Being a homeowner is a long-term responsibility because after buying a property, you need to regularly exert time and effort for its maintenance. Regardless of how expensive your home is, keep in mind that it’s not immune to wear and tear –and neglecting its maintenance will only shorten the lifespan of your home.
And while most homeowners are aware that they need to clean and fix their floor, walls and roofs, only a very few of them realizes the importance of drain cleaning. They think that as long as their drains aren’t clogged, there’s no reason to clean it. However, this kind of mindset can lead to bigger problems in the future because your drains actually need the same attention that you give to other areas whenever you clean your home.
If you have not cleaned any of the drains in your home for quite some time, it might be overdue. It is important to have a regular schedule by which this task is completed. You can do this yourself, or you can hire a professional that can bring in state-of-the-art equipment. It just depends on your budget and the tools that you have available. If you don’t have any idea how to inspect your drains and repair even the most basic issues, it’s best if you invest in the services of a professional. They have the necessary skills and equipment to ensure that your drains are cleaned and free from any problems.
There are many reasons why drain cleaning should be a routine occurrence. It goes far beyond simply having the ability to drain your water as normal. Let us go over why having this routine of cleaning your drains is essential if you are the owner of your home.
Why Drain Cleaning Is So Important
If you were to ask anyone why cleaning your drains regularly is important, the number one answer would likely be to prevent blockages. As time goes by, more buildup can occur, and this can lead to extensive and sometimes expensive problems in the future. For example, if you are not cleaning your drains in the shower very often, a buildup of hair, dirt, soap, conditioner, and many other contaminants may lead to a substantial blockage. The problem is that the blockage may not be remarkably close to the surface. This could end up costing you a substantial amount of money to hire a professional to remove the blockage properly.
Continually using drains that are clogged can lead to bigger problems. So instead of merely repairing your drains, leaving the problem unaddressed for long periods will likely require you to replace more pipes and pay for more expensive repairs.
What Type of Routine Do You Need?
A monthly routine would be recommended; however, this is simply not feasible for most individuals. Not only with this be expensive to clean all your drains in that interval if you do it yourself it would take several hours every week. Fortunately, there are alternatives to doing this. This includes using liquid drain cleaner on occasion. This can easily bust through blockages that are just starting out. These products are easily available in most home depots and are inexpensive.
There are even some that are professional grade that can go through blockages that are an inch or more in length, but this is not always a guarantee for most people. Some blockages can be too thick that there’s no single product that can melt them or solve the problem. Moreover, misuse of professional grade liquid drain cleaners can take a toll on your health and safety. That’s why investing in some equipment would be a good idea if you would prefer doing this on your own.
What Equipment Would You Need to Do This?
There are three types of equipment that most plumbers will use to clean the drains of their customers. This includes a manual drain snake, motorized plumber snake, and what is called a hydro jetting machine.
The first is very inexpensive, easily available at your local home improvement store, and it simply an auger with a crank. The second is a motorized drain snake that is essentially a motorized auger. The main differences that these tend to have more power and can go a much further distance down the pipe. Finally, hydro jetting is exceptionally useful in maintaining your drains. It will take a portion of the time to keep them clean if you are doing this on a schedule.
If you’re planning to invest in the mentioned equipment, make sure to exert time to learn how to use these. Buying different equipment will be useless if you don’t have any idea how to maximize its features.
The Best Routine for Cleaning Your Drains Routinely
First, you should always have some type of trap in the drains that are throughout your home. This is extremely important in the kitchen and bathrooms. By cleaning this trap out routinely, you can prevent blockages from occurring. This can be done in a matter of minutes throughout the week. The second step would be to routinely use some type of liquid plumber product. This material can go through hair, soap, and particulate matter very easily. It does so by breaking down the physical components using materials such as sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide, both of which can work together to easily unclog drains. This should be done at least once a month just to make sure that blockages further down do not become larger. Finally, it is recommended that you have a plumber do a routine inspection every year. This can prevent the unwanted expense of having to dig up pipes, or even replace them, because of blockages that are several feet under the ground.
Alternatives to Chemically Based Products for Drain Blockages
If you would prefer not using anything chemically based, there are some alternatives to consider. For example, by mixing vinegar and baking soda together, this could prove to be helpful. You could also add a portion of salt to this mixture that can help with dissolving blockages that are in your drain. Keep in mind that these are only effective if used on smaller blockages in most cases. However, if you are following a routine, these will be a cheap and environmentally friendly way of keeping your drainpipes free from any contaminants.
By using these simple strategies, it will be easy for you to maintain your drainage pipes on a routine basis. Although this can take a few minutes every week, it is time well spent, and will end up saving homeowners a substantial amount of money. By preventing small blockages from getting worse, this will also save a considerable amount of time. If you are using traps in your drains, and routinely using chemically based drain openers, you should have drains that are always functional throughout your home.
