Okay, so the other day, I noticed the drains in my backyard were totally clogged. We'd had some heavy rain, and the water just wasn't going anywhere. It was pooling up, getting all gross and smelly, and I knew I had to do something about it. I'm no expert, but I figured, "How hard could it be to find a storm drain cleaning company?" Turns out, it involved a bit more than I initially thought!

My DIY Attempt (Spoiler: It Failed)

First, I tried to tackle the problem myself. I mean, I'm pretty handy, right? I grabbed a shovel, some gloves, and even one of those long, snake-y things plumbers use. I spent a good hour poking around, pulling out leaves and muck, but honestly, it didn't make much of a difference. The water level barely budged, and I was covered in mud. I was like it didn't work.

Calling in the Pros

So, I gave up on the DIY route and started searching online. I typed in "storm drain cleaning company near me" and, boom, tons of options popped up.

I started reading reviews, checking out websites, and basically trying to figure out who seemed legit and who seemed, well, a bit sketchy. Some companies had really fancy websites, others looked like they were built in the '90s. It was a mixed bag!

• Checked Reviews: I spent a lot of time on this. I wanted to see what other people's experiences were like.
• Looked for Experience: I wanted a company that had been around for a while, not some fly-by-night operation.
• Compared Pricing: Of course, price was a factor. I didn't want to get ripped off, but I also knew that quality work often costs a bit more.

After narrowing it down to a few companies, I started making calls. I asked about their process, their equipment, and, of course, their pricing. Some were super helpful and explained everything in detail. Others were kind of vague, which made me a little nervous.

The Cleaning Process

I finally settled on a company that seemed experienced and had good reviews. They scheduled an appointment for the next day, which was awesome. When they arrived, they were super professional. They had this big truck with a huge hose and all sorts of fancy equipment.

First, they inspected the drain with a camera – it was like a mini submarine exploring the pipes! They showed me the blockage on a little screen – it was way worse than I thought. Seriously, it looked like a monster had taken up residence in my drain.

Then, they used this high-pressure water jet thing (I think they called it hydro-jetting) to blast away all the gunk. It was pretty impressive to watch. They pulled out all sorts of stuff – leaves, dirt, roots, even a small toy car! No idea how that got in there.

Problem Solved!

It took them a couple of hours, but they completely cleared the drain. The water was flowing freely again, and the backyard was no longer a swamp. They even gave me some tips on how to prevent future blockages, like trimming back the trees and bushes near the drain.

In the end, I'm really glad I called in the professionals. It would have taken me forever to do what they did, and I probably wouldn't have done it as thoroughly. Lesson learned: sometimes, it's best to leave it to the experts!