Clogs don’t happen overnight. They grow worse with time. In fact, the leading cause of a drain clog is what you put down one in the first place. While there are a number of remedies, one totally clears a clogged drain best.
Causes of a drain clog
If you only put water down the drain, you would probably never get a drain clog. But, shower drains collect hair and skin flakes. Toilets flush waste and paper. But, it’s your kitchen sink that feeds your drain the greatest volume of clogging agents.
Some foods should never go down your drain. Fibrous vegetables like corn husks, celery stalks and onion skins, potato peels, eggshells, coffee grounds and grease belong in the trash, not your drain. Over time these materials collect and slowly choke off your drain lines until sinks and other drains start slowing until they stop draining all together.
Popular solutions for a drain clog
Consumer drain cleaning solvents are the worst choice you can make to clear a drain. Not only do they do damage to the pipes themselves, but they don’t totally clear away a drain clog. Instead, they clean away loose surface grime while allowing more densely packed clogs to build.
Snakes are effective for cleaning objects from a drain. If a child flushes a toy down the drain, a snake will clear it out. If your plunger doesn’t remove the material, a snake is usually enough to remove most clogs. Root infiltration can be temporarily cleared with a snake. But, there is a more effective tool for clearing dense drain clogs.
Hydro jetting away a drain clog
While other solutions lack clog clearing force, hydro jetting delivers high-pressure brute force that rips clogs from drain line walls and flushes them down sewer lines.
Hydro jetting utilizes a high pressure hose and specially designed nozzle which are connected to a pump delivering a powerful stream of high pressure water. Grease, mineral build-up, hair and other debris are effectively flushed away, clearing your drains.
Look before jetting clogged drains
Jetting unleashes extremely high pressure water streams. That’s why it’s recommended that a video inspection be conducted beforehand to verify the location and density of clogs while also confirming the integrity of the drains themselves. Jetting a marginal drain line that cannot handle the high pressure stream can cause more severe problems.
Is jetting right for you?
A plumbing snake can usually address minor clogs when your plunger can’t get the job done. A snake will break up a clog, but it won’t clear one. Because hydro jetting uses such high pressure, it’s something that should be done only by a trained professional like our trusted friends at Abacus Plumbing.
