Regular Drain Cleaning Tampa is an essential part of a healthy home. It keeps clogs to a minimum and allows you to save on costly plumbing repairs.
There are several effective ways to clean a drain or sewer pipe. Many of them are simple and cost-effective, while others like hydro jetting and snaking may require professional assistance.
When it comes to clearing drain clogs, many homeowners turn to liquid drain cleaners. These products are easy to find and can be very effective, but they can also cause damage if used incorrectly. If you’re facing a serious blockage, it’s best to call a plumber rather than trying to tackle the problem yourself.
Liquid chemical cleaners use ingredients like hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid), sodium hydroxide (lye) or potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) to break down clogs. These chemicals are highly caustic and can cause severe burns if they come into contact with your skin or eyes. They’re also harmful to the environment if they seep into soil or groundwater, where they can poison plants and animals that drink the water.
If you choose to use a liquid drain cleaner, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Pour the cleaner down a drain slowly to avoid spilling it, and make sure to protect your hands, eyes and face with rubber gloves and goggles. It’s also important to flush your pipes well after using a chemical drain cleaner, following the manufacturer’s instructions for temperature and duration of flushing.
For those who want to skip the chemical cleaners, there are a number of natural options available. Organic drain cleaners, such as the Green Gobbler pictured above, use a mixture of natural bacteria and enzymes to digest organic waste in your pipes, including hair, soap scum, grease and food particles. These cleaners are safe for your pipes and the environment, but they may take longer to work than liquid chemical cleaners. They can also be messy to clean up, and you’ll probably still need to use a plunger or drain snake to fully clear the clog.
Enzyme-Based Drain Cleaners
When a drain gets clogged, the first instinct of most homeowners is to reach for their off-the-shelf bottle of chemical cleaner. However, these cleaners often produce dangerous fumes that can harm the lungs and are damaging to pipes. If you want a safer, more sustainable option to clear your clogged drains, try an enzyme-based cleaner. These cleaners use bacterial cultures and natural enzymes to break down organic material in the drain, including hair, food scraps, and grease. This helps to eliminate odors and prevent future blockages.
While these natural alternatives to chemical drain cleaners offer several perks, they are not without their challenges. For example, they take a longer time to work than chemical solutions, and they are not effective against all types of clogs. They also require regular use to keep your drains functioning properly.
For best results, apply a bio-enzyme drain cleaner according to the product instructions. After the recommended period, flush with warm water to wash away any remaining loosened debris. Enzyme cleaners are septic safe and support the health of your sewage system, making them an environmentally friendly choice for clogged drains.
However, if you still encounter a blocked drain, it may be necessary to call a professional for physical drain cleaning. A plumber snake or rooter machine can be used to remove stubborn or inorganic clogs that an enzyme-based cleaner cannot. For recurring issues, a monthly application of an eco-friendly bio-enzyme drain cleaner can help to keep your drains clear and smelling fresh. This proactive approach to drain maintenance can help you avoid the need for costly drain repairs in the future. Contact ORAI today to schedule your next drain cleaning appointment!
Boiling Water
You may have heard that boiling water is an effective at-home remedy for clogged drains. It’s easy, cheap, and works well for soft clogs such as soap scum or grease. To use this method, simply boil a pot of water and slowly pour it down the clogged drain. This should clear away most clogs with a satisfying swoosh. If the clog persists, try repeating this step several times or using a plunger.
For hard clogs such as hair, sanitary napkins, or heavy toilet paper, a plunger and a plumbing snake may be needed to dislodge them. For greasy blockages, squirt some grease-fighting dish soap down the drain first before pouring the boiling water. The soap will help dissolve the clog and the heat from the boiling water will help flush it away more easily.
Pouring boiling water down the drain should not be a regular habit as it can cause damage to pipes. It can crack and warp the surface of pipes, and in some cases, it can even damage the metal components within the pipe itself. This is why it’s important to only use this technique for soft clogs or as a last resort when other methods have failed.
If your clogged drain is caused by solid debris such as toys, clothing, or a torn piece of pipe, boiling water will not be able to penetrate the blockage. In this case, a plumber will be necessary to remove the obstruction and repair any damage. For severe clogs, always consult with a plumber before trying at-home solutions, such as chemical drain cleaners, which can eat through pipes and lead to costly repairs down the road.
Hydro-Jetting
Hydro jetting is a modern plumbing technology that’s better at clearing clogs than the traditional drain cleaning methods of snakes and plungers. The process involves inserting a hose into your household or sewer pipes, then pumping high-pressure water through the nozzle attached to the end of the hose. The water scours the inside of your pipe walls, blasting away food particles, grease, mineral scale, and other debris. Gravity then flushes the loosened material down the pipes and out of your home. The result is a clean, clear pipe that’s less likely to clog in the future.
Before starting the hydro jetting procedure, your plumber should inspect your system with a camera to assess the severity of your blockage and whether or not your pipes are damaged. They’ll also use the camera to locate your plumbing cleanout, which is an opening on your property that grants access to your household and sewer pipes.
After identifying the location of your clog, your plumber will attach the nozzle to the hose and start pumping water into your pipe. The high-pressure water jets will scour your interior pipe walls and destroy any debris. As the junk is flushed out of your pipes, the nozzle can be moved around to reach all areas of the pipe.
The advantage of hydro jetting is that it’s eco-friendly, using only plain water to clean your pipes. It’s particularly useful for restaurants, where FOG (fats, oils, and grease) can cause blockages, since snaking won’t remove all of the residue from the inside of the pipe. In addition, hydro jetting can be used to clear out hard-to-reach clogs in the kitchen sink, tub, or shower.
Snaking
Drains get blocked when food, hair, skin cells, soap scum, and other organic matter build up inside the pipes. Most clogs form gradually without making much of a difference at first, but over time they can become more serious and prevent water from flowing properly. Regularly cleaning and maintaining your drains will help you avoid the costs and hassle of dealing with a major blockage.
While you can keep your drains smelling fresh and functioning well by regularly using home-based remedies such as baking soda and vinegar, more severe or long-standing clogs require professional attention. Professionals have a range of tools at their disposal for thoroughly clearing even the most stubborn drains and sewer lines.
These powerful plumbing devices shoot water at high-pressure through a nozzle that is inserted into the blocked drain. The water cuts through a variety of materials and is so strong that it dissolves and flushes away most blockages. This process also clears out sand, dirt, and other debris that can clog drains.
A snaking device is similar to an air-burst drain cleaner but works better for dislodging clogs that have formed deep in your pipe system. Its flexible metal body can reach a wide range of sizes and shapes of clogs, including those caused by tree roots. Simply insert the snake into the drain and rotate it to chop up and dislodge the clog. Once it has done its work, pull the snake out slowly and your clog will follow.
If plunging a drain doesn’t work and you can’t see or feel the clog, call a plumber right away. They may use a video camera to assess the problem, and they will have more tools at their disposal for thoroughly clearing your drains.