When it comes to the arsenal of tools that licensed plumbers use to clean drains, there is one drain cleaner tool you won’t find: liquid chemical drain cleaner. The bottles of chemicals advertised as “drain cleaners” on the shelves of grocery and drug stores are almost the worst thing you could pour down a drain aside from liquid fat, grease, and oil. The acidic action of these cleaners can damage pipes and cause corrosion, ruin fixtures and porcelain, and harm you if any of it gets on your skin or in your eyes.
Here are 3 drain cleaning tools that are used by licensed plumbers to eliminate stubborn clogs in your kitchen or bathroom sinks.
Drain Augers or Snakes
The standard drain cleaner tool plumbers use to demolish obstructions in pipes is a motorized drain auger, also known as a drain snake. An auger consists of a long, flexible coil of metal that works similar to a corkscrew. The end of the auger goes down the drain until it reaches the clog.
Next, the plumber activates the motor, which forces the ends of the coil to drill down into the clog. The plumber can use this drain cleaning tool to remove objets from the pipe or to break it apart. There are manual hand-cranked drain augers as well, but they are much less effective at cleaning out drains when compared to the motorized versions.
Hydro-Jetters
Hydro-jetting equipment will not only break through almost any clog, they also provide comprehensive cleaning of the inside of drains to eliminate grease, soap scum, and mineral deposits so the drain works more effectively. A drain cleaning tool blasts out high-pressure, high-temperature streams of water along the interior of drain pipes. This job requires special training and protective gear because of the potential danger from the powerful water streams, so you must leave this to professionals to perform.
Video Inspection Equipment
Miniaturized video cameras mounted on long fiber-optic cables will not clean your drains or smash through clogs. However, this type of drain cleaner tool can be an essential part of finding the location of blockages.
Thanks to the images that the cameras send back to video monitors from inside the pipes, plumbers will have much better ideas for how to attack dirty and blocked drains, saving time and doing a more effective job. That is why a video pipe inspection is a worth while endeavor when it comes to drain cleaning.
Your plumber won’t show up with chemical drain cleaners, so you shouldn’t try to use these harsh drain cleaner tools either. If you have a clogged drain in your kitchen or bathroom, we recommend purchasing a motorized drain snake to dismantle the blockage in your pipes. While a drain snake is an excellent tool to eliminate drain clogs, a moderate to severe blockage may require hydro-jetting equipment and a miniature video camera.
Emergency Plumbing Services
If you need help with a clogged drain, give our professionals a call at (484) 206-8594 or book an appointment online. Our expert plumbers offer drain cleaning services for kitchens and bathrooms. In addition, our certified technicians offer remarkable sump pump repair services in Philadelphia, PA and are available to help you prevent water damage in your home. We have the skills and tools necessary to eliminate plumbing emergencies on your property.
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