A clog in your drain may not be an emergency situation, but it does demand attention. If you don’t clean your clogged drain, you could end up with a serious plumbing problem. Before you have a plumbing emergency, learn how drain cleaning services can help you. Find out about the different methods you can use to clear your drains and how a professional can help.

DIY Drain Cleaning Methods

In an effort to save money, you might want to try cleaning your drains on your own. However, DIY drain cleaning methods aren’t always effective, and some of the techniques do more harm than good.

If you’re set on trying to clean your drains without professional help, here are a few methods you can use:

Drain Cleaning Solutions

Most home improvement stores have an aisle full of drain cleaning solutions. Unfortunately, the majority of those solutions contain harsh chemicals. Those chemicals are effective at removing clogs from your pipes, but their effectiveness comes at a cost. Often, the chemicals eat away at your pipes.

There are some microbial drain cleaners, and those are less harmful than cleaners that contain acid and other harsh chemicals. However, they aren’t effective on large clogs. You need to look for plumbing services near me to get help with major blockages.

Wire Hanger Snake

Another way to remove clogs is to use a wire hanger to pull out debris from your drain. First, you need to straighten your hanger. Bend one of the ends to make a small hook, and push that end through your drain.

Snake it through your drain until you find the clog. Then, fish it out and throw the gunk in the garbage. The downside to this technique is that it doesn’t allow you to access clogs that are deep in your drain. You could also do damage to your pipes if you scratch the sides with the wire.

Flush with Hot Water

Some clogs can be cleaned with hot water. To try this method, you need to boil some water. Slowly pour the water down the drain, giving it some time to melt the debris. Wait a few seconds and repeat the process.

When you use this method, avoid pouring the water directly down the drain. Let the water hit the sink first to prevent causing damage. Unfortunately, this method does not work on solid objects.

What Do The Professionals Do?

If you decide to search for plumbing services near me, they’ll handle your clog in a safe and more effective manner. There are two basic approaches with drain cleaning services – the traditional and the modern. Each approach has its own merits, and it’s up to your plumber to determine which type of approach to take.

A traditional approach is often used for sensitive or older pipes. Typically, traditional methods of clog removal involve using drain snakes or augers. A drain snake is only appropriate for small blockages or for breaking up large debris. With this method, a plumber snakes a long metal stick through the drain. The end of the snake could pole the clog and allow water to move through your pipes.

By placing an auger at the end of the snake, a plumber can remove harder clogs. The auger has a hook and attaches to the debris. Then, the object comes out of your pipe along with the auger and the snake.

Modern Methods

Today, new technology makes it easier than ever to remove stubborn clogs. When operated correctly, motorized drain snakes are powerful enough to remove almost any clog from your pipes.

Hydrojetting is another effective method of clog removal. If your plumber uses this method, they’ll send a hose through your pipes. That hose then shoots out a narrow and hot pressurized stream of water. Because of the heat and force of the water, grease, debris, and oil travel through your pipes.

The force of hydrojetting is intense and measures around 7,000 PSI. Therefore, it does require some special equipment. The advantage of this method is that it does not involve using chemicals that harm the environment or your pipes. Furthermore, it doesn’t require any excavation or destruction. It only takes a few hours for the whole process to finish, which gives you quick access to your plumbing.

A final method is the video camera inspection. Before getting to work, your plumber might want to inspect your pipes. They use a miniature camera and an LED light to a cable. Then, they snake the cable through the drain. Your plumber can look at the video feed to find the clog and determine the best way to clear it.

Although the camera inspection alone isn’t enough to remove a clog, it could be an essential part of the drain cleaning process. When combined with other drain cleaning methods, the camera inspection gets you the results you want. It may also identify other problem areas in your plumbing system.

Which Drain Cleaning Services are Best for You?

Without looking at your pipes, it’s impossible to say which drain cleaning methods will work the best for you. Every blockage requires a unique solution. Before attempting to remove your clog, an experienced professional will do some troubleshooting.

If you don’t use the right technique, you won’t eliminate your blockage. You may also end up damaging your pipes and costing yourself money in future repairs. For this reason, DIY drain cleaning should be avoided. Don’t take any risk and hire a professional as soon as you identify a problem.

Working with Us

There are several reasons you might suspect a clog in your pipes. Whether your sink is slow to drain or you notice a foul smell coming from your pipes, you should call a plumber. The problem will only get worse, and you could soon find yourself with a plumbing emergency.

Here at Reliability Home Services, we have extensive experience with drain cleaning. We have the knowledge and resources needed to get your drains clean and your plumbing back up and running. To learn more about our drain cleaning services, call us today.