Clogs, DIY Efforts, and the Drain Cleaning Techniques Plumbing Professionals Swear By
  • McHenry plumbing cleaning the drains

If a bathroom or kitchen sink in your home becomes clogged, you may be inclined to go with a do-it-yourself (DIY) fix instead of calling a McHenry plumbing company. The thing is that you and your pipes are better off if you schedule expert plumbing drain cleaning services instead. It’s not just because professionals use proven drain cleaning techniques they have faith in. It’s also because the simple act of cleaning the drain yourself could very possibly do more damage than good. 

What Commonly Clogs Up Drains?

Clogged drains are a fact of life, though it is possible to adopt certain practices that can help prevent them from occurring. A drain screen, for instance, can cost as little as $1 and yet they are excellent preventative tools to avoid creating a blockage in your drain pipes. There’s one thing that can clog every type of drain and its corrosion from old pipes. Rust begins to build up in corroded pipes, and the rust can restrict water flow. Other types of pipe damage resulting in clogs include dented pipes and disconnected or displaced pipes. 

Bathrooms and kitchens are, of course, where the drains are, and some bathroom drain problems are uniquely different from kitchen drain problems, as follows.

Causes of Bathroom Clogs

The bathroom sink, bathtub, and shower are great places to use a drain screen because the device can prevent hair and debris from going down your drains. Hair causes a lot of drain problems, creating disgusting clumpy messes that block the pipes. Facial hair is as bad a problem as long strands of hair from your head. 

Soap scum is a filmy, chalky substance created by using bars of soap, and it clings to pipe walls. Layers of soap scum gradually build up until they finally cause sticky clogs that are especially difficult to remove unless you have professional-grade tools.

Jewelry and small bits of debris can also fall down your bathroom sinks and get stuck in the P-trap. They get lodged there and eventually stop up the drain. 

Things that Commonly Clog Kitchen Sinks

Certain things commonly poured or placed down kitchen sinks don’t belong there because they clog up the pipes. For instance, liquid F.O.G. (fat, oil, and grease) should not be poured into your sink. Although they are liquid in a hot state and may seem safe for a drain, they become waxy solids and coat drain pipes, slowly creating an obstruction. Liquid F.O.G. should be poured into old coffee cans or other types of disposable containers and put in the trash. 

Foods that are especially bad for kitchen sinks and cause clogs to include eggshells, coffee grounds, rice, beans, pasta, and potatoes. 

Why Call a McHenry Plumbing Company to Fix My Clog?

While plumbers have the training, experience, and the right tools to unclog drains without damaging pipes, do-it-yourselfers have little more than a can-do attitude and the satisfaction of performing cost-saving work. Even if a sink is successfully unclogged by a layperson, the damage could be done in the process. The following is information from pros that explain why they believe homeowners should always call their trusted McHenry plumbing company instead of clearing out clogged drains themselves:

  • Chemical products used for unclogging drains contain corrosive ingredients that can destroy or damage pipes as well as septic systems. Homeowners sometimes set out to save money by unclogging a drain but end up having to pay the much higher cost for pipes to be repaired or replaced. 
  • The drain snakes homeowners often buy for DIY drain unclogging can also do damage. It’s difficult to know what’s going on inside drain pipes, but experts have tools, training, and experience that guide them in taking care of pipes in the process of doing their work. 

3 Cleaning Techniques Plumbing Professionals Swear By

Since true plumbing professionals care about their customers and have experience fixing DIY-repairs-gone-wrong, they are often eager for homeowners to understand why professional plumbing drain cleaning services are important. Plumbers have three go-to techniques for fixing clogged drains, and their process always involves protecting the pipes and avoiding damage.

1-Inspection with Video Imaging

Plumbing professionals have special equipment they can use to determine whether a plumbing system is fragile. Clogged drainage pipes are under immense pressure. Tremendous damage can be done to aged pipes and joints if the wrong technique is used for removing clogs. The equipment consists of a long fiber-optic cable line with an LED light and a video camera at one end. The equipment provides images that technicians use to identify the nature and location of the clog and any residual damage that may possibly occur if special care isn’t taken.

2-Drain Augers aka Drain Snakes

The drain snakes or augers used by plumbers are able to clear out most major clogs while avoiding the use of harmful chemicals. The auger is lowered down the drain slowly. When it gets to a clog, it either bores a hole through it, breaking up the clog, or latches onto it and pulls the clog out of the drain.

3-Hydro-Jetting

Another method of cleaning drain pipes used by McHenry plumbers involves a hydro-jetting technique, though it isn’t the right solution for all types of pipe materials. When it can be safely used, the equipment creates a high-pressure jet of hot water to clean off grease, oil, and other stubborn contaminants and unclog the drain.

Professional drain cleaning from Combat Plumbing, a McHenry plumbing company, is the best way to handle a clogged drain. We ensure a rapid response and always provide clear, upfront pricing. Give us a call and find out why we are the highest-rated plumbers in McHenry, TX, and throughout Red Oakland. 

2020-03-30T12:15:51+00:00

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