No one likes a clogged drain. It can put a halt to anything, from a relaxing afternoon cooking with family, a busy evening getting the dishes done, or a hasty morning shower before work. Grabbing the plunger and doing the job yourself can be a pain. On top of that, what do you do when your hard work doesn’t pay off — or you suspect you’re dealing with a problem more serious than a standard clog?
Quit playing the hit-or-miss guessing game when it comes to your plumbing repair. Find a more efficient solution by contacting Mister Sewer, Plumbing & HVAC for professional, affordable drain cleaning services and sewer cleaning services in and around Pittsburgh, PA!
How Drain Cleaning and Sewer Cleaning Work
Ever wondered what plumbers will do when you call them for drain cleaning services or sewer cleaning services? Wonder no more; we’ll lay it out for you right here. There are generally two ways that stubborn clogs are resolved: hydro jetting and drain snaking.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting is an effective choice when you have a stubborn blockage that won’t clear or you’re experiencing frequent blockages. Hydro jetting involves high-pressure water being directed through your pipes to clear the clog away. A pressurized jet of water will clear almost any blockage, even if it’s something as large as a tree root. It will also clean other debris and residue from the walls of your pipes. Another benefit of hydro jetting is the fact that it’s effective on just about any kind of pipe and clears a clog fast.
Although hydro jetting is effective, it’s a powerful process that can damage older or more fragile pipes. If this method is employed during drain cleaning services, plumbing experts will adjust the water pressure accordingly to accommodate the condition of your pipelines.
Hydro jetting offers these and more benefits:
- Effectively cleans and clears pipe walls
- Works well on every type of pipeline
- Can clear complicated or multiple blockages in one session
- Quickly eliminates clogs
Drain snaking
Drain snaking is a method for clearing an obstruction that puts no stress on your pipelines. It’s also an easy method for clearing a simple blockage. Drain snaking is done by lowering a motorized or hand-twisted auger or “drain snake” into the blocked pipe. The auger is manipulated to find, break up, and remove drain clogs.
As a method done to check for clogs, drain snaking can provide insight into the condition of your pipes. For example, snaking a drain as part of drain cleaning services can reveal the presence of a complex blockage like a tree root that will need to be removed with hydro jetting.
Snaking has obvious benefits, primarily in cases where the blockage is simple and unclogging the drain is an easy fix.
- Clears minor clogs easily
- Provides a safe method to clear pipes
- Protects older, more fragile plumbing systems
- Reveals condition of the pipeline and can uncover more complex blockages
Signs You Need Professional Drain Cleaning
You may be in need of drain cleaning services or sewer cleaning services if…
- Your toilet, bathtub, or sink drains keep repeatedly clogging over a short period of time
- You notice a foul odor coming from your drains or pipes
- There is sewage backflow entering your toilet or sink basins after flushing or draining water out of the unit
- Water takes a longer time than usual to drain from your tubs or sinks
- There is standing water in your tubs or sinks that keeps coming back
- You suspect tree roots, animal activity, weather disturbance, or other external factors could be affecting your drains or sewers
What Causes Drain Clogs?
Drain clogs can happen thanks to a variety of different problems with your plumbing system. Here are some of the most common culprits when it comes to a clogged drain:
Flushing too much toilet paper down the toilet
If you find your drains clogging thanks to excessive toilet paper usage, cut back on your usage or switch to a different TP that’s easier on your drains. Your plumbing system is meant to handle its fair share of toilet paper, but not so much that it regularly stops up your drains!
Flushing things other than toilet paper down the toilet
The only things that should go in your toilet are human waste and toilet paper. That means no feminine hygiene products, diapers, trash, paper towels, cotton balls or swabs, or “flushable” wipes should get flushed down your toilet — no matter how much those wipes claim to be safe for your plumbing system.
Food waste clogging the garbage disposal
Food waste might be causing your clogged drain if you’re regularly trying to put thick, large, or bony leftovers down your garbage disposal. Put vegetable peelings in the trash rather than the disposal, never try to wash bones down the disposal, no matter how small they are, and always avoid putting eggshells or other sharp and crunchy food waste down the kitchen sink drain. When in doubt, THROW IT OUT!
Cooking grease, oil, or fat in the kitchen sink drain
You should never pour oil, grease, or fat down your kitchen sink drain, or else you might clog your pipes when it solidifies. Instead, put leftover cooking grease in a disposable container in the freezer and throw it out with the garbage once it’s frozen solid.
Mineral or sediment buildup in pipes
Occasionally, you may experience clogged pipes because of hard water or other similar issues that bring sediment or minerals into your water supply. Investing in a water softening system may help, but before you do, it’s best to schedule a system inspection by the pros, so we can make sure years of hard water have not caused your pipes excessive damage.
Our Other Services
Our plumbing experts don’t just provide affordable drain and sewer cleaning services in and around Pittsburgh, PA. We’re also proud to offer these and more services:
- Sewer video inspections
- Sewer line repairs and replacements
- Residential plumbing services
- Water heater services
Do you want to learn more about the services we offer? Would you like to discuss financing options with our team? Get in touch with us today! A friendly technician is standing by to help you with anything from drain and sewer cleaning services to complete sewer line replacement or anything else you need!
Interested in learning more?
- Hydrojetting Drain Cleaning: Is it Right for Your Home?
- What to Do When Your Drain Starts to Gurgle
- Slow Moving Drains? Here’s the Reason Why!
Looking to clean the drains in your home?
Quit playing the hit-or-miss guessing game when it comes to your plumbing repair. Find a more efficient solution by contacting Mister Sewer, Plumbing and HVAC.