Drain clogging is perhaps the most common plumbing problem most homeowners and apartment dwellers face. Various drain cleaning tools and equipment options help locate, diagnose, and eliminate blockages from piping and drains. Whether you’re attempting a DIY or hiring a professional plumber, learning about these is very useful knowledge to have.
The Proper Tools In Skilled Hands Cannot Be Overestimated
With the proper drain cleaning tools, you can keep drain clog issues to a minimum or conduct a quick fix whenever they arise. We’re here to help you learn helpful information about clearing out drain clogs, and the tools needed to do so.
7 Professional Drain Cleaning Tools You Need to Know
1) Baking Soda and Vinegar
Do you want to remove drain gunk and unclog your slow-moving drain naturally? Using baking soda and vinegar for DIY drain cleaning, even though it is not technically one of drain cleaning tools, is one of the simplest and most effective techniques available. A ratio of 1:1 of vinegar and baking soda works best. However, don’t forget to add hot water to your baking soda and vinegar mix afterward for the best effect.
The hot water works to melt down the grease and oils out of the way. And the vinegar and baking soda combination react by expanding. The pressure caused by the reaction of the expanding products helps shove the clogging down the piping. Remember that baking soda and vinegar work best in a closed-drain system. Therefore, always block or plug the drain inlet to allow for pressure to build.
Beware of Chemical Drain Cleaners
Some commercial drain cleaning tools in the form of chemicals can be harmful to your skin or the piping material. But the baking soda and vinegar combination is a natural option that’s gentle to your pipes. This technique is excellent for your tub drains, bathroom sinks, as well as kitchen sinks. However, as a drain cleaning “tool”, baking soda and vinegar are not too effective for hard clogs.
2) Air Gun
Air gun drain cleaners use carbon dioxide or any other gas to dislodge a clog. The air gun directs powered and pressurized gas into the piping. This is where it forces through the standing water and flushes it at the clog. Pressurized air will frequently cause the clog to disintegrate, or get pushed loose.
A drain-cleaning air gun has a variable pressure dial that gives you complete control over a delicate drain line system. Their primary advantage is that air gun drain cleaners can clear clogs quickly compared to chemical cleaners. They are also relatively lightweight, and ideal for one person to use with no assistance. Chemical cleaners require several hours to attack and clear blockages.
In addition, air guns can effectively eliminate most contaminants such as oils, sludge, and grease from the pipe walls.
3) A Sewer Flush Bag or Blow Bag Is An Easy To Use Drain Cleaning Tools
A sewer flush bag also called a blow bag, or a drain bladder, is mainly used as a last resort drain cleaning tool if a drain snake or a plunger fails to clear your drain clogs. A sewer flush bag is a heavy rubber expansion balloon with a pressure-sensitive valve. It works by using high water pressure to blow out stubborn clogs in drain pipes. The drain bladder is inserted into the clogged line, then a water hose is attached to one end.
The water released fills up the drain bladder and seals the pipe. Once the balloon-like bladder is full and hits the pressure point, the pressure-sensitive valve opens. It forces a strong stream of water down the drainage, clearing out the stoppage. In some stubborn clog cases, plumbers follow up with a sewer flush bag after snaking the drain to achieve a cleaner drain line. In these particular cases, it is a very effective part of a drain cleaning tools arsenal.
4) CO2 Drain Gun
The CO2 drain gun uses carbon dioxide to blow out clogs in drain lines. It only consists of three main components; a CO2 cartridge, a trigger mechanism, as well as a hose plugged at the tip. However, other complex models have a pressure gauge and other accessories. To remove a clog in the drainpipe, accelerated CO2 gas from a container flows out rapidly.
The pressurized gas forces the standing water with high pressure enough to disintegrate the clog. The CO2 technique also offers quicker results without affecting the joints, fixture finishes, or the inner surface of the drain pipe. However, it’s important to note that CO2 only works best with a full blockage because it allows a full pressure buildup.
5) Drain Augers Are A Common Drain Cleaning Tool
There are two types of auger drain cleaners, also referred to as drain snakes, motor-driven and hand-powered. Drain augers and snakes are among the commonly used drain cleaning tools. An Auger is a long, flexible metal cable-snaking professional drain cleaning tool used by plumbers to dislodge and remove clogged materials in drains or piping.
First, you feed the long cable through the pipe opening to the clogging, and the corkscrew on the cable’s end cuts into the clog and breaks it up, allowing for its extraction. A hand-driven auger drain cleaner has a canister that you turn to drive the corkscrew into the clogged drain.
Most hand-driven augers are effective up to a range of 25 feet, and their power solely relies on the operator. They’re most effective for unclogging toilets, sinks, and showers, as well as other small-diameter piping.
On the other hand, motor-driven augers have a wide range of sizes, ranging from truck-mounted units to handheld units. Even though they operate in the same way as hand-driven augers, their effective range is up to several hundreds of feet.
The smaller units are effective with smaller diameter piping. In comparison, the larger units effectively apply with larger piping sizes like the main sewer piping, and professional technicians mainly use them.
This equipment is a professional-grade drain and is great in the case of severe drain clogs. You can get the Auger or hire a professional plumbing expert to diagnose and resolve the drain clog problems on your behalf. A major advantage of Auger is that you can physically remove the drain blockages which cannot be dissolved, broken, or eliminated by chemical cleaners.
6) Electric Sewer Snake
Electric snakes are one of the biggest and most popular drain equipment in the drain market sector. This equipment is incredibly versatile and is primarily used for shower traps and sinks. Electric snakes can either be stationary or handheld and can also be used on smaller sectional piping. In addition, the electric drain snakes can change the thickness of the cable or cable head and can clear pipes up to 110mm.
7) Water Jet | Sewer Jetter | Hydro Jet
A sewer jetter is also called a hydro jet. Its lightweight and highly flexible hose blasts through the sludge, grease, oils, and soap blockages. Once the jetting hose is placed inside the pipe, the pipe is power-washed. The high pressure flushed the debris away and restored the drain line to its free-flowing capacity. A water jet can clean drain pipes up several hundred feet and at 2,000 PSI or more.
Struggling With a Stubborn Drain Clog? Consider Hiring a Professional
Drain cleaning is an essential branch of the plumbing sector, with a wide range of drain-cleaning tools. However, a lack of knowledge can cause damage to your drain pipes. That’s why we advise you to seek a professional who will do the job right without injuries or property damage.
If these drain cleaning tools and home remedies fail to work, contact us at Balkan Sewer & Drain Cleaning for drain cleaning services. We’ll have your drain unclogged faster and more affordably.
