How do you take care of clogged drains?
There are a lot of things you need to prepare for, and one of the things you need to do is prepare for how to handle clogged drains. Clogged drains are always something you have to deal with in the Asheville, North Carolina area, just as it is all across the country. But it doesn’t have to be too stressful if you know the best way to clear those clogged drains.
Should you stock up on commercial drain cleaners now?
No, that should be the last thing you try to clear a clogged drain! Those chemical cleaners can cause more damage to your home’s plumbing system and even cause more problems. You’ll spend more money on professional plumbing repairs after using commercial chemicals to open a clogged drain than if you’d call the plumber to start with!
Those commercial chemical cleaners will deteriorate the toilet bowl, dissolve the metal pipes, and melt plastic pipes. No, probably not if you use on just once to clear a clogged drain, but with repeated use, yes, you’re looking a destroying your plumbing.
How should you clear a heavily clogged drain?
Believe it or not, you have products in your kitchen pantry that will clear a clogged drain safely. If you’ve tried plunging the drain and didn’t have any luck, one of the best and easiest methods is with baking soda and white vinegar. These two products mixed will dissolve any type of clog and help it move on down the drain and into the sewer line.
What is that magic mixture and process?
The following recipe should be in your holiday cookbook:
- Pour half a cup of baking soda into the clogged drain
- Pour half a cup of white vinegar into the clogged drain
- Poor several cups of hot water into the clogged drain
- Wait one hour and then run hot water from the faucet into the drain
- Repeat the process if needed
If that didn’t work, what is the best thing to put down a clogged drain?
This is a great cleaner for clogged drains, but there are times when plunging or this recipe may not do the job. So, you still don’t need to resort to those commercial drain cleaners! Use a plumber’s snake or auger next.
By using an auger or plumber’s snake, you can get to what’s causing that clogged drain, and dislodge it. You’ll either pull some of it back up when you pull the auger out, or you’ll push it on through the sewer line.
Make a small investment and purchase an auger or plumber’s snake at your local hardware or big box home improvement store. The process can get a little messy and will take some physical effort, but this device with our drill could be the magic combination to clearing a clogged drain. Work slow, take your time, and have somebody on standby to call a plumber just in case something goes wrong, or the clogged drain is bad, the auger or plumber’s snake can’t get to the clogged area because it is past the P trap.
What do plumbers use to clear clogged drains?
Professional plumbers have a wide assortment of tools and tricks they use to clear the toughest clogged drains. One is a plumber’s snake, but the ones they have are longer and more powerful than what you can purchase from a hardware store.
If the auger or snake doesn’t clear the clogged drain, they will remove the P-trap and see if there is something there that has caused the clog. If that doesn’t prove to be the problem, then will use the hydro-jetting method. What is hydro-jetting?
The hydro-jetting method can clear a clogged drain with a powerful force of water from a machine that blasts water at an extremely high pressure, as high as 4000 psi. Think of the pressure the water at your local car wash, perhaps higher!
How much will a plumber cost to clear a clogged drain?
It’s the holidays! Nobody wants to spend money on something you can’t eat, drink, or give as a gift! Well, before you damage your plumbing, which will cost you way more than a plumber, consider this to be a gift to you and your home. While every plumbing service will have its rates, they typically have a flat rate for clearing clogged drains. That rate can be as little as $150 and could go upward to $300 or more. If they find that this is more than a basic clogged drain, they may have to change to an hour rate plus any parts needed like replacing broken sewer lines.
It’s All Washed Out!
Okay, so maybe that $150 (or more) wasn’t an expected expense. That’s a bummer, but you now have a clear, flowing drain, and can go forth with your baking, cooking, and merriment! Going forward, prevent this from happening by being careful of what is washed down the drain, like avoiding pouring fats, oils, and greasy substances down the drain.
Instead, let it cool and gel, then scoop it out with paper towels and toss it into the trash (not the recycling) Going forward, use the recipe of baking soda and white vinegar every month, even if you don’t have a clogged drain. Let the mixture keep your drains clear of the FOG, hair, soap and toothpaste scum. And remember that if you need clogged drain cleaning in Asheville, NC, our team can be there to help. Give us a call at 828-778-2425 today to schedule your service.