When a drain is clogged in your home, it’s inconvenient and unpleasant. Of course you want it dealt with as quickly as possible. But you also want it done right—and thoroughly, so it won’t just happen again next week.
Is this a DIY job or do you require professional sewer or drain cleaning? Here are our guidelines on how to remedy drain clogs and when to call in the experts.
When to Try Your Skills Yourself
If you’ve just got a single clogged drain, and it’s not occurring over and over again, this is a job you can absolutely try tackling yourself. The tools you’ll want are a small, clean plunger and some sort of snake. This could be a disposable plastic drain snake, which is especially good for clogs of hair in shower drains. Or it could be a hand-cranked metal drain auger, which is great in a wide variety of situations.
Start with the plunger. With water standing in the sink, tub, or shower to cover the bottom of the plunger, hold the handle vertically with the bell tightly against the drain. Thrust downward sharply, but not very far, several times. If this doesn’t work, try feeding a snake down the drain to break up the snag whatever is clogging it. If this doesn’t work, it’s time to consider next steps.
Don’t Use Liquid Drain Cleaner
Purchasing the stuff they sell in bottles labeled “drain cleaner” is not your next step. These caustic chemicals are not safe for you or for your plumbing! The liquid can burn your skin. The fumes can irritate your eyes, nose, and lungs. And this stuff is so powerfully alkaline, even more than lye, that it causes corrosion to the inside of your pipes. This newly roughened corroded surface will just cause new clogs to form more quickly.
Time to Call a Professional
If you’ve gone through this process for your single clogged drain and haven’t resolved the issue yourself, it’s time to call a professional. But in other situations, you might need to call a professional first, without spending time working on it yourself or spending money on plungers and snakes. When is calling a professional the first step?
- Multiple Clogs: When more than one drain in your home is clogged, chances are the actual blockage is deeper within your home’s drainage system, where your plunger and snake can’t affect it.
- Recurring Clogs: If you’ve got a clog that just keeps coming back every few weeks, it’s likely that you’re only able to partially address it with home methods, and that professional cleaning will be required to fully resolve the problem.
- Drain Odors: While this could be caused by biological matter decomposing in a partially-clogged drain, it can also happen if there’s a blockage in the vent which keeps sewer gas safely out of the air you breathe. This is dangerous! Don’t take any risks. Get help from a qualified plumber.
- Lawn Problems: If your drain clogs are accompanied by issues outdoors, like soggy patches of lawn, unpleasant smells, or an area of surprisingly lush green grass, it’s not just the drains indoors that have problems. For this, you’ll need professional sewer drain cleaning in Cumming, GA.
Plumbing problems are no fun, but there’s no need to suffer with them. We’re happy to help you get them resolved right away!
To speak with a member of our team, contact Cheeky Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today. Fixed, At the Speed of Life!
