Most clogged drains can quickly and easily be resolved by a professional plumber. Oftentimes it takes nothing more than a “snake” to clear a clogged bathroom sink, tub or shower drain.
But the most common and most severe residential plumbing clogs typically involve garbage disposals or the main line into and out of a house, and for serious blockages hydro jetting is often the best solution.
Kitchen Sink and Garbage Disposal Clogs
The good news is that when it comes to kitchen sink and garbage disposal clogs, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
As we noted in our post on Garbage Disposals vs. Thanksgiving Dinner, it’s best to avoid putting fibrous vegetables into your garbage disposal, because the disposal is going to reduce those vegetables to their most basic form—oil and water—and the resulting vegetable oil is eventually going to clog your disposal and drain.
Similarly, you want to avoid putting any other oils, fat, or grease into your garbage
disposal/kitchen sink, as bacon grease and the like will harden inside your pipes and clog the line. (Instead, let oil, fat and grease cool and then pour it into an empty coffee can or jar, which can disposed of in the trash.)
Tree Roots in Sewer Lines and Pipes
In Nashville, tree roots are a less obvious yet very common cause of serious residential plumbing clogs. What happens is that tree roots enter pipes and then continue to expand and grow until they either cause a complete blockage or the increased pressure at the crack or joint causes the pipe to collapse.
(This is why landscapers will advise you not to plant trees—especially those with deep root systems—anywhere near the plumbing lines that serve your home.)
Although tree root clogs are most likely to occur in springtime when trees are blooming and root systems are most active, they can occur at any time of year.
The Benefits of Hydro Jetting
At Jewell Mechanical, we typically use hydro jetting to address serious clogs caused by grease or sewage sludge, not to mention lines that have been blocked by invasive tree roots.
That’s because the blast of water provided by hydro jetting not only breaks through the stoppage it also cleans out the line, typically restoring it to more than 90 percent of its original capacity.
In that way it’s a long-lasting solution, one that enables you to return your pipes to a nearly-new state that dramatically reduces the chance of an ongoing problem with blockages.
Does Your Drain Need Cleaning?
Whatever you do, resist the temptation to use chemical drain cleaners to attempt to clear stubborn clogs, as chemicals can damage pipes, present a hazard to your plumber, and potentially worsen existing clogs, making necessary repairs more expensive.
If your life has been disrupted by a stubborn residential plumbing clog, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (615) 469-5965. We’ll utilize hydro jetting or another appropriate solution to clear your pipes and drains and restore your residential plumbing system to maximum efficiency.
And don’t hesitate to ask about our plumbing preventative maintenance plan, which can also go a long way in terms of preventing kitchen sink and garbage disposal clogs, not to mention laundry line clogs and other common drain blockages.
As always, check for current plumbing promotions. We serve the Metro Davidson County area and most of the rest of Middle Tennessee.
Useful Resources
Plumbing Installation and Replacement
5 Warning Signs Your Dishwasher is Clogged