Keeping the drains in your Nanaimo, BC, home clean is one of the best ways to avoid backups, clogs, and other plumbing issues. Although there are many DIY drain cleaning techniques, the only way to get drains completely clean is by hiring a professional. In fact, all homeowners are advised to schedule professional drain cleaning at least once each year.
DIY Drain Cleaning Methods and Their Drawbacks
There’s nothing wrong with freshening your drains in between professional drain cleaning services. However, it’s important to use methods that won’t damage your pipes or plumbing-connected appliances. You should also remember that even when diy drain cleaning methods appear to work, you must account for the trapped grime that you cannot see or smell.
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
Adding equal parts of baking soda and white vinegar to household drains is a popular DIY drain cleaning method. Simply pour one cup of baking soda into each dirty drain, followed by a single cup of white vinegar. As soon as they combine, these common pantry items will fizz and foam. This instant chemical reaction loosens grime and makes it easier to flush out with hot running water.
Baking soda and white vinegar can help you keep your clean drains fresh, but they cannot completely remove soap scum, hair, body oils, grease, or other common drain waste.
Boiling Water
Running your hot water tap while using your garbage disposal or cleaning your sink will definitely help loosen grime, but it won’t clear blocked drains or clean your drains completely. If you have polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes in your home, you should never put boiling water down your drains. Boiling water can melt PVC pipes or cause them to crack. At the very least, water that exceeds PVC’s temperature limits can soften this material and damage pipe joints.
Plunging
Plunging isn’t meant to clean drains, but it can be an effective solution for minor plumbing blockages. Plunging leverages pressure to push soft materials out of tight spaces and deeper into plumbing systems. When used correctly, plunging can encourage larger stools and larger accumulations of toilet paper to move closer to the main sewer line.
Plunging the wrong clog could force a solid, non-degradable item deeper into your pipes.
Drain Snaking
Drain snaking is effective for both clog removal and drain cleaning. Drain snakes are thin, retractable hoses with sharp tips. These tips can pierce obstructions and break them apart or pull them out. They can also slough off heavy waste from pipe interiors. However, lacking the skill and exploratory tools that plumbers use, drain snakes can cause more problems than they solve.
These tools can scrape off protective pipe coatings, porcelain coatings, and more. Snaking your drains on your own could void your fixture manufacturer’s warranties. Worse still, despite their high potential for causing problems, drain snakes won’t leave your drains fully clean if you use them on your own.
Professional Drain Maintenance
Professional drain maintenance breaks up trapped waste and pushes it toward the municipal sewer main. It leaves pipe interiors and drains pristine, eradicating foul, funky odours and resolving minor clogs.
Hydro-Jetting and Hydro-Steaming
Hydro-jetting and hydro-steaming use high-pressure, hot water or steam to scour sewer lines, drains, and pipes. Performed with a flexible hose, these treatments melt and move grease, body oils, soap scum, biofilms, and other tacky, sticky waste. Sewer jetting can also flush loosened debris out and away from the treated area.
Mechanized Drain Snaking
Hydro-jetting can use pressure levels as high as 3,500 psi, so it isn’t suitable for all pipes and plumbing systems. Professional drain snaking is an equally effective alternative that uses a mechanized auger to remove and break through trapped waste. It also uses a steady flow of water to facilitate the process. Much like hydro-jetting, professional drain snaking can get your drains completely clean.
When To Schedule Professional Drain Cleaning
Most homeowners should schedule drain cleaning once a year. However, if you have a large household with many people using your plumbing system, you might want to schedule drain cleaning every six to nine months instead. For corrective purposes, you should schedule drain cleaning when:
- One or more drains have a pungent odour
- Fighting persistent battles with drain gnats
- Your drains are moving slowly or not at all
- You have recurring clogs
We help homeowners in Nanaimo, BC, with professional plumbing services to keep their waste and wastewater moving swiftly. We offer expert drain cleaning services, including drain, sewer, and perimeter drain cleaning, and we also provide sewer jetting solutions. If you need help getting your drains completely cleaned, give Yellow Submarine Plumbing & Rooter a call now.
