Used For Drain Cleaning

Many homeowners don’t give the drains in their homes much thought – until they don’t work. Clogged toilets, backed up showers and sinks that won’t drain signal it’s time to break out the plumbing tools or call in a professional. With the right knowledge and tools, however, you can tackle most drain cleaning jobs yourself. There are a variety of drain cleaning tools to choose from that range in price and effectiveness. Licensed plumbers use a number of tools to help with serious clogs, but you can also find professional-grade, similar to what the pros use on a day-to-day basis, at most home improvement stores.

The first tool any homeowner should have in their arsenal is a drain plunger. These simple and cheap tools can get rid of minor clogs by using the force of gravity to dislodge or break up the clog. For clogs that are more stubborn, you can purchase a specialty sink plunger or a drain auger to further dislodge the clog.

Another popular drain cleaning tool is a manual drain snake. These are long, metal cables with a tip that looks like a corkscrew. They have a handle that you crank to advance the cable into a drain and then maneuver it around the clog until it breaks through. These are inexpensive, easy to use and very effective for small clogs such as those caused by hair.

What Tools Are Used For Drain Cleaning?

When it comes to serious clogs, most professionals turn to motorized drain snakes or augers. These elongated metal snakes resemble the ones you can buy in most home improvement stores and work similarly, but are more powerful. Licensed plumbers also use a special drain cleaner called a hydro-jet. This pipe cleaning machine blasts a high-pressure, hot water stream into drain pipes and can break up and dissolve grease, soap scum and mineral deposits so the drains flow more smoothly. This type of tool requires a lot of training, experience and protective gear to use and should only be used by a licensed plumber.

The one drain cleaner that most licensed plumbers won’t use is liquid chemical clog remover. These corrosive liquids can damage or corrode pipes, ruin fixtures and porcelain and even harm you if they get on your skin or in your eyes. Even if they claim to clear clogs instantly, most liquid clog removers are only temporary fixes and you will likely have to manually remove the clog later with a plumber’s snake or other drain cleaner.

In addition to the drain cleaners mentioned above, there are a few other tools licensed plumbers might use that you can’t find on store shelves. These include a wired or electric powered snake with spinning blades that can cut through clogs and scrape residue build-up in your pipes. There are also power drain augers, like the RIDGID KJ-3100 Portable Water Jetter that can reach deeper into your pipes and is ideal for clearing large clogs that are too hard to clear with a regular snake or hand-held drain cleaner.