You can receive 5% off or any special promotions we may be running, whichever is greater. You can ask your drain technician to show you your savings.

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No, as long as you live in our service area, our drain technicians can come to your home and help. We service homes from North Ogden, South to Nephi. West from the Tooele/Grantsville area, east to the Park City Heber area.

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No, our drain technicians don’t quote a price until they have seen your drain issue. Once they quote a price, it doesn’t change, no matter how long it takes. At any time you want to add more tasks, your drain technician will let you know how much it would cost to perform the extra work.

When it comes to our drain clearing specials, if we can not clear your clogged drain, you don’t pay us.

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You can pay for the the drain work we perform with cash, check, or any major credit card. We collect, in full, upon completion of the project. If you would like to make monthly payments, we do have many financing options available through 3rd party finance companies, OAC. Your drain technician can talk to you about your options.

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Pricing FAQ

A:

Our pricing is fair and transparent. It’s based on a fixed-price guide that considers the time, materials, and costs of running a reliable home services business. We don’t charge by the hour or inflate prices based on your neighborhood. We ask ourselves, “What does it take to get the job done?,” not “How much can we charge?”

Before we price your plumbing job, our licensed plumber will perform an in-home assessment to evaluate the tasks required. We only charge for what’s necessary—no fluff, no extra costs. This allows us to pinpoint areas where we can save you money without sacrificing quality.

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Hourly rates can be unpredictable, leaving you unsure of the final cost until the job is done. We believe in upfront, fixed pricing based on the work itself—not guesswork. You won’t pay for delays or mistakes, and we hold ourselves accountable to ensure there are no surprises.

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We prefer to price based on the job and not what other companies charge. Hourly rates can lead to unexpected costs for homeowners, making the final price unpredictable. By pricing the work itself, we make sure you’re only paying for what’s actually needed—keeping things fair and efficient.

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Water heater replacements vary. Often, older units require updates to meet safety standards. Common items missing from many water heaters are flexible gas lines, expansion tanks, earthquake straps, gas sediment trap, upgrade exhaust venting, etc.

For an accurate quote, one of our licensed plumbers will inspect your existing system and provide a FREE estimate.

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Our phone staff are not licensed plumbers, so they can’t quote prices that would be accurate to your project’s needs. A trained plumber needs to see the job firsthand to give you a clear, upfront price. Quotes over the phone are a guess, and we prefer transparency over uncertainty.

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A:

Ballpark prices can be misleading. Until we see the job, we can’t quote your final estimate accurately. Other companies may give an estimate range, but that often leads to additional costs and surprises later. Instead, we focus on giving you a fair price once a licensed plumber can assess the job properly.

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We have a small dispatch fee to send our plumber to your home. Our plumbers will arrive in a truck stocked with thousands of parts. They’ll have everything they need to start your plumbing project while they’re at your home, unless the situation is unusual. They’ll perform a thorough evaluation of your plumbing system and explain what they’ll need to do to complete the work you called for. They’re not going to charge you by the hour, they will give you a total price, with options, before any of the work begins.

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There are several large plumbing projects that we are willing to show you what options are available and the visit doesn’t cost you anything; basement finishes, water heater install/replacements, water softener installs/replacement, repiping, tankless water heater install/replacement etc. This is not a complete list so call us if you have questions about your project.

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You will pay a little more to get a plumber to your home after hours but they do not charge more for the work you want them to perform. Our prices come directly from our pricing guide. We do not have a different set of plumbing prices for doing work in the evenings or on weekends. The price for the plumbing work you need done will be the same regardless of the time of day.

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No, our plumbers run calls on Saturdays and charge the same price as they would any other day of the week. We do not have a different set of plumbing prices for work performed on Saturdays. We are closed on Sundays.

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No, as long as you live in our service area, our plumbers can come to your home and help. We service homes from North Ogden, South to Nephi. West from the Tooele/Grantsville area, east to the Park City Heber area. Here is a full list of Utah Cities we service.

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A:

No, our plumbers don’t quote a price until they have seen your plumbing project. Once they quote a price, it doesn’t change, no matter how long it takes. At any time, you want to add more tasks to your plumbing project, your plumber will let you know how much it would cost to perform the extra work.

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A:

Yes, in addition to our coupons, we offer senior discounts and military discounts. You can receive 5% off or any special promotions we may be running, whichever is greater. You can ask your plumber to show you your savings.

Call Now

A:

You can pay for your plumbing service with cash, check, or any major credit card. We collect, in full, upon completion of the project. If you would like to make monthly payments, we do have many financing options available through 3rd party finance companies, OAC. Your plumber can talk to you about your options when they give you pricing options for the HVAC work you want completed.

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