Unclogging Drains: Why DIY Isn’t Your Best Option
Although nobody loves living in a home with clogged drains, these essential home installations still clog. Moreover, their clogging can increase exposure to bacteria, mold, and microbes. Consequently, these microorganisms also expose households to many chronic health issues.
But clogged drains aren’t a death sentence or a finality. Although some homeowners think they can unclog drains independently, it’s trickier and riskier than they initially anticipate. This post shares reasons for choosing professional help instead of ineffective DIY alternatives. Read on to learn how a professional plumber can help you achieve satisfactory and lasting results.
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You Might Be Treating Symptoms
Clogged sinks, showers, and toilets might be symptomatic of bigger underlying problems. You might think that unclogging your shower is solving the problem when it’s a spillover of a sewer line blockage. This is usually true when all or several drains have block simultaneously. You can also detect an underlying problem bathtubs or shower drains are backing up.
Therefore, call an expert to unclog drains in your home because clearing a single pipe might help nothing because sewer line clogs are deeply entrenched in the plumbing system. It’s still possible to worsen the problem while attempting to solve it.
Most Over-the-Counter Chemicals Don’t Work
Some DIY lovers assume that most over-the-counter remedies work. The truth is that most of these chemicals don’t work as people assume they do. Most solutions aren’t designed to unblock stubborn blockages lying deep in your plumbing system. They may just postpone the problem by offering you temporary relief.
Further, some of these chemicals contain hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid. The problem here is that these corrosive acids damage your system’s pipes, garbage disposal, and sinks. Also, these poisonous products can significantly threaten your children’s and/or pet’s lives. You need to be careful how you store them to avoid disaster in your home.
Safety is Paramount
Cleaning your drains also carries a certain risk level you can’t ignore. Therefore, you will need to clear the drains’ surrounding areas and wear protective plastic gloves and eyewear. However, hiring a professional saves you all these hassles because professional drain cleaners rarely use such harsh chemicals. If and when they use them, they are the last resort because they have much non-chemical equipment like plungers and snake tools they use to unclog drains. Therefore, you rest assured that you will get a lasting solution without compromising anyone’s safety.
Your Tools Could Betray Your Good Intentions
As initially stated, some drain clogs are symptoms of bigger systemic problems. The challenge here is that you may not know what actually lies below the clog or its magnitude. Most homeowners have a few tools like wrenches and plungers. Unfortunately, these appliances aren’t meant for solving complex clogging problems.
You may end up opening a can of worms by exposing yourself to a bigger plumbing problem your little DIY tools can’t solve. The best side of hiring a professional is that they are fully equipped for the job. Most reputable plumbers have hi-tech tools like endoscopes with cameras attached to snake tools. These instruments enable them to see into clogged drains to identify and remove blocking items without damaging the pipes or pushing them further away. For instance, they can detect ornaments that accidentally found themselves down the drains.
You May Not Achieve Permanent Results
Another danger of attempting to clean drains without professional help is that you may not achieve permanent results. You are most likely to end up with the same problem and even at a worse level after a few weeks or months.
A Professional Can Detect Hidden Structural Issues
As stated earlier, some drain blockages are symptomatic. Some may point to hidden structural problems your DIY experience or tools cannot detect. Remember, hidden structural issues can suddenly erupt and cause larger system breakdowns. These hidden damages may also require expensive repairs, not to mention they can cause a sudden and catastrophic collapse.
You May Not Sufficient Time
Most LA residents live in the fast lane where they have limited time to hustle to make ends meet. Thus, it makes no sense to waste your three or four working hours you could pay a full-time expert to do.
Peace of Mind
Lastly, you enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you handed your unclogging project to an expert who will deliver satisfactory and lasting results. You also rest assured that you got value for your hard-earned cash.
There you have it. It’s up to you to use this information to make an informed decision next time you want to unclog your drains.