When you think of drain cleaning, what comes to mind? Pouring chemicals down your sink? While that’s certainly one way to clean a drain (we don’t recommend it!), that’s not what professional-caliber cleaning involves — far from it.
So what does a professional drain cleaning appointment entail? Read on to learn what you can expect when you get your residential or commercial drains cleaned by a pro.
Camera Drain Inspection: How We Locate & Diagnose Drain Blockages
If you’ve got a drain clog, how can you possibly remedy the problem without knowing where it is? Or what it is? Certainly, you can approach the issue blindly, but that probably won’t get you far. Why not?
Because different drains have different potential issues. Certain drains — your mainline sewer drain, for example — can develop severe blockages as a result of tree root intrusions. These types of blockages must be dealt with differently than less severe clogs, and when they’re dealt with incorrectly, the problem rarely gets solved. After all, when you can’t see what you’re dealing with, how can you determine how to approach the situation?
That’s why drain camera inspections are so important.
During a camera inspection, a technician inserts a high-definition camera into the slow or blocked drain. This camera is attached to the end of a long, sturdy cable that the technician carefully directs through the length of the pipe. Upon locating the blockage, the technician can assess the severity of the problem, determine what the blockage is made of, and decide how best to approach the situation.
If it’s a simple clog, snaking the drain using a plumber’s snake is typically sufficient to dislodge the debris. If the clog is more severe, water jetting is usually the best course of action.
Drain Snaking: How We Break Apart Drain Clogs
A plumber’s snake (also known as a plumbing jack) is composed of a long, flexible, metal wire that features a coiled auger at its tip. We insert this tool into the drain opening and feed it carefully through the pipe until we reach the offending blockage.
When the auger encounters the clog, we crank the device until it breaks through the substance. The cranking motion also loosens built-up debris clinging to the interior walls of the pipes, which likely contributed to the blockage.
Generally speaking, drain snaking is appropriate for moderate clogs in floor, laundry, tub, shower, toilet, and sink drains. Industrial-strength drain augers can even break apart tree root intrusions and more severe blockages, but we often use a different drain-cleaning technique to tackle those.
Water Jetting: How We Flush Out Drain Debris
For significant drain clogs, that may not respond to other forms of cleaning, water jetting is our go-to clog-removal technique. If your drains require the procedure, a technician will insert a hose with a specialized high-pressure nozzle into the affected drain. This hose propels a pressurized jet of water into the drain as the technician guides it along its path through the pipe.
As the nozzle encounters debris, whether it’s thick sludge, hairballs, calcification, soap scum, or undissolved food matter, the pressurized stream of water breaks it apart and washes it out of the pipe. In some cases, we may combine abrasive materials with the water to cut through more solid matter, such as metal, stone, and larger tree roots.
With water jetting, there’s minimal risk of plumbing damage since the procedure doesn’t use corrosive chemicals. Plus, the procedure requires minimal time since the equipment we utilize is so efficient at cutting through impacted debris.
If your drains experience chronic clogs, a single water jetting procedure can yield favorable results for up to a year, depending on how you routinely care for your drains after cleaning. To help keep your drains free of buildup, routine maintenance cleanings are also recommended.
If you’re unsure how to maintain your drains in good condition, check out 15 Tips for Maintaining Clean Pipes After a Commercial Drain Cleaning Session and 5 Simple Ways to Keep Your Household Drains in Optimal Condition.
Routine, Maintenance Drain Cleaning
One of the most effective ways to optimize the health of your plumbing system is to implement routine drain cleaning and maintenance on a yearly basis. By scheduling annual inspections and flushing debris from the entire system once per year, you minimize your chances of experiencing the following plumbing issues.
Clogged Toilets
Sanitary products, excessive toilet paper, and “flushable” wipes can easily clog the average household toilet. Over time, these items build up within your pipes, often leading to severe toilet blockages and backed-up plumbing.
Drain Blockages
Shower drains, bathroom sink drains, and kitchen drains are notorious for developing blockages comprised of hair, soap scum, and food particles. As these items build within your pipes, they can slow or completely stop normal water flow through the drain.
Backed-Up Pipes
When too much debris collects in your mainline, it can cause a complete system backup. In such cases, you may notice sewer smells wafting up through your drains or overflow bubbling up through your shower, bathtub, or floor drains.
Leaky Pipes
When minerals build up on the interior walls of your pipes, they slowly calcify. Over time, this calcification can corrode portions of your plumbing system, causing minor leaks to form. This issue is especially prevalent near pipe joints and connections. Too, severe backups in the system can create intense water pressure that, over time, can burst through weaker pipe connections.
With routine drain cleaning and maintenance, we’ll ensure your entire plumbing system is in proper working condition through whichever cleaning methods we deem necessary. Typically, annual cleanings follow the same procedure as water jetting, which allows us to flush all manner of buildup from your pipes in the most rapid, efficient manner.
Not sure when you should schedule drain cleaning? Check out Household Drain Cleaning: How Often Should You Have It Done? for helpful tips.
Why Choose Drain Blaster Bill?
Of all the drain cleaning companies in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, why choose us? Because we truly care about our customers and the health of their plumbing systems. That’s why we offer 24/7 emergency drain cleaning service and same-day scheduling.
We’ve proudly served residential and commercial customers for over seven years, and we’re also accredited by the Better Business Bureau and hold an A+ rating. We strive to always exceed our customers’ expectations, and according to our numerous 5-star customer reviews, we do an excellent job of doing just that.
Need to Schedule Professional Drain Cleaning in the Twin Cities?
At Drain Blaster Bill’s Sewer & Drain Cleaning, we know how essential clean drains are for the operation of your home or building. That’s why we provide comprehensive, affordable drain cleaning and maintenance for homeowners throughout the Twin Cities metro. Whether you simply need your toilet unclogged or you have a late-night drain emergency, our 24/7 team is always here to serve you.
To learn more about our services or request a free estimate, give our team a call at 763-913-8719. You can also get in touch with us by filling out your information on our contact form, and a member of our team will get in touch with you promptly.