Why DIY Drain Cleaning can be Costly

Drain cleaning for Fullerton homeowners may be as instinctive as reaching for a plunger the moment that a clogged drain is experienced. However, drain cleaning cannot be as easy as using a plunger and a plumbing snake. In fact, such instinctive actions can do more harm than good at times, which is why it is often best to leave plumbing jobs to the professionals. So if draining cleaning is not as straightforward and simple as it looks, what could go wrong?

Understanding Clogs

One of the biggest drawbacks for most homeowners is that they do not have the right training to handle plumbing problems, especially clogs. The reality is that clogs have different natures and the failure to understand this can make you use the wrong solution to the problem. You can say that not all drain clogs are the same. This is why it is important to understand what type of clog you are dealing with before you clean it out; otherwise, you can be headed towards a costly mistake.

In the context of drain cleaning, there are basically 2 types of clogs that you may be dealing with.

  1. 1. Soft Clog – these are commonly found in your tub, shower, and bathroom drains. This type of clogging is normally attributed to dead skin cells, human hair, and other such buildups that result is slow water flow. Soft clogs are not known to solidify so there is no need to break them down or liquefy them. Usually, the best way to deal with these clogs is to pull them out of the drain depending where they are located.
  2. 2. Hard Clog – these usually begin as sticky materials that attach to the sides and inner layers of the drain pipe. You will normally find hard clog formation in kitchen drains and would result in complete blockage. These are not just your greasy and oily stuff that tend to solidify and harden, potato peelings and even white rice can also fall under this category. Acting quickly with a plunger may do the trick to dislodge and pull the materials out of the drain to restore its water flow. However, when left for a considerable period, the material can turn into a hard mass that may require dissolving it with chemicals or other plumbing solutions.

Wrong Use of Tools

Another reason why DIY drain cleaning can be costly is that homeowners are not usually aware how to use plumbing tools correctly. Take the plumbing snake for example, when not properly used, it can damage the inner lining of the plumbing pipes resulting in more problems. Sometimes, the wrong tools are chosen for the job causing more trouble and higher cost to fix. Here are some of the more common examples.

  1. 1. Wrong Choice of Plunger – did you know that there are basically 2 types of plungers? Surprised? One is the standard plunger that is fitted with an inverted bowl and the other has a bell-like rubber attachment at the end. The inverted bowl is used mostly for sinks and tubs, while the bell-like plunger is most effective when used for clearing toilet clogs. Why different types of attachments? For plungers to be most effective, the edges must be able to create an effective and airtight seal. If this is not achieved, you may be forced to use too much force that can damage the drain pipe, the sink, or the toilet bowl.
  2. 2. Mishandling of Plumber’s Snake –it all sounds so simple, simple feed the snake down the drain until it reaches the blockage and continue to turn to the point where you break through the clog. But if you are not careful or use excessive force, then you can damage the lining of the drain pipe.
  3. 3. Using Chemical Cleaners – aside from being toxic, one of the most common and costly problems with chemical drain cleaners is that when users fail to follow the instructions. This can lead to costly and dangerous results especially when it gets in contact with the skin and eyes. If you accidentally splash some on your skin using standing water can make the problem worse as the chemical reacts with it.

The good news is that drain cleaning in Fullerton should not have costly consequences. All you need to do is to pick up the phone and call a licensed professional plumber to get the job done right.