Drain snakes (also known as drain augers) are one of the most useful tools in a plumber’s arsenal when it comes to drain cleaning and removing tough drainpipe clogs. Although plumbers also make use of hydro-jetting for drain cleaning, the drain snake remains one of the essential pieces of equipment for taking the best care of drains.
However, you may have seen drain snakes advertised before online, or seen them for sale in hardware stores. Why do you need a professional plumber when drain snakes are that easily available? We’ll explain the difference between commercial drain snakes and the job that professionals do.
Commercial Drain Snakes vs. Professional Drain Snakes
The standard drain snake that you can purchase from a store or through an online retailer is a simple hand-crank device that rotates within a drain to burrow into a clog and break it apart. This is fine for a basic clog within a drain (and it’s much better for the drains than pouring acidic chemical down into it) but it’s not a cleaning method, nor does it provide a long-term solution. Most of the time, the drain snake is only boring a hole through the clog to allow wastewater to pass. Even if the snake breaks apart the clog, large pieces of debris will remain behind and start to collect obstructions once more.
A professional drain snake, however, is a motorized device that provides much more thorough and powerful cleaning, removing most of the blockage and clearing out the pipe so that it’s much harder for the debris to return. These motorized drain snakes are too expensive for consumers to purchase, and they can present dangers to both people and the plumbing system if handled without training. Only rely on experienced plumbers to do the drain snake work necessary for your plumbing.
Have a clog? Or want complete drain cleaning services? Then call My Drain Company Inc. We service Glendale, CA and the surrounding areas.
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