Just as every home fosters its own differences and variations, the drains within a home come in all shapes, sizes and proportions. That’s why it is important to not only maintain drain lines with consistent upkeep, but to also employ the proper tools when you experience unforeseen clogs and obstructions.
While it may seem like a no-brainer when trying to decide which instrument to use when dealing with a difficult pipe jam (most novices have two pipe tools in their tool chest: either a snake or draino), there are actually specialty tools available to homeowners that can properly clear the most difficult clog and preserve the integrity and internal structure of water pipes and sewer lines.
Effective Drain Cleaning: Why It’s Never One-Size-Fits-All
When confronting pesky water back-ups or clogged drain lines, it’s a good idea to know which tools work best for the different types of drains in your home – including ones in your bathroom, laundry room and kitchen.
Keep in mind:
Everywhere water comes into your house, there must be a route for it to leave. Tubs, showers, sinks and toilets all have drain lines, as do major appliances, like dishwashers and washing machines. That’s why using the right tool for the right job is essential to accomplishing the clogged task at hand.
So, you may be asking yourself, what is the best tool to use for the various drains in my home?
That is an excellent question and one that can save you time, hassle and headaches when addressing your next drain issue.
Best Tool for Toilets
The best tool for clearing and cleaning a clogged toilet is the closet auger. This tool is specifically made to pass through your bowl quickly and easily, with flexibility to get around the trap and strength to conquer the most difficult clog.
Some closet augers come with a down head that aids in guiding the cable around tight bends that are typically found in older bowls. This tool is excellent at both dislodging your stoppage or retrieving the object causing your toilet clog.
Best Tool for Tubs and Showers
The best option to address a clogged or slow-draining tub is the water ram because of the extra power it provides. Most tubs typically drain through drum traps, which are hard for snakes to get through.
The water ram uses a burst of compressed air to create a shock wave that follows the path of the water and isn’t impeded by narrow lines or tight bends. Like a powerful plunger, the force of the water ram travels down the line and knocks out the stoppage without harming your pipes.
Best Tool for Sinks and Laundry Drains
With small diameter drain lines, using a hand-held drain cleaner with a 1/4” or 5/16” cable is usually the perfect tool to get the job done. While these small diameter cables are flexible enough to get around tight bends, remember to first remove the P-trap under the sink to make the job easier to accomplish.
How to Select the Right Drain Cleaning Tool for Your Clog
In all clog scenarios there are two primary questions to answer before tackling the job:
What type of clog is it?What type of drain is it?
It’s important to take the time to locate the source of your clog so you can identify the size of the drain line and where it is situated within your house. From there, you can see if the clog is impacting one single drain (like the sink, basin or laundry tub) or multiple drains within the home. It’s not always easy to locate the source of your clog, however. If you’re having trouble identifying where your clog is, a video pipe inspection would be exceedingly advantageous.
While this sewer line cleaning service is a small expense, it can save you precious time and hassle by allowing you to bow out of the frustrating guessing game that some clogged drains can force on homeowners.
Schedule Your Sewer Line Camera Inspection
The Right Tools, According to the Clogged Drain. The fact of the matter is that no single tool will effectively unclog all of the drains around your home.
Researching the available tools and how to effectively use them is essential knowledge to any and all homeowners. Some clogs build up slowly over time, while others occur suddenly when a foreign object becomes lodged in the drain. If you need professional plumbing and drain cleaning help, the team at Invisible Excavations can meet your needs:
Drain Cleaning Services Near Me
Looking for an expert sewer line cleaning service for your home or business? As a home or business owner, you rely heavily on your plumbing and drain systems to flow seamlessly every day.
When you’re contending with a stopped drain, your day is abruptly and inconveniently stopped in its tracks – forcing you to quickly handle the issue on your own or contact a trusted and efficient plumber for help. At Invisible Excavations, we’re a team of sewer and drain cleaning experts who are well-versed in repair, replacement, and emergency sewer line cleaning service situations.
After a thorough exam, we guarantee an honest recommendation and estimate – and always deliver professional work that will restore your home or small business as soon as possible.
Schedule Your Drain & Sewer Line Cleaning Today
24-Hour Drain Cleaning Service in Cleveland & Northeast Ohio by Invisible Excavations
We know firsthand how stressful sewer and drain plumbing emergencies are. As a team of experienced plumbing and excavation experts, we work hard to get a licensed technician to you as soon as possible to deliver the right solution and incredible peace-of-mind.
We proudly serve all of Cuyahoga, Erie, Lake, Lorain, Summit, Medina and Mahoning counties for both residential and commercial drain and sewer line plumbing services – 24-hours a day, including holidays.