General Drain Cleaning FAQ

Q. What can I do in terms of regular maintenance to keep my drains from clogging? 
A. Well, for starters, fill up kitchen sinks and laundry tub lines with hot water and let it drain. This allows the pipe to fill with water instead of just letting it hit the bottom of the line. It also serves to push any blockage causing debris out of the main line. If you have a clogging problem that keeps coming back, you may have a bigger blockage. In that case, repeated repairs and maintenance techniques quickly begin to lose their cost-effectiveness. Contact us and we will send one of our highly trained drain cleaning experts to clear your line once and for all.

Q. What (if anything) should I be using to regularly treat my drains and decrease my risk of a clog? 
A. Hot water, for sure. Our expert technicians do not recommend using harsh acid chemical cleaners in your lines as they can ultimately cause more problems than they actually solve for your drain line in the long run. They may offer a temporary fix, but oftentimes the use of such heavy chemicals can present an entire different set of problems to be dealt with. Your best bet in terms of decreasing the chances of experiencing a clog is to call in our expert sewer line cleaners to set up a preventative maintenance schedule using state-of-the-art professional drain cables and augurs.

Q. Why do tree roots repeatedly go after my sewer lines and what can I do to stop them? 
A. Tree roots are naturally attracted to water and one of the most consistent, abundant sources of underground water is in your sewer lines so it follows logically the two might clash eventually, right? Your sewer line is not only a great source of water, but also possesses certain nutrients that tree roots can thrive on. Trees are crafty creatures and their roots need only the smallest crevice to sneak into your drain line where they can grow, prosper, and cause unsuspecting homeowners big-time headaches. And once those nasty root masses are established in your pipes, they can quickly become clogged with toilet tissue, grease and other debris flowing through your plumbing to the main sewer. This type of “hybrid clog” is about as bad as we see and usually results in drastically reduced flow, slow moving drains and a total blockage which can cause other drains in your home to backup. Once you know there is tree root problem in your line, (usually signaled by a bad sewer back up) it is very wise to work with professionals to set up a regular preventative maintenance plan. This can be once a year or every 6 months depending on how severe your tree root problem is. Our trained drain cleaning experts will do their best to prevent you from ever having a messy back up again by working to set up these plans with you. Setting up a preventative maintenance plan with our drain cleaning team will save you time, money and prevent those messy, unsanitary sewer backups in the future.

Q. Rid X or Liquid Drano – are these products I should be using in my lines? 
A. It is best to not use harsh liquid chemical drain cleaners like Drano in your lines. The truth is, these products are only a temporary fix and if they do not break down the clog they actually get trapped in your line causing acid erosion to the line itself. Use them at your own risk. When in doubt contact us and one of our drain cleaning experts can help you decide which other options could better serve you.