While there are a lot of products out there that promise to have almost magical drain cleaning abilities, there are a lot of types of clogs that can only be removed using professional grade equipment.
Plumbing Equipment for Drain Cleaning
Plumbers offer drain cleaning services including using a snake, a specialized, flexible metal cable that is run down the drain and used to extract the material that is causing the clog. These are typically motorized to provide an agitating motion that is highly effective in catching or breaking up the source of the clog.
While you can rent a drain snake from an equipment rental facility, these are not simple devices to use. They can easily become lodged in a joint or elbow in the drain, and then you have an even bigger problem. They can also be used incorrectly and back up through the wrong pipe, again risking the chance of getting lodged permanently in the pipe.
Hydro Jetting
A very new an environmentally friendly option to drain cleaning is the use of hydro jetting. This allows high pressure water in a long hose to target the clog, sludge or obstruction and simply power it out of the line.
Even if you don’t have a clog using hydro jetting drain cleaning once a year can help to prevent the risk of clogs. It will flush grease, residue and sludge out of the pipes throughout the entire home. Hydro jetting can also be used, with the addition of a special tool to the end of the hose, to cut roots that may be obstructing sewer lines or drain pipes.
Never Use Chemicals
Over the counter types of drain cleaners and chemicals typically only work if the clog is located right at the drain. If there is standing water in the pipe the water dilutes the chemicals so they are ineffective. However, those chemicals are still washed into the sewer system at some point, adding to the toxins in the system.
Even if there is little water in the drain dumping those drain cleaning chemicals down will damage the interior of your pipes, weakening them and increasing the potential risk of a leak or a pipe bursting.
The best option for drain cleaning is to call in a plumber at the first signs of problems. This is a great time to use hydro-jetting to flush out the problem material and leave your pipes clean and flowing.
At Best Plumbing we have several different drain cleaning options we can use. To learn more about how we can get your pipes draining again see us at Website URL.
