Clogged drains can be irritable. Masses of hair, soap, and other natural materials can jam up the plumbing, restricting the flow of water out of your sink or shower. In addition, waste flow blockage can keep your toilet or other water waste channels from flowing properly, back up waste materials, and can even start to smell.
In Salt Lake, there are a few methods you can try to get your pipes unclogged. The two most common drain cleaning methods approach the blockage from the opening, so you don’t have to worry about disassembling any of your pipes.
Cleaning Chemicals
By far, one of the most common do-it-yourself solutions uses chemical products to soften or dissolve the block. Chemicals typically use an acid mix to loosen materials in your pipes. While cheap, these products’ effectiveness is somewhat limited and based on the composition of the block.
Chemical cleaners use chemical reactions to create heat and gas. The reaction loosens the hold the clog has on piping, allowing all materials to drain normally. Chemicals can be most effective on organic materials such as hair and grease. However, chemical cleaners will be largely ineffective if clogged plumbing is caused by mineral buildup from Utah’s naturally mineral-rich water or similar solid materials.
Drain cleaning tools
Tools used to clean blocked drains are often designed for specific types of openings. For example, snakes and augers are used to clear small blocks out of sinks, tubs, and toilets. These tools have a short range, being the most useful on clogs relatively close to the pipe entrance. These tools are designed to loosen materials, releasing materials to flow down the drain, or grab the material and pull it out through the entrance.
Snakes and augers are mechanical cleaning devices that do not require electricity. Motorized machines which, can be unspooled to reach further into the plumbing, are more effective against solid blocks. Electric tools, such as drums and jetters, also unblock clogs that the limited range of hand tools cannot reach.
Electric drain cleaning tools are typically too expensive and specialized for the average homeowner to justify purchasing. Not only are electric tools expensive, but operating them can also be dangerous, causing potential harm by bruising or breaking skin and bones. Professional plumbers in Utah are trained to use these tools to clear your pipes efficiently.
Home solutions
Some drain blocks can be effectively treated through the use of store-bought chemicals and tools. These solutions will mostly be true for stoppages caused by organic material. However, clogs created from solid materials or minerals from Salt Lake’s naturally hard water may need professional help may be needed to unstop blocked pipes. Professional help is particularly helpful if pipes are blocked by material lodged too deep for do-it-yourself plumbing solutions, like chemicals and hand tools, to be effective.
All Utah Plumbing is the company you need to drain cleaning
