How to Keep Your Home's Drain Lines Clean

By WebDrafter.com, Inc. w/ permission

Cleaning your drain lines is an important part of home maintenance, unless you prefer to pay someone to clean up and repair the lines after something goes wrong. Unfortunately, for many people it's not until something happens that they realize how important it is to take care of the drain and sewer lines. There are a variety of ways homeowner's can clean the drains, many of which are not excessively expensive making them friendly for your budget as well as your drainage system.

Environment Friendly Drain Cleaning Methods
Baking soda is common ingredient in these mixtures due to its chemical composition.

  • Baking soda-To clean clogged or sluggish lines, try pouring 1 cup of baking soda and 3 cups of boiling water into the sink; repeat until lines are cleared. Other variations include adding a ½ cup of salt with the soda. This is especially helpful, if grease has been poured down the drain. (If you do a lot of food frying, chances are that even if you dispose of the bulk of the grease properly there is still some residue in the pans when you wash them that will go into the drain. This simple rinse can ultimately save you a large amount of money!)
  • Baking soda and vinegar-This is great to use once a month as it is not only cheap, but effective. Simply pour 1 cup of baking down the drain (this should be done for each of your home's drains, so you may want to invest in a large box of sod and a gallon of vinegar) then follow with a cup of vinegar. This creates a fizzy reaction and will clean any build up in the drain.
  • Baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and water- Mix the dry items together; pour down the drain(s) followed by 1 cup of boiling water. This is a great method for cleaning out clogged hair.
  • Enzyme cleaners- These vary based on the job you use them for, but standard ones for household items Protease, Amylase, and Lipase. These bacteria-based cleaners will actually break down the organic matter that clogs drain; using them monthly can keep your drains from backing up and help them run easily.

Calling in the Professionals

  • High pressure water jetting- This maintenance step is thought by many to be one of the most effective methods to clean out the blockage. It is typically done by a professional and involves using hoses and nozzles to force water through the pipes at high pressures which removes anything in its path. (Think controlled tidal wave!)
  • Electro Mechanical Cleaning- This is great for small pipes in the toilet or sinks. A flexible rod is pushed into the pipe and removes the blockage manually. Sometimes, it is necessary to attach a scraping tool to complete the process.
  • CCTV Surveying- To check the status of your drainage lines, call a professional to do a CCTV check. This involves sending a camera through the lines to see how clean they are.

For additional information on the topic of plumbing and sewer lines visit Gene's Water & Sewer.

Article independently authored by Janet M. Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Gene's Water & Sewer. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

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