5 Benefits of Drain Cleaning
When your pipes become clogged, it can lead to expensive plumbing emergencies. However, by having your drains cleaned regularly, you can help avoid major clogs and keep your pipes clean and healthy.
Less Clogs
You can avoid a majority of drain clogs by having your drains cleaned regularly. A professional plumber can help you clean your pipes, remove build-up, and keep your pipes in peak working condition.
Remove Drain Odors
Regular drain cleaning will help to remove organic matter that can get trapped in your pipes. As this matter begins to rot it creates a foul odor and can even lead to drain flies.
Extend The Life Of Your Plumbing
Regular drain cleanings can help to protect your system from early pipe decay. Keeping your system clean can help prevent expensive repairs from wear and tear.
Prevent Hard Water Issues
Hard water leaves deposits in your pipes. Drain cleaning can help remove these deposits and ensure that your water pressure is normal. Plus this can extend the life of appliances such as your water heater and your water softener.
Improving Water Flow
When you decrease the amount of debris in your pipes, your water pressure and flow improve. Drain cleaning is a fit for better water flow in showers, sinks, toilets, and any other plumbing in the home. Water softeners and water filtration devices remove hard water and other debris. Regular drain cleaning of your home's drains is one way to help protect your plumbing system and avoid damages and expensive repairs in the future. Contact the friendly and professional team at Water Heater Pro and we will schedule a time to inspect your drains, clean them thoroughly, and help to ensure your home's plumbing is in the best possible shape.
5 Tips To Help With Common Clogs
There is often more to a clogged drain than meets the eye. To clear a clogged drain, in the sink or the bathtub, sometimes it is just a matter of moving the clog further through the pipe to the sewer line. You’ll want some rubber gloves.
1. Use a Plunger
A plunger is a basic tool used for generations that needs only a strong effort and the ability to withstand any strong smells. To clear a toilet is all about pushing through the clog. For sinks and tubs, try a sink plunger for a tighter fit and more effective clog removal.
2. Pull Out The Gunk
Rotting debris, i.e. food or hair, mixed with leftover liquids, i.e. saliva or personal cleaning products can build up a nasty blockage in the sink. It is usually a clog you notice after it builds up over time, slowing the water drainage more each day until nothing washes down the drain. Try a store-purchase plastic plumbing snake or a wire coat hanger with one end bent like a hook. Push the hooked end down the drain, into the clog and pull out the mess.
3. Add Baking Soda and Vinegar To The Drain
Our elders have always been wise. A common recipe made popular uses 1/3 cup baking soda and 1/3 cup vinegar. Apply baking soda to the drain then pour the vinegar down the drain. Let this work for 5-15 minutes, then send hot water down the drain (WARNING: Be extremely careful with hot water).
4. Grab A Snake
Not a real snake, but a plumber's tool made of a strong, flexible wire! Plumbing snakes come in various lengths a few feet up to hundreds of feet rolled into a dispensing drum. A shorter snake is available at any hardware store. Grab the snake when the clog just won’t budge, or it is further down the pipe beyond the reach of a wire hanger or plastic hair plug remover. Just force the snake into the drain to push or break up the clog. Run some water to make sure the pipe is clear.
5. Gravity and Household Chemicals
Here is a simple bathtub drain-clearing trick. Follow the baking soda and vinegar mixture above, pour it into the bathtub drain, seal the opening with the drain plug/stopper, and let it sit for an hour. Now without removing the drain plug, turn on the hot water and fill the bathtub. You have created a power pressure tool in your bathtub with gallons of hot water and all its weight ready to rush down the pipe. After an hour pull the plug in the drain. The household chemicals should have loosened the clog enough for the water pressure to flush it free in the pipe. If not, don’t give up. Grab the plunger or snake and get to work.
We don’t recommend using over-the-counter chemical drain cleaning “quick fixes”. These are dangerous to the skin, and your eyes, and can corrode or fracture your pipes causing more damage than they are worth. The above remedies and your own muscle power can produce results. And with any clogged drain you can always call the pros at Water Heater Pro.