A clogged drain can quickly become a pain when blockages occur, causing slow drain times, foul odors, and standing water. Home or business owners often reach for a bottle of drain cleaner or a drain snake to try to get the blockage fixed and save a little money. However, when a drain is seriously clogged, DIY methods can often exacerbate the problem, leading to more harm than good to drainage systems. This is when it’s crucial to call for a professional sewer draining service like RootBGone Sewer and Drain Cleaning. With over 15 years of experience, we’ve seen the aftermath of DIY attempts gone wrong. If you live in or around Garden City, MI and your drain is still clogged after DIY methods have failed, or you don’t want to risk possible further damage to your drain, give RootBGone Sewer and Drain Cleaning a call today. Keep reading to learn more about how professional drain cleaning services outperform DIY drain cleaning methods.
Common Chemical DIY Sewer Draining Methods
Do-It-Yourself drain cleaning products come in a variety of different forms. The most common are chemical products like Drano or mechanical methods such as drain snakes or plungers that are sold as a quick fix for a clogged drain. Chemical sewer draining products come in different types, including:
- Caustic drain cleaners( Drano, Liquid-Plumr, and Green Gobbler)
- Oxidizing drain cleaners (Pure Lye Drain Opener and Bio-Clean)
- Acidic drain cleaners(Zep Drain Defense and Thrift Drain Cleaner)
Caustic drain cleaners like Drano work by using chemicals like sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite that react in contact with water to create a strong alkaline environment that destroys organic materials, breaking it down into smaller pieces that can pass through drainage pipes.
Oxidizing drain cleaners like Pure Lye Drain Opener contain sodium hydroxide, which reacts with water to create heat, and hydroxide ions, which attack organic material like food or hair, that commonly cause drainage clogs. Once these organic material clogs are broken down, they can pass through drainage system pipes.
Acidic drain cleaners like Zep Drain Defense contain sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, which breaks down clogs in pipes in a highly acidic environment. These cleaners are the most likely to damage drain plumbing.
Chemical drain cleaners should only be used as a last resort and sparingly, as they have the potential to seriously damage a drain’s plumbing system. They must be stored away from children and pets and handled with protective equipment, including gloves and goggles, to prevent their contact with the skin or eyes.
Mechanical Sewer Draining Options for Garden City Residents
Mechanical DIY drain cleaners are often scaled-down versions of professional sewer draining tools. These can be small drain snakes sold at hardware stores or improvised tools such as bent metal coat hangers. The main disadvantage over professional-grade drain cleaners is that they can only reach shallow clogs, and if not used correctly, they can push a clog further into drain pipes. Some plastic drain snakes have plastic hooks or barbs that are prone to breaking off when trying to remove a clog, further complicating the clog.
Save Time and Money With A Professional Sewer Draining Service in Garden City, MI
For over 15 years, RootBGone Sewer and Drain Cleaning has been Garden City’s go-to sewer draining service. As a family business, RootBGone Sewer and Drain Cleaning prides itself on providing residential homes, apartments, and businesses with excellent insured service at prices that can’t be beaten. If harsh chemical drain cleaners and mechanical DIY methods have let you down or damaged your drain system, call our family business 24/7 at (734) 800-9277 to get one of our insured technicians on location to get your drain back in action today.