Learn What Plumbers Use to Deal with Clogged Drains

Refreshed Blog
Original Post Date: 11/2/2021

There are a lot of horrible things you don’t want to wake up to, especially on a day when you’re already late for work. A dead battery or a flat tire makes it to that list, as well as stubbing your toe on the bedpost, and let’s not forget everyone’s favorite—not being able to find your keys on the way out the door.

Each of these situations can suck in its own special way, but one of the worst things to wake up to at home is a clogged drain. Or even worse—multiple clogged drains.

Drain clogs are not confined solely to sinks; we can find them in our tub drains, shower drains, washing machine drains, and even toilets. Especially our toilets. A clogged drain may seem like a serious plumbing issue, but when it is localized to a single drain in a kitchen or bathroom, it’s often fixable quickly.

Drain clogs and backups in multiple drains throughout the house can indicate a more significant plumbing issue requiring help from a professional plumbing service like Nick’s Plumbing. Drain and sewer lines clogged with decades of coagulated cooking grease, shampoo, and hair can’t be cleared with a bottle of Drano or a plunger. More challenging, denser clogs will need a bit more power to break them up and flush them away.

What Causes Drain Clogs?

First off, we can only solve a problem if we recognize it.

Anything we put into our drains and toilets will eventually contribute to a serious drain clog. Whether we’re flushing too much toilet paper or putting pasta and chicken skin into the garbage disposal, we’re asking for a world of trouble. Having a toilet back up into your bathtub is just another Tuesday in the plumbing world; for the homeowner, it is a leading role in a horror movie.

What Can a Handy Homeowner Do About Their Drain Clogs?

DIY drain cleaning methods are great for localized, relatively easy clogs and partial blockages that can cause slow drains. That said, we cannot stress enough to stay away from chemical drain cleaners. They’re bad for the environment, for your plumbing, and potentially detrimental to your health, both in the short and long term.

Instead of relying on caustic chemical reactions to clear the gunk from your drain and sewer pipes, regularly use a harmless, enzyme-based drain cleaner—one that uses living bacteria—to nibble away at the nastiest buffet ever that’s being served inside your pipes right now. Enzyme-based drain cleaners are not for use on an active clog; when used as directed, they are just as happy to munch on fresh scraps or the layers of accumulated crud inside your plumbing.

Can I Fix a Clog in a Single Drain Myself?

The homeowner can often remedy clogs that are isolated to a single drain or toilet. Having the right tools on hand, such as a cup plunger for sinks, a bellows plunger for bathroom fixtures, and a manual drain snake, will make the task much more manageable.

Unless you can clear the pipe of debris with your drain snake, a sink clog will require you to remove the P-trap beneath the sink and clean it. If you have galvanized steel pipes, you will need a pipe wrench for this process. However, most PVC drain fittings can be loosened and tightened by hand.

Can I Press My Luck & Unclog My Own Toilets, Too?

As far as toilet clogs go…we recommend calling a professional plumbing company if you cannot break up the clog with a few thrusts of a bellows plunger. There may be debris lodged in the toilet’s S-trap, or worse, you may be dealing with a cracked toilet flange or a severe blockage in your main sewer line.

Attempting to free up a toilet blockage too aggressively—for instance, pouring gallons of hot water into the toilet—will only cause raw sewage to seep up from the sink and tub drains.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Help for the DIY’ers Is Just a Mouse Click Away!

For those hearty do-it-yourselfers who read the above paragraph and still want to have a go at tackling your own drain clogs, we’ve published a blog that offers a few more solutions to DIY drain cleaning and perhaps save you the trouble and expense of a drain cleaning service call.

If you’ve gone over the do-it-yourself list and you’re still looking at a sink or tub full of water that isn’t going anywhere, give Nick’s Plumbing a call and schedule one of our licensed and experienced technicians to come out to clear your drain or sewer line.

While you’re waiting for us to arrive, let’s look at the difference between the do-it-yourself methods of drain cleaning and those used by professional plumbing companies.

How Professional Plumbers Clean Your Drains

I’m not revealing any secrets when I tell you that the plumbing business is messy. It takes years to learn; the technology is forever changing; competition is always hovering just over your shoulder; and, at the end of the day, you go home covered in mud, grime, and whatever vile sludge comes out of a customer’s sink, toilet, or sewer line.

Clearing, repairing, and replacing toilet fixtures, flanges, and sewer lines are plumbing tasks that can only be handled by professionals. Drains that empty more slowly over time, toilets that don’t flush thoroughly, and gurgling noises when using the sink or tub drain indicate it’s time to consult a competent plumbing company to investigate the cause of your issues.

Depending on the location, the nature of the clog, and how much pipe space this unpaid tenant occupies, any or all of the following drain-clearing techniques may be used during your service call.

Manual Drain Snakes

A manual drain snake, also known as a plumber’s snake or a drain auger, is a small boring tool that rotates slowly as it’s physically pushed through a stubborn clog. The terminal end of the device is a corkscrew-shaped hook that is fed into a clogged drain or toilet. Rotation of the hooked end occurs when the handle of the drain snake’s drum is turned, which also feeds more of the snake into the drain.

Manual augers are especially useful in clearing simple drain or toilet clogs, dislodging debris, and passing through the sewer system. In most clogged drains, a manual plumbing snake is sufficient to clear any minor blockages near the drain opening.

Motorized Drain Snakes

When a blockage is found farther down the drain line than the manual snake can reach (10–20 feet at most) or is too solid to budge without assistance, a motorized drain snake is brought to the job site. Powered snakes can reach 150 feet down a drain or sewer line, combined with an electric motor’s added torque and continuous rotation.

Motorized drain snakes are most effective for removing blockages caused by tree root infiltration, as well as for clearing grease, food waste, and sewage clogs. Motorized drain snakes can sometimes make a lousy plumbing situation worse; for instance, if your pipes are old and rusty, using a powered drain snake can dislodge chunks of metal, making the clog worse and perhaps shattering the line.

High-Definition Drain and Sewer Line Cameras

If your plumber hasn’t had success after attempting to clear a drain or sewer line with a motorized snake, it could indicate a complete blockage further down your sewer line. The high-definition snake camera is a recent technological advance that has helped the plumbing industry.

Looking inside a pipe structure to see what is causing your drain blockage is a game-changer. Knowing exactly where a clog is and what it is made up of before treating it, your plumber can determine the best tools and most straightforward approach for the job.

Hydro-Jetting Machines

As exciting as plumber’s snakes and drain cameras are, neither holds a candle to when we get to use the hydro-jetting machines. Concentrated water jets can flush away decades of built-up grease, soap, and other nastiness that hangs out in your drain and sewer lines in seconds.

Powerful streams from a hydro-jetting machine can reach up to 35,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) and have more than enough pressure to eliminate any trace of residue from your pipe walls, leaving them in a “like-new” condition.

Who Can Unclog My Drain and Sewer Lines?

If you’ve tried all the do-it-yourself remedies and that clog still won’t go away, it’s time to call in an experienced and licensed plumber to do the job. Professional companies like Nick’s Plumbing have the experience and equipment to identify and clear your clog regardless of location. Call us today to schedule your appointment with the best drain-cleaning company in Houston: Nick’s Plumbing.