How Does Drain Cleaner Work

You must be wondering what drain cleaners are, right? It’s simple. Drain cleaners are products used to unclog a blocked drainage system. It could be a toilet, a kitchen sink, a shower drain; any system that drains water. Drain cleaner could also be used to refer to the person that unblocks clogged drains. However, the most common name for the person is a Plumber.

There are different types of drain cleaners depending on the components used to make them but they all do the same job. I’ll highlight the different types and how does drain cleaner work.

 Types of Drain Cleaners & Their Working Process

#1: Chemical Drain Cleaners 

Chemical drain cleaners are quite popular. Chances are, every time you grab a drain cleaner from the local store it will be a chemical one. The chemicals form a reaction with the clogging material and generate heat which melts away the clog.

Chemical drain cleaners are further divided into categories. All these categories work the same way. The only difference is the process in which they work to unclog your drainage.

Drain cleaners with the chemical composition are heavier than water and thus the ability to move through the stagnant water. They either give or attract electrons from the waste creating the reaction that works the magic.

Even with all the praises on how well chemical drain cleaners clear your drainage, they also have a downside. They are highly toxic and can burn your clothes and skin. Due to the corrosive chemicals, these cleaners could wear out your pipes with continued usage.

#2: Enzymatic Drain Cleaners

Unlike the chemical drain cleaners, these cleaners don’t have any chemicals in them. Instead, they consist of enzymes and bacteria that feed on the organic matter that clogs up your sink. The typical kind of household blockage is caused by either hair or food particles. Enzymatic drain cleaners feed on these particles clearing the clog and maintaining the flow of water.

They are very environment-friendly and you can, therefore, use them without any worry of damaging your pipes. However, you’d have to work on that blockage when you have all the time in the world. It could take you a couple of hours just to unclog a simple kitchen sink.

#3: Mechanical Drain Cleaners

You could decide to do the unblocking manually without having to use all these chemicals. In such a case, you’re also covered. There are tools designed for just that. These are what we refer to as mechanical drain cleaners.

The tools include but not limited to:

• Plungers

These ones are easy to use and very common in households. They have two parts: the handle that you use to squeeze into the blocked sink and the rubber part that sucks out the dirt by creating a vacuum. You can buy this one for a quick fix of your shower tab or sink.

• Handheld drain augers

Just like the name suggests, you use your hand to rotate a kind of a drum that holds the cable you’ll insert in your sink. These ones clear a drainage that’s up to 8 meters from the opening.

• Airburst drain Cleaners

It simply uses accelerated air to burst out the clog.

• Plumber snakes

Another name for these tools is electric drain cleaners. They use an electric motor to straighten up flexible cables into pipes. This makes it possible to push all the dirt causing blockage and clean the walls of the pipes. It’s a very efficient way to clear any drainage without causing damages to the pipes.

• Sewer Jetters

There is also this type of tool that uses water under very high pressure to unclog your sink.

Most of these tools, however, will require the expertise of a professional plumber to be able to handle and do the work efficiently.

#4: Homemade Drain Cleaners

I’m sure you experience clogging of sinks and toilets in your house from time to time and you end up stuck with a flooded sink waiting for the plumber. You don’t have to do anything anymore.

There are home remedies that one can use even without having to buy a drain cleaner.

The first one is mixing half a cup of vinegar with half a cup of baking soda and pouring the mixture on the blocked sink. Wait for 15 minutes and then pour hot water into the sink. Your clog will have cleared.

Another home magic trick is mixing salt, vinegar and baking soda in equal proportions and pouring the mixture in the clogged pipe. Wait for 15 minutes and open the hot water tap to run into the sink. The amount of the ingredients depends on the blockage size.

If all those don’t work for you or you just want a simple and easy method, you could try this one:- Pour hot water or a soapy solution into the blocked sink. It melts the grease or dissolves it.

All this can be done with items that are readily available at home, therefore, saving you the hassle of looking for a plumber or running to the supermarket every time you have a blockage.

To select the bet drain cleaner you can check out below video

Final Words

Drain cleaners come in handy in times of a blockage. Are you now able to make an informed decision on which kind of drain cleaner you need for what kind of blockage? I believe so.

However, it is advisable to get a plumber to check on your drainage system a few times in a year to confirm the state of the pipes and change them when necessary.

Pay close attention to the safety measures to ensure your drainage is clean and you’re safe. With that, you can now go buy and use any drain cleaner you think is suitable for your situation.