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We have some bad news and some good news for you. The bad news is, your current drain cleaning method might be hurting your pipes. The good news is, there are better solutions!
If your current drain cleaning method is to use store-bought chemical drain cleaners to remove clogs in your sinks, bathtub, or shower drains, then we’re afraid this is the wrong way to go. And we get it, it’s frustrating to not be able to deal with a clogged or backed-up drain as quickly as possible.
Imagine you’re brushing your teeth and all of the sudden have an overflowing sink, or you’re taking a shower and find yourself standing in a puddle of water—you want a quick fix, right? But quick fixes are rarely fully effective and almost never permanent. You’ll be treating the symptom, not the actual cause!
Why Chemical Drain Cleaners Are a Bad Idea
It seems like a drain cleaning solution you can get at pretty much any store would be the simplest way to unclog a drain, right? Most of the time, however, they don’t actually work. The chemicals found in these store-bought “solutions” are often formulated to dissolve things like hair, but not other common blockages such as mineral build-up from hard water, or grease and food particles trapped in a kitchen sink drain. These same hard water deposits can also cause long-term damage throughout your plumbing system—especially if your pipes aren’t prepared for winter weather.
In fact, these store-bought cleaners might even push clogs further down the drainpipe!
What’s more, these chemical drain cleaners are made from some nasty ingredients. Just check out all the warning labels on the bottles! They’re often made from toxic and caustic materials, meaning they’re harmful to your health and, ironically, harmful to the health of your plumbing system as well. They’ll slowly eat away at the lining of your pipes, leading to corrosion and potentially even pipe rupture.
“What If I Just Have a Superficial Clog or Smelly Drains?”
There are DIY methods to deal with this! If you have a superficial clog near the opening of a drain, it can typically be relieved by a plunger and a little bit of “elbow grease.” Plungers help create suction, which enables the clog to loosen up and make its way out. You’ll just need to be persistent!
And if your drain isn’t necessarily clogged but is smelly and dirty, on option is to use some baking soda and vinegar to clean it out. First, you pour down ½ cup of baking soda. Follow that up with a cup of vinegar, then after about 5–10 minutes carefully pour down boiling water. That should do the trick.
How Plumbers Safely Clear Clogs
If you truly have a stubborn clog, however, the best thing you can do is call professionals. We have a few different methods to locate and alleviate your clog or blockage. For instance, we’ll use video pipe inspection to get a closer look at the clog and determine what action will be most effective. Learn more about how plumbers locate hidden leaks and blockages—a vital part of our process that prevents unnecessary guesswork and damage.
From there we’ll use either a basic drain snake to drill through and uproot the clog, or if it’s really nasty, we’ll use hydro-jetting equipment to blast out the clog with a high-pressured stream of water. In fact, hydro jetting is one of the safest and most effective methods to clean your drains without damaging your pipes. The best thing you can do when you suspect a drain clog or drain problem of any kind is to give our team a call!
For expert plumbing services in Ashburn, VA, contact AllTech Services, Inc. today.
703-962-4112
