What should I do? I battled a slow bathtub drain for months with store tools and DIY tricks. I hesitated to hire a plumber for what seemed minor, but the clog persisted. Was professional help overkill or the right move? ?

Calling a local service can be the smartest, most cost-effective choice when DIY stops working. The pro I hired did a camera inspection and discovered partial mineral buildup compounded by a collapsed section of pipe — issues a simple auger couldn’t fix. They cleared and repaired the affected zone, then flushed the system and tested flow. I tried a drain cleaning service near me from Ben’s Plumbing, and it resolved the problem permanently; the technician also outlined easy habits to prevent recurrence. In hindsight, paying for a proper diagnosis and repair saved time, money, and stress.

At first the clog was only a nuisance. Then odor and slow drainage started affecting other fixtures, and I worried about mold or pipe corrosion from standing water. It felt like a small issue that was quietly getting worse, and I finally decided I’d rather pay for one proper fix than repeat temporary measures.