Several Tips on DIY Drain Cleaning and When You Should Hire a Professional

Everything we send down our drain can potentially create a clog. This includes chemical deposits, solid waste materials, and the accumulation of grease and oil. Here is an all too familiar scenario: one day you go to use your kitchen sink, and you notice that your drain is slow to evacuate any water. You know that a clog is imminent, but perhaps you can mitigate the problem before something disastrous occurs. However, you are not exactly sure how to remedy the situation, and you also have certain budgetary limitations.

In a worst-case scenario, you are going to need to hire a drain cleaning company to flush out your drainage system. You may also need to undergo extensive repair work. In a best-case scenario, you can eliminate any buildup with any simple unclogging solution. You can even remove the clog all on your own and may not need to hire a professional. We want to share some helpful tips with you on how you can prevent any potential disasters with the drain pipes and sewer lines inside your home.

Sometimes the solution is something as simple as running hot water down your drain. Hot water can be very effective in flushing out your drainage system and dislodging any solid waste that is clinging to the inside of your pipes. The combination of water pressure, heat, and force is sometimes all it takes to do the trick. Almost every drain cleaning company and repair specialist will tell you that you should run the hot water for approximately 15 minutes. If this doesn’t work in removing the clog, you should then try another method. Any clogged drain is often very tricky to remedy.

DIY drain cleaning methods are certainly a viable option for many homeowners. You can always hire a residential plumbing company to unclog a drain, but perhaps you want to save some money. Perhaps you want to learn more about drainage systems in general. This is perfectly understandable, but you should at the very least consult a drain specialist to assess your situation. You want to make sure that you are using the right tools before you go about unclogging your drain.

Your plunger is usually your go-to method, and it can be effective depending on the type of clog you are experiencing. However, if you are experiencing a clogged sink drain, then you will want to purchase a special plunger for the job. The technique for using both plungers is the same: cover the drain opening with the head of the plunger, then press back and forth in a continuous motion. You want to repeat this process for about a minute or two. Be careful not to jam the plunger down with excessive speed or force.

Drain snaking is a method that every drain cleaning and repair service will utilize when the clog is lodged a little deeper inside your drain pipes. Snaking is a very effective way of clearing out clogged drains without having to dismantle your entire system just to locate and remove the clog. Every professional plumbing company will make use of drain snaking to remove most standard clogs. However, drain snaking is something that you can do on your own, and you can obtain the tool itself from your local home improvement store for roughly $25 to $50. 

While many of us tend to believe that drain snaking is something that only a plumbing specialist can perform, you can easily learn the proper technique yourself. It is fairly easy to learn how to use a drain snake. However, you must follow these critical steps to ensure that you are doing it correctly:

• Begin by feeding the auger into your drainpipe and activating the hand-operated crank. Be careful not to force the auger, but rather try to guide it. Eventually, you will encounter some resistance. 
• Rotate the snake against the blockage so that it can penetrate the clogged materials.
• Now begin to retract the drain snake slowly, which will then remove the clogged material and then reassemble your drain cover once everything is complete.

This will eliminate your drain problems so that you can resume using your system as you normally would. You did everything on your own and you didn’t have to pay a professional to get the job done for you!

While many clogs are treatable through DIY methods, you can sometimes end up causing more harm to your drain pipes. However, ignoring the problem is obviously not going to make the clog go away. Sometimes you are going to encounter a bigger problem that will require professional assistance, such as a sewer cleanout or drain repairs.

You should always remember that no two clogs are the same – some are caused by buildups of hair and soap scum, and others are due to grease and oil clinging to the inside of your drain pipes. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine the cause of the clog and how to go about removing it. Sometimes you will encounter a lot of blockage that you can’t seem to remove no matter what DIY remedy you apply. Diagnosing the issue ahead of time is what’s going to set you up for success in clearing out your drain.

Hydro jetting a viable solution for undergoing clog removal and proper drain cleaning procedures. It involves the use of highly-pressurized hoses that blast water into your system and removes debris and gunk that’s adhering to your drain pipes. However, you must hire a professional to perform the actual hydro jetting process. That’s because the equipment requires specialized training and experience to operate. Hydro jetting will also require that you use ear protection, rubber gloves, goggles, and coveralls. The process itself has plenty of relevance in providing drain cleaning solutions for commercial and residential systems.

Keeping clogs and buildup at bay is a big part of undergoing regular maintenance and drain cleaning services. We always advise that you take a proactive approach to limiting issues and promoting healthy drain function. Clogged drains and faulty sewer lines are always going to cause you a lot of trouble, but with these helpful tips, you will have everything running optimally at all times.

If you have any questions about proper drain cleaning, then you contact a plumbing repair company. Consulting a professional plumber will help you narrow down your best options moving forward if you are experiencing any issues.