If your drains are clogged, a DIY fix may seem like a cheap solution, but it could also cause thousands of dollars in damage. Using homemade and commercial drain cleaners and invasive tools without the proper know-how can weaken your pipes and possibly endanger your health.
To be safe, it’s best to let a pro unclog your plumbing. Below, we’ll explain why professional drain cleaning matters more than you think.
What Is DIY Drain Cleaning?
DIY drain cleaning, or “do-it-yourself” drain cleaning, refers to using home remedies to clear a clogged drain instead of hiring a professional plumber to do the job. A person may pour boiling water, commercial drain cleaner, or a homemade drain cleaner like baking soda and vinegar down their pipes to unclog a drain or try to use a coat hanger, snake, or plunger to break up clogs.
Why Home Remedies for Clogged Drains Often Fail
Although DIY drain cleaning may seem like a time- and cost-effective cure for drain blockages, home remedies for clogged drains frequently fail.
Home remedies may push surface clogs deeper into your plumbing system and fail to address the root causes of slow drains or recurring clogs. They are generally ineffective against:
• Blockages deep within pipes
• Soap scum
• Grease buildup
• Tree roots
• Mineral scale
When home remedies do work, the fix is usually temporary, and people who clean their drains repeatedly may damage their pipes over time.
The Hidden Dangers of DIY Drain Cleaning
Trying to clear your own drain can be risky; it’s easy for things to go wrong. Consider these hidden dangers of DIY solutions:
You Might Make Things Worse
When you’re attempting to clear out your drain, you may end up pushing debris deeper into your pipes instead of breaking it up and flushing it out. If you’re using a plunger, coat hanger, or drain snake to remove a clog, you could easily scrape, puncture, break, or otherwise damage your pipes.
Chemical Cleaners Are Corrosive
Chemical drain cleaners can contain harsh ingredients like lye, sodium hypochlorite, sulfuric acid, and hydrochloric acid that can eat through pipes made of PVC or metal, produce toxic fumes, and pollute waterways. Using these corrosive chemicals can cause your pipes to weaken, leak, or burst and endanger the health of your household.
It’s Only a Temporary Fix
While DIY methods to fix a clogged pipe may work in the short term, they rarely resolve the core issue behind the blockage. Without tackling the root cause of your problem, your drain cleaning issues will persist, and you’ll be dealing with recurring clogs again and again.
Signs That Your Drain Problem Is Too Big for DIY
If you’re concerned that your drain problems are too big to fix yourself, here are some signs that you should seek a plumber’s assistance:
• Slow drains in multiple fixtures: If your tubs, toilets, and sinks drain slowly, you may have a blockage in your main sewer line that needs professional attention.
• Backups: If water backs up through any of your drains, a plumber can use specialized equipment to resolve the issue.
• Gurgling toilets: Toilets can gurgle when a clog traps air trapped in the pipes. Calling a pro to flush out the blockage is the safest solution.
• Foul odors: If your drains smell like sewage or rotten eggs, a cracked sewer line could be causing the odor. This problem needs immediate professional attention.
• Flooding or pooling water: Excess moisture near floor drains can indicate that you have a large blockage deep within your pipes that needs professional assessment.
What Professionals Use That You Don’t
When you need to clear out your pipes, professional plumbers and licensed technicians have the knowledge, training, tools, and supplies to do the job quickly and efficiently without causing more problems. Here are a few techniques they use that set them apart from amateurs.
Video Camera Inspections
Video camera inspections offer plumbers real-time visibility into your pipes without causing damage to your pipes or your property. These cameras help plumbers inspect your drain line, offer a precision diagnosis of the clog, and deal with it effectively. As the flexible camera moves through your drain, your plumber can quickly and accurately identify blockages and root intrusions and assess the condition of your plumbing system.
Hydro Jetting
Hydro jetting uses a powerful, high-pressure water stream to break apart clogs, clear away grease, roots, and gunk, and scour the interior surfaces of pipes. It’s safer for pipes than chemical drain-cleaning treatments, and it effectively removes stubborn blockages and buildup.
Pipe Replacement or Repair
If DIY fixes damage your plumbing, you need a pro to set things right. Your plumber will have the necessary supplies and equipment on hand to repair your plumbing effectively. Next time you need a “drain cleaning service near me,” remember that Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is here to help.
Don’t Gamble With Your Pipes
DIY drain cleaning is a short-term fix with a long-term risk of damage to your plumbing. Your pipes deserve better!
When your drains get clogged, let the pros clean them out. If you live in or around Birmingham, AL, call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing today for a safe, efficient drain unclogging. Our punctual plumbers will make it right—the first time.
FAQs
Do baking soda and vinegar really unclog drains?
When you pour baking soda and vinegar down a drain, the fizzy reaction may help dislodge minor blockages, but it can also push the clog further into your plumbing system and worsen the problem.
Are chemical drain cleaners safe?
Chemical drain cleaners can endanger your pipes, your health, and the environment. The corrosive ingredients in these cleaners can irritate your respiratory system, burn your skin and eyes, and be especially hazardous to children and pets. They can also contaminate groundwater, harm aquatic life, disrupt ecosystems, and damage or destroy your pipes.
How do I know if I need a plumber for a clogged drain?
If you’ve tried to flush your drain or use a plunger to remove a clog without success, or if you notice that you have several clogged drains, backed-up drains, or standing water, you should hire a plumber to fix the issue. Gurgling sounds and foul, sulfurous odors also indicate that you need to contact a plumber to inspect your pipes.
What is hydro jetting, and is it safe for old pipes?
Hydro jetting sends highly pressurized water through clogged or slow-draining pipes to clear them out. This cleaning technique can be safe for any structurally sound pipes, including old pipes. Plumbers should ensure that your pipes are in good condition before they go through with this treatment.