Built-up grease, hair, and soap scum lie at the heart of many common drain issues. If you have foul-smelling, slow-moving, or clogged drains, it may be time to clean them. Preventive drain cleaning can help you avoid blockages and overflows. It can also stave off drain-related issues like rising humidity, mold infestations, and more. Knowing when and how to clean your bathroom and kitchen drains will help you save money, safeguard your property, and protect your household.
When to Clean Your Drains
For preventative maintenance, all homeowners should schedule professional drain cleaning annually. It’s also a good idea to schedule these services whenever drains start moving slowly or emitting foul smells. If you find yourself standing ankle-deep in water when taking a shower, contact a local plumber and schedule an appointment.
DIY Drain Cleaning Can Cause Problems
There are multiple DIY techniques for clearing clogged drains, eliminating drain debris, and freshening sinks, tubs, and shower pans. For instance, you can add equal parts baking soda and white vinegar to your drains. Once combined, these pantry items will initiate an impressive foaming reaction. This reaction can remove light buildups of body oils and soap scum, but they aren’t powerful enough to correct or prevent major drain clogs. While you can use this mixture to periodically freshen your drains, you still need professional drain cleaning service.
Another popular DIY technique is using corrosive drain cleaning chemicals. These products are often powerful enough to eat through pipe materials. They can degrade protective pipe coatings and loosen pipe seals. If they aren’t used correctly, store-bought drain cleaners can also cause serious skin, eye, and respiratory damage.
Using a store-bought drain auger or drain snake can cause trouble as well. If retracted incorrectly, these tools can cause severe eye injuries and other harm. They can also scratch protective pipe coatings and porcelain fixture coatings. When they do, manufacturers can void active warranties.
Options in Professional Drain Cleaning
Plumbers offer two primary options for preventive and corrective drain cleaning: hydro-jetting and mechanized drain snaking. Hydro-jetting flushes drains and drain pipes with adjustable, high-pressure streams of water. It breaks down trapped debris, sloughs off grease and body oils, and pushes the resulting waste to the sewer line.
Mechanized drain cleaning extends a long, flexible snake into drain pipes. The sharp tip on this tool drills through waste and removes it from pipe walls. Low-pressure streams of water flush the resulting debris toward the sewer line.
Plumbers choose drain cleaning methods based on the age and integrity of pipes. Some pipe materials might not stand up well to the high pressure of hydro-jetting. Mechanized drain snaking may be unsuitable for pipes with advanced corrosion or protective interior coatings. With the right technique for your plumbing system, you can expedite wastewater flow, protect your fixture warranties, and avoid maintenance-related drain problems.
Schedule Drain Cleaning Today!
Professional drain cleaning eliminates unpleasant odors, staves off clogs, and keeps wastewater moving. To protect your home, you need these services at least once each year. For expert drain cleaning services in Helena, MT, contact Big Sky now!