How to Conserve Water At Home
Read More...Your building’s drain line is a central component responsible for safely transporting waste and wastewater away from the building and property. If this crucial network of pipes malfunctions or breaks down, then you risk exposure to bacteria, pathogens, and other harmful microbes. The threat is not to your health alone, the water damage can devastate the integrity of your building’s structure.
A blockage in the drain line is possibly the most common drain line issue. Clogs might be considered just a minor inconvenience by many, but a blockage can actually cause serious damage to the drain line. Fortunately, certified local plumbers such as those at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Blair County have plenty of methods to tackle clogged drains. Two of the most popular options are snaking and hydro jetting.
What Is Snaking?
You are probably already familiar with snaking as it is the popular method of choice for many homeowners. Snaking is the use of a drain snake, a slender and flexible auger, to dislodge blockages in the drain line. Many people even use makeshift drain snakes, often using cloth hangers or other malleable, thin wires. They all serve the same function and work similarly: the auger rotates as it is fed into the drain line, breaking apart the gunk and debris forming the blockage. Once it has broken down enough, the debris can be flushed away.
What Is Hydro Jetting?
Hydro jetting drain cleaning is relatively new but equally popular. Hydro jetting uses a narrow hose connected to a machine that blasts highly pressurized water against the blockage, scouring away the muck and sending the debris down the drain line. You can visualize it by thinking of it as pressure washing the inside of the drain line. The pressurized water is powerful enough to cut through even the most stubborn obstructions such as dried concrete and tree roots!
Which Is Better?
The answer to this question really depends on your goal. There are advantages and disadvantages of each.
If you are in a rush and just need the drain to unclog, then snaking is the route to take. You can find drain snakes at your local hardware store or put together a makeshift drain snake using a cloth hanger, some clothe, and duct tape. Snaking will not completely clear the drain and can scrape off metals on fragile pipes, but it does provide a temporary solution until you have time to get a thorough drain cleaning. Also remember that clogs can be deep in the drain line, so choose your drain snake accordingly.
Hydro jetting involves sophisticated equipment that the average homeowner or business owner will not want to spend exorbitant amounts of money on, so you will likely have to schedule an appointment with the professionals like Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Blair County. If the clog is deep in the drain line, stubborn, and if you do not want to have to deal with another clog anytime soon, then hydro jetting is the better option. Hydro jetting completely scours away the gunk and leaves your drain as clean as new.