If you have a drain clog, it can cause chaos in your home as one or more of your
showers or sinks is put out of action. Generally, you will need to avoid the affected fixtures is you want to prevent wastewater from filling the sink, shower tray or tub. While a home plunger may be able to shift a small blockage, you may find yourself considering a liquid drain cleaner. With the massive range of drain cleaning products available, you may wonder why you would need to call in the professionals, especially one who recommends a video camera pipe inspection. Here, we will explore why making that call should be your first action when you notice a blocked drain in your home.
The Perils of Liquid Drain Cleaners:
Take a trip to any grocery store, and you are likely to find a massive choice of liquid drain cleaning products in the household aisle. With so many products available, they must be effective, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many liquid drain cleaning products are disappointingly ineffective, so you are literally pouring your money down the drain. If a product is harsh enough to dissolve a clog, it is also likely to be very damaging to the pipe itself. This means that while you may unblock the pipe, there is a risk of a leak or a burst pipe at some point in the future.
There is also a danger to the plumber that you call in after the liquid drain cleaner has failed to work. Even if the product has not managed to clear the clog, it will still be harmful to the skin. As your attempts to clear the drain will have left corrosive liquids inside the pipe, there is a risk of chemical burns. Therefore, it is important to inform your plumber if you have used any products in your attempts to clear the drain.
The Importance of Video Camera Inspection:
The primary reason why a video camera inspection is important during drain cleaning is that the precise situation can be determined. The plumbing technician will feed a small camera into the drain attached to a very long cable. This can be fed through the entire pipe to determine the underlying cause of the problem. This information can be vital for the technician to choose the technique that will offer the most efficient and safest results.
During the inspection, the technician can assess the condition of your pipes and check if there are any plumbing issues that could develop into a problem. This can be particularly beneficial if you have had clogs or blocked pipes regularly.
Although it is tempting to try to clear a clogged drain yourself, remember that a
professional has the skills, expertise, and equipment to quickly resolve the issue. So, before you start buying expensive drain cleaning products, why not consider a video camera inspection and professional drain cleaning? This service can quickly resolve a blocked drain and could prevent plumbing troubles in the future.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solutions.
