There are two things that you need to know about drain cleaning. The first thing is that it’s necessary to keep your drain and sewer system in good condition. You should be scheduling cleaning for your drain and sewer system at least once every year. This prevents clogs from forming, removes any blockages that might already be present in the system, and generally keeps things flowing smoothly.
The second thing that you need to know about drain cleaning is that you should always have a professional handle it for you. Store bought drain cleaners are effective, but the reason they are is because they use lots of corrosive chemicals. Aside from being potentially dangerous to handle, these chemicals corrode the very pipes that they’re supposed to be helping, causing them to require replacement potentially years sooner than they otherwise would have.
Professional plumbers use non-corrosive methods for drain cleaning, which is why it’s a good idea to trust them to take care of yours. If you’re curious about the specific techniques used for professional drain cleaning, take a look below.
Drain Snaking
There are two primary methods used in professional drain cleaning. The first is drain snaking. Drain snaking involves using a long cord with an auger on the end of it to drill through any clogs in the pipe. The auger is turned by either a hand crank or an electric motor. Drain snaking was the method of choice for clearing drain clogs for a long time, so much so that you would be hard pressed to find a plumber without one. However, it’s not a perfect solution for every situation.
The primary drawback to using a drain snake is that it is not able to remove all of the waste that might build up on the walls of the drain pipe. It can certainly clear out most complete clogs, but the pipes might clog more easily in the future if they aren’t completely cleaned.
Hydro Jetting
Hydro jetting is a more modern drain cleaning technique, one that has become quite popular over the last couple of decades. It involves using a high-pressure stream of water to blast all waste out of the pipe. This is preferable to drain snaking in some respects, because it does a more thorough job at cleaning out the pipe.
However, not all pipes are strong enough to withstand the pressure of hydro jetting. Depending on the state of the pipe, hydro jetting may actually end up doing far more harm than good. No use in removing a clog from a pipe, only to cause the pipe to spring a leak. That’s why drain snaking is still often used as a first option, with hydro jetting being employed as necessary.
Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling provides comprehensive drain cleaning services in Ambler, PA. If you haven’t had your drains cleaned in a while, contact us today. One of our expert plumbers will make sure that your drain pipes stay in good condition for as long as possible.