Drain Clearing and Cleaning

What is the difference between clearing and cleaning a drain?

Drain clearing is performed with a snaking tool to target the specific pipe blockage where it occurs. A plumber uses this tool to puncture the buildup and allow water to flow freely through your plumbing system.

Drain cleaning is performed using a jetting process shooting a specific amount of pressurized water into the drain system to fully clean out the pipes. Apollo Home may use a camera in the drain as the water attempts to rush through it to identify the problem. This gives our plumbers more information to resolve the issue.

While the snaking tool in a drain clearing punctures the blockage, drain cleaning sweeps the entire drain, removing any leftover debris remaining after drain clearing. The two procedures are most effective when used sequentially if the situation calls for it.

Regular maintenance can prevent a clogged drain from ruining your day. The pros at Apollo Home offer an EPA-authorized product called Bio-Clean. It’s eco-friendly, safe and works by using naturally occurring microorganisms to eat away at the variety of substances adhering to the pipes in your plumbing and treatment systems. Although it sounds like something from a sci-fi film, Bio-Clean is actually easy to use and inexpensive.

For difficult drain blockages – tree roots penetrating pipes, for example – Apollo Home’s plumbers will usually employ a camera down into the drain to observe the problem area before determining a resolution plan. In a severe case such as this, the pipe (or a section of the pipe) may need to be replaced.

Whatever the cause, blocked drains are best handled by professionals. The hassle of attempting a repair the problem yourself can be an exercise in frustration and wasted time, and rarely results in a satisfactory or permanent fix.

Apollo's Drain Clearing Checklist

Clogged Drain?

Apollo Home’s licensed and trained plumbers are ready to help 24/7 and will go through the following steps to help get your drain cleared quickly.

Apollo Home will diagnose the situation by interviewing you about any history related to the situation, which will help better identify the problem. We also check the drains and toilets in the vicinity to help determine if the clog is affecting just the one drain or multiple drains.

1. Find the closest access to get to the drain (sometimes it’s better to add an access point)
2. Determine the best solution (cable, jetting or repair) for unclogging your drain and discuss all the options/methods
3. Attempt to clear the drain using the agreed-upon method—90% of the time the problem can be solved and nothing further needs to be done
4. In cases where the first method doesn’t resolve the problem, other solutions will be needed—some of those problems could include: heavy grease build-up, bellied or sagging drain lines, limited access to the drain line, poor venting, broken or damaged drain lines, and major root intrusion of the main (whole house/sewer) line

Problems with the main line will require a camera be used to help:

• Verify the main line is completely clean
• Ensure there are no underlying problems with the main line pipe, such as corrosion, cracks, separations, and roots
• Locate blockages that can’t be cleared
• Eliminate recurrence of the problem