When your home’s drains get clogged, it’s time to call in a professional. While you can use nontoxic drain cleaners and a household plumbing snake to remove most clogs, serious blockages require the help of a plumber.
A plumber’s service fee, video inspection costs, and sewer line clearing fees can significantly affect the overall cost of drain cleaning. Read on to learn more about how these factors can impact price.
Whether doing it yourself or hiring a plumber, drain cleaning requires the right equipment. Purchasing a drain cleaner kit from the store may save money, but it’s not enough to fix serious clogs. You’ll also need a snake, power drill, and other tools to clean your plumbing lines.
A professional-grade drain auger, also known as a snake or rod, has a long flexible cable that goes into the pipe to the clog and has a corkscrew on the end to break up or remove clogs. It is the most common way to unclog a drain, but it’s not suitable for every type of clog. An auger can only penetrate so far into a clog before it’s unable to dislodge or break it up, so the plumbing professional might need to use another technique.
Another common method is snaking, which involves pushing a long, flexible rod down the pipe to the clog and turning it like a screwdriver to dislodge or break up the clog. It’s more effective on grease clogs, but can also be used on hair, soap, and other types of blockages. It’s also less expensive than hydro jetting.
Hydro jetting uses a lightweight, flexible hose to blast water into the drain line. This can be used to clear a blocked toilet or other sink, but it’s not usually sufficient for a serious sewer clog or root infiltration.
A trailer-mounted hydro jet can handle a variety of line sizes and pressures, making it ideal for sewer lines and laterals. It’s also much faster than hand-held jetters.
Plumbing pros recommend having this equipment in your arsenal because it’s fast, safe, and easy to maneuver. It can also be helpful for diagnosing clogs and determining the best approach to take to solve them.
Other factors that influence the cost of a drain cleaning include the severity and location of the clog, as well as any additional services required to resolve it. For example, a more severe clog in a commercial building might require a special inspection and repair procedure that could increase the price by several times over. The age and condition of your plumbing system is another major factor. Older systems tend to have more frequent and stubborn clogs, and they might require more regular maintenance to prevent them from becoming worse.
Labor
A clogged drain or sewer line is not only an inconvenience, but it can also be dangerous to your health. That’s why it’s important to have the problem resolved by a licensed professional as soon as you notice any signs of an issue, including a foul smell coming from your drain or sewer line.
Depending on the extent of the drain clog, your plumber may choose to use different cleaning methods. For example, drain snaking uses a specialized metal rod to break down and remove the clog, while hydro jetting involves spraying a high-powered water jet to clear out stubborn blocks. The cost of these services can vary significantly, so it’s best to get a few quotes before choosing a plumber.
The type of drain in your home will also affect the cleaning costs. For instance, toilets are more difficult to clean than kitchen or bathroom sinks. Likewise, a plunger might work for simple clogs located close to the drain inlet, but it won’t be effective for larger clogs further down your plumbing system. In such cases, it’s a good idea to invest in a plumbing snake or chemical solution that can break down the clog and eliminate the unpleasant odor.
When searching for a professional drain cleaning service, be sure to consider experience and customer reviews. A reputable company will have extensive knowledge of various drain cleaning methods and can offer competitive prices. Additionally, they will be licensed and insured to ensure the job is done correctly and safely.
Getting your clogged drains cleaned by a professional is typically the most cost-effective and reliable way to resolve a blockage. Not only will this prevent your drains from becoming completely blocked, but it will also save you the hassle of dealing with an unsightly clog and the potential property damage that can come along with it.
To lower your drain cleaning costs, avoid dumping grease down the drain and always dispose of excess food waste properly. You can also install a water softener in your home or business to minimize mineral buildup that leads to clogs. However, the best way to keep your drains healthy and free from clogs is to hire a professional NYC drain cleaner.
Materials
Clogged drains are a major headache for homeowners. If a clog doesn’t get cleaned in time, it can cause a pipe to burst and lead to costly home repairs. Drain cleaning is much cheaper than repairing a burst pipe. Regular drain cleaning also keeps the pipes healthy, which lengthens their lifespan and helps avoid costly repairs down the road.
Chemical drain cleaners are liquid, gel, or powder products that contain corrosive acids and alkalis to break down organic materials in the clogged drain. They come in a variety of strengths, and are typically available at hardware stores. However, they can be harmful to plastic and metal pipes and the environment. They often cause corrosion, which can weaken the structure of the drain pipe. The fumes from these chemicals can also be irritating to the nose and eyes.
Another type of drain cleaner is an enzyme drain cleaner, which uses biological and enzymatic chemical reactions to metabolize the material in the clogged pipe. These cleaners are more environmentally friendly than caustic, oxidizing, and acidic cleaners, but they can take longer to work.
Besides clearing drains, these cleaners can remove odors from the plumbing system. Backed-up drains can emit a smell like sewage or rotten waste, which can be embarrassing for homeowners. The bacteria and other organisms in these clogged drains can also make homeowners sick, so keeping the drains clean is important for home health.
A clogged drain can also lead to water damage in the walls and floors of a home. If this happens, the homeowners may need to pay for mold removal services along with repairing or replacing the damaged parts of the plumbing system. The best way to prevent this is by regularly cleaning the drains with drain cleaners and using a sewer camera inspection to check for clogs and other problems.
Inspection
Clogged drains can be a major inconvenience. Whether it’s the toilet that won’t flush or an unknown blockage under the kitchen sink, you want to get it fixed quickly and with minimal disruption to your home life. If non-toxic drain cleaners and a DIY plumbing snake aren’t working, it’s time to call in the professionals. The first step is to understand what impact a clogged drain can have on your budget and the types of services that are available.
A drain inspection can help you determine what the root cause of the problem is and how much it will cost to fix. Plumbers use a camera to get a live feed of the clogged pipes in your home or business, allowing them to see exactly what’s happening inside. This can identify issues such as a broken pipe, cracks, tree roots infiltration, and other problems that require repair or replacement. It can also help you avoid surprises down the road by giving you a clear idea of what to expect when the plumbing work is completed.
On average, drain inspections cost between $100 and $800. But you can find some plumbers who offer this service for a flat rate, which makes it more affordable.
The location of the clogged drain and the type of cleaning technique used has a big impact on how much it will cost to unclog it. For example, a bathroom drain clog might be more difficult to remove than a kitchen drain clog. And a severe blockage in a main sewer line will likely be more expensive than clearing a small drain in a house.
Chemical cleaning involves pouring caustic chemicals down a drain line to dissolve organic clogs such as hair and grease. This method costs around $20 to $300, but only your plumber can decide if it’s the right choice for you.
It’s also possible to clean a sewer line with a drain snake or hydro jetting, which will increase the cost. This is because these methods can damage or break pipes, which requires a professional plumber to repair or replace them.
