DIY Drain Cleaning? 3 Things That Could Go Wrong

Schedule Now

Once you confront a household drain that won’t clear with a common plunger, it may be time to seek professional drain cleaning from a qualified plumber. The fact is, other DIY options all have potential drawbacks, and may, at the least, only delay seeking the trained expertise required to open the drain. In the worst case scenario, do-it-yourself attempts may damage plumbing and cause added repair expense. Here are three common DIY strategies that may only make things worse:

Over-Reliance On Caustic Chemicals

Residential plumbing isn’t fabricated to withstand the effects of sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid—the two most common chemical drain openers. These substances are formulated to dissolve organic clogs; however, repeated use can also deteriorate galvanized steel, copper, and PVC, the most common drain pipes in residential use. The worse the clog, the more likely it is that chemical drain cleaners will damage your pipes. Since there’s no water flow through a totally obstructed drain to dilute the chemical, the pipe is subjected to concentrated exposure to any caustic substance poured down the drain.

Damaging Power Snakes

It happens when inexperienced do-it-yourselfers rent power snakes to unclog drains. These industrial-strength units put a great deal of stress on aging residential pipes or joints, and in untrained hands, may actually rupture drain lines. Instead of resorting to the heavy-duty snake, a qualified professional plumber dealing with a clogged residential pipe may opt instead for hydro-jetting equipment that uses high-pressure water jets to clear clogged drains without traumatizing the plumbing.

Mistaken Diagnosis

Water accumulating in a tub or sink may not actually be the result of a clogged drain pipe that you can clear yourself. An obstructed sewer line out in your front yard may cause drain water from elsewhere in the home to back up into other fixtures. All the plunging, snaking, and drain cleaning chemicals in the world won’t open the drain, because the problem’s in your sewer.

Avoid the downsides of DIY approaches by contacting Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing for professional drain cleaning.

Schedule
Call
"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
    Read Reviews
    Image

    Financing

    Learn More
    Image

    Apollo Care Plan

    Learn More