Drain cleaning is an important job that has to be done in order to keep your drain pipes and plumbing system working properly. The drain lines in your house can be blocked by hair, drain cleaner residue, cooking oil, and other materials that are washed down the drain when you do the dishes or clean the kitchen. It is a good idea to clean your drain every couple of months or so in order to keep it flowing smoothly.

Drain cleaning is a simple task for any homeowner. But there are certain mistakes that people make when they try to clean their own drains. If you don’t know what you’re doing, these little errors can result in a clogged drain and a lot of frustration. Here are some common mistakes that homeowners make with drain cleaning:

When should you call a professional for drain cleaning?

This is a question that many homeowners struggle with. Pouring drain cleaner down the drain won’t hurt your drain. But, drain cleaners are usually used to treat clogs and remove grease, sludge, and another build-up from within the drain pipes. In other words, drain cleaner only works when a clog has been completely cleared out of the drain pipe. Pouring drain cleaner down a partially clogged drain will do nothing to help!

The drain cleaner will likely do a lot of drain bubbling and maybe some drain foaming, but it won’t have any drain cleaning effectiveness. If your drain is partially clogged, you should use a drain snake or call a plumber to clear out the drain before pouring the drain cleaner down it. In this manner, you will ensure that the drain cleaner works as it is designed to.

In addition to these more conventional means of clearing a drain of build-up, there are also new technologies that can be used to clear shower drains more effectively than with a plunger or a drain snake. Rather than using harmful chemicals like Draino® (a type of lye), newer methods include placing small devices into the sink or shower drain that are then activated to drain the pipes of clogs.

There are several drain cleaning devices on the market that work by using electric currents to heat up drain clogs, pulling them out of the drain pipe. One drain cleaner works similarly to a drain snake but is able to get through tougher roots and more solid clogs than even drain snakes can handle. This means that you can do away with your drain snake entirely! A similar product also uses electric current, but instead inserts electricity into the pipes themselves, blasting off debris within the pipe walls rather than in the drain opening itself.

How to clean your own drains?

The first step is figuring out what type of drain you have. For a pedestal sink drain, use a cable auger because this type of drain does not have a grate across it for you to access. If you have a shower drain then use a handheld wire brush or steel wool pad designed for drain cleaning.

Next, you need to drain the drain in order to get it ready for inspection. Use a screwdriver to loosen and remove the drain plate on your drain. Then cover the drain hole with a bucket (or another container). Wait several hours or overnight until water no longer drains from the drain line. This will allow you access to the drain without any chance of flooding since it is empty. You can also use specialized drain snakes that you insert into the drain to clear away debris too large for normal use of a drain auger, such as items such as washcloths, paper towels, baby wipes or even baby diapers that end up in your pipes when flushed by mistake! These tools are different depending on if you have an accessible drain or drain with a grate in the way.

Now for drain cleaning! If you have an exposed drain line it is possible to access the drain by hand with drain augers, wire brushes, or other tools depending on what is most suitable for your drain line, but this type of drain cleaning will only be done by someone who works in plumbing. Most times when you need to clean your own drains then it would be best to use an auger that has smooth metal coils attached. These come in several sizes and can access almost any drain that is not completely clogged which means they are great for homeowners trying to clean their drains themselves. Grab the handle of the drain auger and start feeding it into the drain.

Common causes of clogged drains and how to prevent them in the future

Drain clogs can drain your time, patience, and money. Whether caused by organic matter such as food or grease, clothing fragments, or even tree roots, drain clogs can wreak havoc on your plumbing system and cause water backup in your home. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid drain clogs in the future.

The drain strainer

This is a small device that sits underneath the drain at the sink or bathtub. It catches any large objects before they enter the drainpipe. They also serve as an extra line of defense against drain clogs. Which can easily accumulate inside drain strainers and eventually cause a blockage.

Strainers are not foolproof, however. If you have sustained repeated drain clogs in your home, it might be due to more than just bad luck. One of the most common causes of drain clogs is grease buildup inside your drains. Grease itself does not harden enough to become solid until reaching temperatures rarely found in household drains. However, when combined with other materials that do harden when cooled. Such as hair or tree roots, drain clogs can form in a matter of days.

It is best to avoid drain clogs caused by grease buildup altogether by never pouring fats and oils down the drain. The most common household materials that cause drain clogs are cooking oil and animal fat from meat scraps. If you have been dumping these things down your drain with no problems before, why start now? Grease is not only hard to clean out due to its resistance to breaking down over time, but it will also harden inside your drains and cause serious damage. Once inside pipes, it may even become impossible for plumbers to remove unless they break through walls or floors first!

To dispose of fats and oils properly, allow them to cool and solidify in a container. Then throw them away with your regular garbage.

This is also especially relevant for drain cleaning companies. If you have grease buildup inside your drains on a frequent basis, drain cleaning professionals recommend using drain grates. That prevents such materials from entering the drainpipe in the first place. This would be one of the most effective ways of preventing drain clogs caused by grease buildup before they occur.

Conclusion paragraph:

It’s easy to make a mistake when you’re performing your own drain cleaning. But with these tips from the professionals, you can be sure that all of your drains are working properly. Contact us today to get our services and how we can help improve your home or office plumbing system.

Author Bio:- Karl Brown

Karl, a marketing manager at EZ Leak Detection, loves to write about plumbing and HVAC services to make the life of the reader easier. Leakages in your property can be dangerous but not all the leaks are easily accessible. He has given extensive information about water leak and slab leak and tips to detect them quickly.  He also provides quick solutions to prevent you from inconveniences and health hazards. 

Leakage problems and malfunction of appliances demand comprehensive solutions. Also, regular maintenance is not the thing to be missed for leading life with zero hassles. Read our recent post related to leakage detection and repair, alerts for HVAC shutdown and how to repair it, and installation of AC and water heater in San Diego.