When you see water backing up in your shower or find an overflowing drain, you might feel tempted to grab a few tools and handle the job yourself. Home remedies are often dangerous and lead to repairs that cost more than hiring a drain cleaning pro initially. Items intended for cleaning drains, like a plumber’s snake, chemical cleaners, and plungers, can cause unexpected damage to the drains without fixing the clog.

Using a Snake

Walk into any home improvement store and walk out with a plumbing snake. The instructions tell you to insert the snake into the drain and feed it through to loosen the clog’s source. Plumbing snakes in the hands of an inexperienced person can force the clog deeper and break the pipe.

Pouring Chemical Cleaners

Chemical cleaners are a popular method of battling drain clogs. One major issue is that these products often fail to produce desired results. There is a risk of the chemicals reacting with grease, cleaning solutions, and other contents inside. It’s important to be cautious when using chemical cleaners as they can cause skin irritation and emit harmful fumes.

Thinking You’re a Plunger Pro

A plunger is a must-have plumbing tool to keep around the house. Many people do not know that there are different types, though. A toilet plunger has a rounded cone around the top to form a seal inside the bowl, while a sink/drain plunger has a rubber top and a wooden handle. Unless you know the proper way to use a plunger, leave the job to a plumber. You can make a big mess and cause water to back up.

Choosing Home Remedies

Plumbers often receive calls from clients who attempted to break clogs apart with a coat hanger, wire, or anything else that fits in the pipe. The chance you’ll actually reach the clog is quite small, and you’ll risk pushing the clog so far into the pipe that extensive measures may be necessary to remove it.

Other home remedies make use of a garden hose or baking soda. The garden hose tip claims sticking the hose down the drain and turning on the water forces pressure into the clog and breaks it apart. What usually happens is that you end up with a dirty hose and water all over the floor because garden hoses don’t release enough pressure. Similarly, the baking soda method asks you to add boiling water to the powder in the pipe, which could cause some serious pipe damage.

Avoiding these mistakes is the best way to save money on repairs and reduce damage to your drains. If you live in the Antioch, CA area and want to save even more money, call Almighty Plumbing to schedule drain cleaning.