If your drains are slowing down or are completely clogged, you may have questions about whether going the DIY route with a snake or hiring a professional plumber to hydrojet things clean is your best option. The answer is that it depends upon the situation, and when it comes to your home or office’s plumbing, you’ll probably save time and money by going with a professional plumber in the first place. An experienced Boca Raton plumber will carefully assess what’s slowing down your drains and will skillfully implement the appropriate professional tools to effectively and efficiently remedy the problem.
Hydrojet vs. Snake
Both snaking and hydrojetting can be effective tools for clearing your pipes, but it’s important to remember that different plumbing problems call for different plumbing answers.
A plumbing snake, which is sometimes called a plumbing auger, is a long metal tube that encloses an inner cable – one end of which attaches either to blades or to a corkscrew auger. At the other end, there is a crank which, when turned, allows the cable and blades to extend outward toward the clog. These tools come in DIY versions and in professional models (some of which are motorized). While you can likely clear a minor clog with a snake you purchase at the hardware store, it is typically better for your drains and pipes to leave heavier-duty problems to the professionals.
A hydrojet is a professional plumbing tool that sends pressurized water coursing through your pipes. The water’s force can blast through nearly any kind of blockage, including stubborn clogs like tree roots.
Each of these methods, the snake and the hydrojet, is the preferred cleaning technique for different plumbing situations. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and a professional Boca Raton plumber will carefully assess and address your plumbing issue by skillfully implementing the right equipment for the job.
Plumbing Snake: Pros and Cons
Pros
Professional plumbers and DIY plumbers have been using snakes for a long time. They are a fairly gentle method – especially in the skilled hands of a professional plumber – of breaking through clogs. Some pipes are too old and/or too fragile to withstand a hydrojet’s force, and in such cases, the snake is a good option. Further, snaking doesn’t involve harsh chemicals like liquid drain cleaners and is therefore an environmentally friendly choice.
Cons
While a snake can likely break through the clog in your pipes, it doesn’t necessarily clear the clog away. Often, snaking bores a hole through the clog, and that hole usually closes over again with time. A professional plumber has the skill and the advanced equipment to effectively and efficiently snake through your pipes, but this service does not scour your pipes clean the way hydrojetting does.
Hydrojet: Pros and Cons
Pros
The Hydrojet is a professional plumbing tool that blasts through clogs and scours your pipes clean in the process. Hydrojetting uses only pressurized water, so like snaking, no harsh chemicals are employed – making it an environmentally friendly process. Additionally, hydro jetting is a uniquely powerful tool that can bulldoze its way through even the toughest clogs.
Cons
Hydrojetting is such a powerful tool that it can harm pipes that are fragile, old, or damaged. Hydrojetting is a professional tool that necessitates professional consideration and finesse.
Which Is It – Snaking or Hydrojetting?
In the end, every plumbing problem is unique to its circumstances, and a professional plumber will determine which drain cleaning system best suits your needs. If an experienced plumber determines that your pipes are becoming too fragile, he or she will likely consult you about different options for fortifying their physical integrity – before you encounter more significant problems.
All told, if your clog is less serious and/or your pipes aren’t in good repair, an experienced plumber will likely use a plumbing snake to clear away the clog. If, on the other hand, you have a heavy-duty blockage and your pipes are in decent shape, your plumber may hydrojet the clog away. Whatever the circumstances, however, an experienced Boca Raton plumber will determine what’s causing your slow drains and will skillfully employ the appropriate professional tools to remedy the problem.
If You’ve Got Slow Drains, an Experienced Boca Raton Plumber Has Solutions
If slow drains are slowing down your home or office, the experienced plumbers at Erica's Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Restoration are here to help. And because plumbing problems seem to pop up at exactly the wrong moments, we’re available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. For more information, please contact or call us at (561) 782-2779 today.
Erica's Plumbing, Air Conditioning & RestorationPhone: (561) 782-2779
