drain Archives - Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air

Why Every Home Needs Professional Drain Cleaning Services

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Keeping Pipes Clean Prevents a Host of Plumbing Problems

People rarely want to deal with the plumbing unless there is something wrong, but drain cleaning can actually prevent worse, more expensive plumbing disasters and repairs from happening. This blog will discuss the benefits of routine drain cleaning by a professional plumber and its importance to prevention.

Clears and Prevents Clogs

Chemical drain cleaners from the store may clean the drain, but the corrosive nature of the chemicals can cause damage to the pipes and lead to corrosion. Plumbing professionals are the best bet to perform routine drain cleaning safely. Drain cleaning can be used to unclog pipes or prevent them from clogging in the first place.

Some drain cleaning methods used by plumbers are drain snaking and hydro jetting. Hydro jetting uses a high-pressure stream of water that power washes the inside of the pipe and breaks up any clogs or buildup inside to prevent clogs. A drain snake is a long, flexible wire with a coiled metal wire at the end used to dislodge clogs.

Reduces the Risk of Flooding and Water Damage

Clogs are one of the common causes of leaks and burst pipes because of the pressure they put on the plumbing, so preventing clogs will also help prevent these additional plumbing issues. Clogged pipes can lead to leaks and pipe bursts, which then cause flooding, water damage, and the costly repairs that follow. They can also cause sewage backups, resulting in serious health hazards that require extensive clean-up and safety measures.

Fortunately, regular drain cleaning can help prevent these issues from occurring. Professional drain cleaning can clear out clogged pipes and ensure that water can flow freely, reducing the risk of leaks, burst pipes, and sewage backups and the flooding and water damage they can cause in a home or business.

Fewer Repairs and Cleanups, and Extends the Life of Pipes

Routine drain cleaning is essential to keeping plumbing systems functioning correctly and can help people avoid costly repairs and cleanups due to a plumbing emergency. By having their drains cleaned regularly, homeowners will reduce the chance of encountering an unexpected blockage that could lead to water damage and other costly problems.

In addition, regular drain cleaning extends the life of the plumbing by reducing the amount of buildup in the pipes. This can help prevent problems that require repiping, such as corrosion. Corrosion weakens pipes which can lead to an even higher chance of pipe leaks and bursts. Setting up a preventative drain cleaning visit is cheaper in both time and money than dealing with an emergency plumbing repair and cleanup.

About Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air

Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air has over 20 years of experience serving St. George, UT, and the surrounding communities. They provide straightforward pricing, 24/7 live answers, and same-day service. Call them today for professional drain cleaning services in St. George, UT.

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Is There a Right Way To Cure a Blocked Drain?

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The Best and Worst Ways To Clean a Blocked Drain

Clogged or blocked drains are one of the most common plumbing issues that homeowners experience. They experience them so often in fact that professionals can’t even effectively tally how often because most of the time, homeowners can eradicate the problem themselves with plunging. However, there comes a time when the system is too backed up, and a plunger will no longer suffice. In the past, homeowners have turned to liquid drain cleaners to solve this problem, but professionals want to caution homeowners against doing this. Liquid drain cleaners might be a quick and easy fix, but they aren’t worth it in the long run.

Continue reading below to learn all about the disadvantages of liquid drain cleaners, as well as the two professional-approved ways to cure a blocked drain.

Snaking: The Quick Fix

A snake, sometimes called a toilet jack, is one of the oldest and most effective drain clearing techniques still used today. It’s a relatively simple process but requires the toilet to be removed from the floor. The toilet will then need a new o-ring to replace the toilet after the clog has been cleared, but other than that, it is one of the least expensive ways to clear a clogged toilet when a plunger won’t do the trick.

After the toilet has been removed, the toilet snake is placed near the hole. It has an arm that extends up to 25 feet. Extending the snake this far might take a while, but if the clog is far within the system, it proves to be one of the most effective ways to clear the clog.

Once the snake reaches the clog, the person operating the snake will twist it to try and grab ahold of the clog. Then they will retract the snake back to pull the clog out of the piping.

Hyrdo-Jetting: Easy, Effective, Affordable

If snaking doesn’t work or the clog is unreachable via a toilet or sink drain, hydro-jetting is the next best option for homeowners. Hydro-jetting is a little more expensive than snaking but is far more effective at cleaning the entire plumbing system. In the grand scheme of things, the price it costs to clean the whole system and ensure it stays clog-free for months on end is well worth it.

In fact, homeowners that regularly maintain their plumbing system should only have to invest in hydro-jetting once a year. Homes that are prone to flooding and lots of rainfall may need to have the service performed more often, but the professional will give the homeowner the best advice for their home where this is concerned.

Hydro-jetting is effective because it shoots water into the plumbing system at a high velocity that is strong enough to remove all debris from the system. After one hydro-jetting service, most systems look spotless when inspected with a plumbing camera. This is the service professionals recommend most.

Liquid Drain Cleaners: Ditch Them, Now!

Liquid drain cleaners are the arch-nemesis of indoor plumbing. Tv commercials and retail stores may advertise that this is a safe and convenient method for homeowners to remove clogs from their plumbing system without the help of a professional, but that simply is not the case.

When drain cleaners come in contact with the plumbing system, there is a chemical reaction that occurs. This chemical reaction is what the liquid drain cleaning companies claim will clean the pipes, but it does more than that. The reaction gets so hot that it can eat through the piping altogether.

Some disadvantages of liquid drain cleaners are:

Cause premature wear and tear of piping system
Frequent plumbing issues
Burst pipes
Increased water bill from leaking pipes

Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air Has the Answers

Whether it’s drain cleaning or some other plumbing service that St. George homeowners need, Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air is there to help. This award-winning company has more than 20 years of experience and will stop at nothing to ensure their customers have effective plumbing systems! Call today to learn more about their drain cleaning services.

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The Benefits of Spring Drain Cleaning!

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The Importance of Adding Drain Cleaning To the Spring Cleaning Checklist!

Unfortunately, some of the most important parts of any home are often overlooked when spring cleaning comes around. The drains are one of those essential parts. Like anything else, they need to be checked and cleaned regularly for the plumbing system to function correctly for years to come.

It’s too bad that drain cleaning isn’t usually anywhere on the spring cleaning checklist because clogged drains can happen at any time. The longer a homeowner goes without cleaning their drains, the more likely an expensive clog or backflow problem will occur. This is why drain cleaning is so important.

The Power of Drain Cleaning

Clean drains make for a happy, healthy plumbing system. In bathrooms, hair is often the most likely culprit to cause a clog. But all kinds of residue, from toothpaste to hair gel to lotion, can contribute to a clog. In the kitchen, coffee grounds, grease, seeds, and plant matter can cause a clog, even in those sinks with garbage disposal.

Even if these clogs aren’t completely stopping the water flow, they can cause the pipes to degrade over time. Many people will put up with a slow drain until the water completely stops, but this is a mistake. Luckily, drain cleaning once a year in spring can help keep the drains swift, clean, and clear.

How Professionals Clean Drains

Many homeowners turn to chemical drain cleaning options when they experience a clogged or slow drain. While these options may work in the short term, they have many drawbacks. For one, these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Plus, when used repeatedly, they can cause the drain pipes to degrade. The caustic chemicals can start to eat away at the pipe, not just the clog.

This is why professionals don’t use chemicals. Instead, they use a variety of powerful and safe drain cleaning tactics. One popular option is hydro-jetting, which uses a high-pressure stream of water shot down the drain to clear the pipe. This is safe even for most old pipes, as it’s just water. A plumbers snake is sometimes used for clogged drains, as well. This is essentially a flexible metal tube connected to an auger that helps move the tube into the drain, clearing the clog.

Keeping Drains Clean Between Pro Cleanings

It’s not hard to keep drains clean between professional cleanings. The thing to avoid is the chemical options at the local grocery store. There are far better options that are less caustic and won’t eat through the pipes when used too much.

Boiling water down a slow drain can help clear minor clogs. For tougher ones, pouring vinegar and baking soda down the drain can cause fizzing bubbles, loosening these tougher clogs. Running hot water in the drain after the vinegar and baking soda mixture has had a few minutes to work can help things along. Otherwise, the best way to keep drains clean is installing drain screens and cleaning them out regularly.

About Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air

For over 20 years, Walker Plumbing, Heating & Air have been serving St. George, UT. Their techs all undergo a background check, and their pricing is always straightforward. Plus, they offer a satisfaction guarantee on every job. Contact them to schedule a drain cleaning service today!