January 17, 2024
Health

How Do Plumbers Unclog Drains?

When you have a blocked kitchen sink, or you want to clean the drains to prevent clogs you will get the same pieces of advice from every plumber. Read more.

When you have a blocked kitchen sink, or you want to clean the drains to prevent clogs you will get the same pieces of advice from every plumber you talk to. Do not use chemicals from the store. You can try to relieve the clog with a plunger or drain snake, but these don’t always work as it can be hard to break through a tough clog and these tactics won’t give you any long-term solutions to the clog and it will most likely return. It is a good idea to call a professional to sort the problem of a clog or a slow drain out for you. Plumbers use the correct equipment to give the best drain cleaning that will unclog any debris and clean the pipework to make it harder for items to stick to.

Motorized drain augers

These types of devices are known as motorized drain snakes and they are a powerful version of the manual ones you can buy at your hardware store. It has a long coil snake that goes down into the drain and the motor rotates and breaks it up. This is a fast way to clear out even the hardest and biggest clogs. However, only experienced plumbers should operate the motorised version of the drain auger as you can cause damage to the drainpipe.

Hydro-jetters

A hydro-jetter will allow the plumber to get through the blockage and then give a good scouring of the pipework inside. This device has a hose with a 360-degree nozzle at the end of it. This gets inserted into the drain and then high-pressured water will work at blasting out the nozzle to clean the drains. It is that high powered that is will wash away the debris that is stuck to the walls of the pipe which makes it harder for the debris to build up once again. Hydro jetting is dangerous if it is used incorrectly so it must always be performed by a professional plumber.

Snake and CCTV

The plumber snake is an electric tool that is suitable for even the most severe blockages. It has a rotating coil at its end and the cable spins which will chip away at the clog until it is all cleared.  The snakes do have a limited range so they can’t always be used for every job. This should only be used as a last resort as they can cause damage to the pipework. This is why you need to have a professional plumber do it for you so there is less damage than someone inexperienced using the snake.

How do plumbers unclog drains?

Excavation

When it comes to the extreme cases the plumber may need to treat the problem by doing a full excavation. A plumber can identify the exact location of the blockage in order to know which pipe needs to be dug up. The earth around it can be moved away so the plumber can access the pipe. The earth can then once it is repaired be filled back in and your property will be restored to as much of its original condition as possible. This will be done as a last resort as it is very expensive and can cause so much damage to your backyard depending how much they have to dig up if you have nice grass and established gardens there. So always do your best to keep your drains clean and free from debris and schedule professional cleans every so often.

DIY-plumbing Using Natural Resources

Now, what happens if you can’t get a plumber to come? It happens to everyone, but it can be awkward when you have house guests, and filthy water backs up in your sink or bathtub. You might feel conflicted since you don’t want harsh substances on your house but you want to clear drains, therefore utilize non-toxic products. We have solutions and tips to help keep your house drains toxic clean and free, especially since going green and using renewable energy is a thing nowadays.

Supporters of the green cause are taking thoughtful strides toward an eco-friendly environment. Just just how does this work with household issues such as clogged drains? Home remedies of course! Here are several methods of clearing a drain clog without toxic chemicals:

1. Dish Soap and Hot Water

Boil approximately two liters of water and mix in a couple of tablespoons of liquid dish soap. Take this mixture and slowly pour down the sink.

This method may take a few tries, but it’ll work good on grease clogs because it is heating the grease back into a liquid so that it could travel all of the way from this pipe.

2. Wire Coat Hanger

Straighten the hanger out but leave the hook. Ensure to own a grocery bag or something to shed your customs.

Utilize the hook end of this hanger to fish at the drain and pull up any hair or food buildup that’s clogging the passageway in the tube. After eliminating as far as you can, run hot water down the sink. To take this one step further, set up a water heater using renewable energy sources such as solar panels which is much more beneficial to the environment.

3. Baking Soda & Vinegar

Clear the area around your sink and set a 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow that with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Now plug in your drain and let it sit for an hour.

Then, unplug the drain and pour a pot of boiling water down it. Continue pouring boiling water down the drain before it’s clear.

4. Salt, Borax, and Vinegar

Start using 1/4 cups of salt, 1/4 cup of Borax, and then a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Insert a kettle of boiling water and allow it to sit for at least an hour until it clears.

Finally, rinse with hot tap water to clean all components down the drain.