If there’s anything you should know about drain cleaning, it’s that this service is absolutely necessary to keep your drain and sewer system in decent condition. It’s a good idea to schedule drain cleaning as part of maintenance for your plumbing in Waterloo, IA at least once a year! This keeps clogs from forming, removes blockages that may already be present, and generally keeps everything flowing smoothly.
If there’s anything else you should know about drain cleaning, it’s that store-bought, liquid “drain cleaners” aren’t the answer, despite their name. Unfortunately, though they may be temporarily effective at relieving certain types of clogs, the reason they are such is because of the corrosive chemicals in them—chemicals that will slowly eat away at your pipes and lead to repair needs or possibly even repiping.
“So, What Drain Cleaning Method Is the Right One?”
Essentially, when you trust an experienced and highly trained plumber for your drain cleaning, you’ll know that the job will be done in the least corrosive manner possible. There are two main forms of drain cleaning that we perform, with one being a bit more powerful than the other. These include:
Drain Snaking
This service 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, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a plumber without access to one. However, it’s not the right choice for all types of drain clogs or all scenarios.
There is a drawback to drain snaking as an effective means of drain cleaning—a drain snake can’t remove all of the waste that might build up on the walls of your drain pipes. It can certainly clear out most clogs, but the pipes may clog more easily in the future if they aren’t completely cleaned out. That brings us to the next drain cleaning technique we employ—hydro-jetting.
Hydro-Jetting
This is a more modern and increasingly popular means for drain cleaning. It involved the use of a high-pressure stream of water, used to blast away all of the waste in the pipe. This is preferable to drain snaking in many respects since it does a much more thorough job of cleaning out the pipe.
One important factor to note, here, is that not all pipes are strong enough to withstand the pressure of hydro-jetting. Depending on the age and condition of your pipes, it can actually end up doing more harm than good to hydro-jet.
At the same time, this means that you’re probably due for repiping, so it may be worth looking into. This is especially true if you have galvanized steel pipes or if your pipes are over 3 decades old. We’re happy to go over your options with you to help you make an informed decision.
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.