The drain lines in your home will develop a build-up of material in the pipe over time. Even if you do everything right and never put anything in the drain that does not belong there, some build-up is normal, and it can affect the performance of the plumbing in your home. Residential drain cleaning is one way to keep the build-up out of the pipe and avoid the problems before they get too big to fix.

Drain Inspections and Preparation

One of the first things you need is to have a plumber inspect the drains in your home and determine if cleaning all of them is necessary. If the remains have some build-up starting, residential drain cleaning is an excellent way to break the material loose from the pipe walls and get the system working correctly. 

If you have a drain that has a blockage in it already, the plumber will need to remove that blockage. Often an auger or pipe snake is used to break up the material and allow it to continue down the drain and out of the system. In most cases, the auger will remove the blockage, but if it does not, the jetting process will break it up.

Cleaning the Drains

Jetting the inside of the pipe is the most common method of residential drain cleaning and involves using high-pressure water to blast away debris from the inside of the pipes, leaving the system clean and clear. 

A high-pressure hose is inserted into the pipe cleanout in your plumbing system and advances into the system. As the hose moves into the system, it removes the debris from the underside, and the water and gravity carry the debris out of the pipe. The result is walls that are clean and will allow the drains to flow more easily and efficiently.

Maintaining Your Drains

Once your residential drain cleaning is completed, it is essential to keep things out of the system that do not belong in it. The system is not designed to handle things like grease and materials that can stick to or coat the inside of the pipes.

Often blockages start because of something small in the system that other things bind to, creating an obstacle in the pipe that, over time, will become a blockage that needs clearing. Some treatments can help coat the inside of the pipe, but talk to the plumber that is doing the residential drain cleaning about using any of those products. 

Your plumber may be able to suggest a better option to help keep the system working correctly or have a product that will not damage the plumbing in your home.