Tempted to Clear Your Drain Yourself? Forget It!

Tempted to Clear Your Drain Yourself? Forget It! If you have a blocked drain, you may be tempted to try to fix it yourself. Pouring liquid drain clearing solutions into the pipes may offer a temporary solution, but it’s unlikely to be a permanent fix, while DIY snaking may cause even more damage than the blockage.

So, unless it’s an easily cleared obstruction, it’s best to cause in the professionals. Even if your pipework is damaged and needs repairing, with today’s modern equipment and technology and techniques such as no dig pipe repairs, your professional plumber will have the problem sorted in no time at all.

How Will A Professional Plumber Clean your Drains?

Before a plumber starts any work, they’ll need to assess what is causing the problem and the extent of the damage. It may be that it’s baby wipes obstructing the pipes, or it could be something more serious such as tree roots.

In some cases, your plumber may decide to insert a specialised camera into the pipework to take a closer look and identify any issues that may arise. Once they’ve identified and diagnosed the problem, they’ll be able to decide on the most appropriate course of action.

What Kind of Repairs Will a Plumber Carry Out? They may decide to use a cable, snake or rooter to clear away the blockage. This involves inserting a cable deep into the pipework to get rid of the offending debris. Depending on the nature and size of both the jam and pipework, the tools could range from something similar to those augers you’d buy at your local hardware store to an industrial-grade router machine.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, they may choose to use hydro-jetting to remove the obstruction. The equipment pushes powerful water jets through the pipework to flush out clogs, debris and residue.

What about Problems with the Sewer?

Sometimes the issue is more serious. For example, a blocked sewer can cause a number of problems and has the potential to lead to a backup of sewage. While snaking or jetting is usually used to clear out sewer lines, occasionally the line may need to be repaired or replaced due to tree or plants roots growing through the pipework.

In this instance, instead of digging up the ground to perform the necessary pipe repairs, a nodig option may be utilised where the plumber will use specialised equipment to replace the pipe without having to dig.

The Bottom Line Keeping your drains clear by being aware of what you’re putting down there is one way to keep blocked drains and pipework at bay. However, if you do experience a problem, call in a professional. They’re the experts at clearing drains.