It’s Friday night. You just came home from work, and you’re going to wash up before dinner… only to realize you have a clogged or backed-up drain.
Simple solution, right? Just reach for that bottle of store-bought drain cleaner and resolve the issue right away! Or… not.
The thing is, using these chemical store-bought “solutions” are actually the most ineffective drain cleaning service method there is! Sure, it may temporarily resolve the problem, but it’s harder on your drains than it is the clog, which could just come back.
Not convinced? Read on.
The Harm of Store-Bought Drain Cleaners
Have you ever noticed that the bottle of drain cleaner you get from the store has a handful of warning labels plastered all over it? This is because most of these products contain some pretty nasty, caustic materials. These chemical solutions comprise of powerful ingredients that can eat through most superficial clogs, but it doesn’t stop there.
Once the liquid drain cleaner eats through the clog, it coats the inside of your drain pipes and starts to degrade them too. Years of using these types of drain cleaners on the pipes will cause leaks to form and eventually will force you to replace your pipes much earlier than you would have had to otherwise.
The cost of premature repiping is certainly not worth the benefit of having drain cleaner in easy reach.
“So, What Do I Do About My Clogs?”
Good question! First, try a plunger. For clogs like hair and soap scum buildup, they’re often superficial and easy to force out with a little elbow grease.
If this doesn’t seem to do the trick, then your answer is professional drain cleaning. Trained and experienced plumbers understand that the average store-bought drain cleaner does more harm than good, and this is why we don’t employ the same methods when we clean drains. Professional drain cleaning makes use of equipment that’s safe for your household and for your plumbing.
For instance, drain snaking is one of the most traditional and popular methods for cleaning out stubborn drain clogs. A long cord with an auger on the end is lowered into your pipe until we hit the source of your clog, then the auger drills through the clog, or latches onto it, and pulls it out to free up the pipe.
For more stubborn clogs, hydro-jetting may be the answer. This also involves a cord with an auger on the end, but rather than pulling the clog out, it has an omnidirectional sprayer on it that releases a high-pressured stream of water to scour the pipes.
This process is completely safe for your drainpipes, but keep in mind that only a skilled professional should work with equipment such as this. The great thing about hydro-jetting is that it’s so powerful, it even prevents future clogs from forming.
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online.