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3 Methods of Drain Cleaning Used by Professionals

The term “drain cleaning” has unfortunately developed a link to “drain cleaners,” those plastic bottles of toxic, acidic chemicals that sell for $8.99 on grocery store shelves between the laundry detergent and the insecticides. Using this sort of caustic agent is a bit like trying to clean the leaves off your driveway by blasting the drive with a flamethrower: sure, you’ll get rid of all the unwanted debris, but you can seriously damage the surface and may seriously injure yourself.

Drain cleaning requires professionals who use methods that not only effectively cleanse drains and pipes, but safely cleanse them, leaving behind zero toxic residue and protecting the interior of the plumbing. For this level of expert drain cleaning in North Wales, PA, call Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

Here are some of the ways that professional drain cleaners handle their job:

I. Motorized drain snakes

Drain snakes, a.k.a. drain augers, are available commercially in manual models. But these cannot do the thorough job of a motorized, pro-grade drain snake. Drain snakes operate like long corkscrews: a coil of wire goes down into a drain pipe, bores into clogs and blockage, and then either draws the clogs up or breaks them apart. A motorized drain snake can handle almost any obstruction with the right technician operating it.

II. Hydro-jetting

A hydro-jetter is a motorized device that sends hot, high-pressure water through a hose and out a small nozzle. When the hose is fed down into a drain, the scalding blasts of water can break through clogs and clear away all contaminants like grease and oil from the interior of a pipe. This is one of the most thorough ways of cleaning drain pipes, and makes it harder for debris to return. Because of the dangers of high-pressure water (most hydro-jetters blast out water at 7,000 psi), only professional should do hydro-jetting.

III. Video Camera Pipe Inspection

Cleaning out pipes often requires plumbers to know exactly what they are up against, and the only way to find that out without the disruption of accessing buried and hidden pipes is with video pipe inspection. This equipment consists of miniaturized camera and LED light mounted on the end of a fiber-optic cable. Once sent down a drain pipe, the camera returns a video feed to a monitor so a plumber can pinpoint areas that need cleaning, and what sort of cleaning will do the job.

Leave the chemicals on the store shelf (the flamethrower as well) when it’s time for drain cleaning in North Wales, PA. Instead, contact Carney Plumbing Heating & Cooling.

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