Slow drains rarely fix themselves. In most cases, a slow drain is a sign that grease, soap, hair, debris, or other buildup is collecting inside the pipe. As that buildup grows, water has less room to flow—turning a drain that’s a little slow today into a completely clogged drain down the road.
Professional drain cleaning does more than temporarily open the drain. Using specialized drain cleaning equipment or high-pressure water jetting, a licensed plumber can remove stubborn blockages and buildup from inside your drain or sewer line to help restore proper flow.
If you’re dealing with a slow or clogged drain, addressing it early can help prevent backups, water damage, unpleasant odors, and more serious plumbing problems. Professional drain cleaning can identify the source of the problem and provide a more thorough, long-lasting solution than simply pouring a chemical drain cleaner down the pipe.
4 Signs Your Drain Needs More than a Plunger
- Slow-draining pipes: Water pools in the sink or tub instead of clearing right away.
- Foul odors around your drains: Food, grease, and waste sitting in the line start to smell.
- Gurgling pipes: Air pushing past a partial blockage makes a bubbling sound when water runs.
- More than one fixture acting up: When the tub and the toilet back up together, the problem is in the main line, not the fixture.
Why You Should Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
Store-bought drain cleaners try to dissolve a clog where it sits instead of removing it. Many of them rely on concentrated acids such as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid. If a clog is particularly stubborn, that acidic liquid can pool in your pipes instead of dissolving the blockage. This can cause older metal pipes to corrode and plastic pipes and gaskets to soften. Over time, these chemical drain cleaners eat at the pipes themselves, which can cause leaks down the road.
Liquid drain cleaners are hard on people, too. Sodium hydroxide, a common drain cleaner ingredient, can burn the eyes and skin, and splashback is a real risk when you’re pouring the product down a blocked drain.
3 Drain Cleaning Methods Used by Professional Plumbers
1. Spin Casting
Spin casting handles serious blockages like tree roots, sludge, and grease. A spinning chain head goes down the line, and as it turns, the chains swing out until they reach the full width of the pipe and scrape the walls clean.
That’s the advantage of spin casting over using a standard snake. Traditional snaking pokes holes in the blockage to allow water to flow. This gets your drain moving again, but it leaves the buildup on the pipe walls to catch the next thing that goes down.
2. Traditional Sectional Machines
Traditional sectional machines also use a spinning action to scour the inside of your pipes, but they are sectioned to treat a specific length of pipe. The machine drives a length of cable through a clutch and can run forward or in reverse, allowing the cables to go around bends in the pipes quite easily. These are typically used in branch lines rather than the entire stack or lateral line.
3. Hydrojetting
Hydrojetting is also known as jetting. With hydrojetting, high-pressure streams of water are shot into the pipe to remove blockages and clean the insides. It’s like a pressure wash for your drainage system, blasting away any grease buildup or light root intrusion without the risks associated with using more caustic drain cleaners.
Quick Reference: 3 Drain Cleaning Methods
| Method | What it Clears Best | When It’s Used |
| Spin casting | Tree roots, hardened sludge, heavy grease | For sewer lines with wall buildup or repeat clogs after snaking |
| Sectional machine | Localized clogs in branch lines | For lines with bends like kitchen, bath, and laundry pipes |
| Hydrojetting | Grease, soap scum, sediment, fine roots | For full-line cleaning and preventative maintenance |
PlumbPRO Services Can Help Clean Your Drain
Grease is the most common cause of sewer blockages, but roots are responsible for another 25% of clogs. Different problems call for different equipment, which is why it can save you time and money to bring in a professional plumber for a diagnosis.
If you’ve observed any of the telltale signs of a clogged drain, PlumbPRO Services can help get things running smoothly again. We’re proud to support our neighbors across Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties, and our Service Partner Plan can help you stay on top of maintenance so small build-up doesn’t turn into a major backup.
Get in touch with us today to schedule your service.