Do Drains Need to Be Cleaned?

Your drains are just as vital and important of a part of your plumbing system as your faucets, taps, and other fixtures are. Without drains, where would all of your used water and collected waste go? Thanks to drains, your home has an easy and convenient way to dispose of these things, making modern life possible. However, are drains one of those things you can simply leave and not worry about? While drains are great for their remarkably low maintenance requirements and reliability, cleaning your drains periodically could significantly improve your home and your well-being.

What Is Drain Cleaning?

To understand how drain cleaning can help you, it’s important to first know what it is. Drain cleaning is not like a drain clearing service. Drain clearing is what you need when your drain slows down or clogs completely, preventing water and waste from leaving. Obstructions form in your drain line over time due to things like hair, soap scum, food waste, and other refuse going down the drain, sticking to the walls of your drain line, and eventually forming a full blockage that stops the drain from working. A drain clearing service involves using one of several different methods to remove this blockage, freeing the lien and allowing water and waste to flow again.

However, in our opinion, drain clearing is only half of the job. When you clear away a clog, you aren’t actually removing the clog’s true cause. While the clog itself might be gone, the waste on the walls of your drain lines remains in place, so a clog will probably form again fairly quickly. In some cases, this might take several months, while in others it might happen within a few short weeks.

If you want to fully get rid of your clog and prevent it from returning, we recommend a drain cleaning service. Drain cleaning uses a sophisticated system to scrub the inside walls of your drains, removing all of the scum, grime, and other debris that has built up over the years and that you may not even know about. This cleans the walls of your drain, giving clogs and other debris nothing to grab on or stick to. When debris can’t stick to anything, it can’t form the foundation of a clog, and when a clog can’t form, your drain continues to move freely.

The Drain Cleaning Process

The most popular method of drain cleaning is a process called “hydro jetting.” Hydro jetting involves attaching a specialized nozzle to what is essentially a powerful pressure washer and then feeding that nozzle into a scummy or dirty drain line. This nozzle is actually several nozzles attached to the same tool: a large nozzle on the front and several smaller nozzles around the side.

Once the hydro jetting machine is turned on, two things happen. First, the primary nozzle on the front blasts away at any blockages, obstructions, or major debris that might be present in the drain line itself.

Because the nozzle is capable of extremely high pressures, even the most stubborn clogs have no chance of surviving. Second, the smaller nozzles around the side blast away at the walls of your drain line, scrubbing off any debris that might be stuck to the walls of your drain. When combined, this process can remove virtually any and all debris from your drain, leaving it nearly as clean and smooth as the day it was first installed.

Is Drain Cleaning Necessary?

So now to answer the big question: do your drains really need to be cleaned? We believe they do. Without proper, regular drain cleaning and maintenance, your drains will eventually fill up with debris and form a nasty clog that can be particularly difficult to get rid of. And getting rid of one of these clogs can be a huge headache, particularly if you try to DIY repair it. While a professional drain clearing and clog removal service might solve the issue for now, it will only delay the issue inevitably coming back unless you clean out the drain line completely. We always recommend having a professional take care of your drain clog problem and scheduling a comprehensive drain cleaning and clearing service to fix your issue!

Looking for help with your drain problem? The team at Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Inc. can help! Call our Knoxville drain cleaning experts at (865) 518-7008 and schedule your appointment today.