If you’re dealing with a drain clog in your commercial building, you need to act fast. A blockage, however minor, can disrupt your normal business operations and affect your customers’ perception of the cleanliness of your operation.
While you might be tempted to call in a plumber to resolve the clog, that may not be the best professional for the job. If the plumber simply clears the offending blockage from the drain, there’s a high likelihood it’ll reform quickly. That’s why comprehensive commercial drain cleaning is so important, especially in operations that stand to lose business as a result of clogged drains.
So what exactly is the difference between commercial drain cleaning and drain clearing? The experts at Drain Blaster Bill’s in the Twin Cities explain below.
Drain Clearing: What It Is and How It Works
When it comes to getting rid of a drain blockage, there are several ways to do it, most of which fall under the category of drain clearing, not drain cleaning.
Drain clearing is typically a faster procedure than cleaning, simply because it’s not as comprehensive or involved. Clearing a drain only involves breaking apart the blockage in the pipe to restore water flow through the plumbing system. The clearing process doesn’t remove the material that caused the clog or flush the pipe to help prevent additional blockages from forming.
If you’ve ever heard of drain snaking, that’s the most common drain clearing technique. Here’s how the procedure works:
● A trained specialist inserts a professional plumbing snake into the affected drain’s opening. Depending on the type and severity of the clog, a specialist may use a standard snake or a motorized rooter to break it apart.
● The specialist guides the snake through the pipe until it makes contact with the blockage. The end of the drain snake typically features some type of metal blade designed to break apart the blockage with either manual or motorized rotation.
● When the snake breaks through the blockage, the specialist will test water flow through the pipes. If normal flow is restored, he’ll conclude the procedure.
With drain snaking, it’s important to understand that although the affected drain may appear fully functional, there are still bits of debris inside the pipe. Since snaking doesn’t flush those materials out of the drain, they can reform into a clog over time.
While drain clearing can be effective, it’s not the best long-term solution for handling drain blockages. Drain cleaning, on the other hand, is far more comprehensive and should be the go-to procedure for clogged commercial drains.
Drain Cleaning: What It Is and How It Works
Drain cleaning is a comprehensive service designed to eradicate buildup inside your pipes. Like drain clearing, it breaks apart drain blockages, but the procedure goes a step further by flushing out the debris that caused the clog. Unlike drain clearing, cleaning can be performed at any time as it can serve as a preventative measure for commercial buildings that would like to keep blockages to a minimum.
What does drain cleaning entail? At Drain Blaster Bill’s, we use the following procedures:
● Camera drain inspections. The first step in our drain cleaning process is a camera drain inspection. This quick procedure allows us to find the precise location of clogs and assess the interior of the pipes. Camera inspections also alert our technicians to pipe deterioration or damage, so we can alert you to budding plumbing issues before they grow severe.
During a camera drain inspection, we’ll insert a waterproof, high-definition camera into your drain’s opening. We then feed it through the pipe until we find the blockage or, if we’re performing a routine cleaning, we’ll assess the length of the pipe. Our video monitor allows us to see exactly what’s going inside your plumbing system so we can determine the best method for cleaning the drain.
● Commercial Water Jetting. The most effective drain cleaning technique for eliminating all types of pipe residue and clog-forming debris is water jetting. This procedure is completely safe for drains of all types, save for plumbing systems that are super old and have never been updated.
During a commercial water jetting procedure, we insert a hose into the drain opening and direct a high-pressure stream of water through the pipe. If the clog or pipe buildup is severe, we may add abrasive materials to water to help break it down. Commercial water jetting is effective for even the most severe clogs, including tree root intrusions, which is why it’s our number one recommended procedure for clogged commercial drains.
● Drain snaking. In certain cases, we may use drain snaking to quickly clear a clog, depending on its severity. However, this technique is not nearly as effective as water jetting.
Schedule Commercial Drain Cleaning With Drain Blaster Bill’s Sewer & Drain Cleaning
If you’re dealing with slow or completely clogged drains in your commercial building, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at Drain Blaster Bill’s. We serve the entire Twin Cities metro area and offer same-day appointments for prompt clog resolution. To get started, request a free estimate, send us a message for more information, or call our Stillwater, MN office at 763-913-8719.