Homeowner Beware: Why You Should Leave Clearing Blocked Drains to the Pros

Clearing Blocked Drains Is Best Left to the Experts

We completely understand: unclogging a drain feels like something that you can accomplish with only a plunger and some elbow grease. Time and again, though, our professional plumbing team is met with situations that demonstrate why clearing blocked drains is best left to the pros.

At S&J Plumbing & Gasfitting, we’ve pretty much seen it all. That includes blockages cleared by all manner of debris—and plumbing situations made much worse by DIY homeowners hoping to save money. If you’re faced with a blocked drain, here are the top reasons why you should get a plumber instead of a plunger.

DIY Can Make Things Worse

The number one risk of attempting to clear blocked drains yourself is not that you fail to dislodge the blockage. Rather, it’s that you succeed in dislodging it—but only push the problem deeper into your plumbing system.

We see it all too often: a homeowner had a blocked drain, attempted to fix the problem themselves, and instead pushed the problem farther down. In some cases, this can lead to a more significant issue or contribute to a blocked sewer drain. It can also make the problem more difficult to diagnose and fix.

Overall, while homeowners may be able to remove debris from drains, the risk of damaging your home’s plumbing—and wasting your own time—isn’t worth it in most cases.

Clearing Blocked Drains Requires Specialised Equipment

Why do DIY homeowners often make blockages worse? While much of the problem is a lack of experience, it also comes down to a lack of proper equipment. 

As professional plumbers, we have access to specialised equipment that makes our jobs easier—and more effective. This includes equipment such as drain snakes, drain augers, and hydro jets, all of which provide much greater leverage and power for clearing blocked drains than your average plunger. 

Generally speaking, these pieces of equipment are not accessible to the average homeowner, either due to high costs or simply not being available at your local hardware store. So rather than seeking out this specialised equipment yourself—and paying through the nose for it—you’re much better off booking a plumber to clear your drain for a modest price.

Plumbers Are More Thorough

When clearing blocked drains yourself, it’s very likely that you will only temporarily resolve the issue. For example, you may dislodge some of the blockage, allowing water to drain once more. However, the rest of the blockage will remain, causing water to flow slowly and enabling debris to collect and block your drain once more.

Thanks to our equipment and years of expertise, our plumbing team here at S&J can fully remove the blockage from your drain and prevent future headaches. Rather than partly dealing with the problem, only to have it return in a week or two, we can fully resolve your blocked drain.

Plumbers Can Identify the Root Problem

Finally, there’s one last reason why you should generally leave clearing blocked drains to the experts: you may not have a blocked drain at all. Sure, the water may not be draining properly, but in some cases this may be due to a more severe plumbing issue.

In other cases, you may have a blocked drain, but the blockage may have occurred as a result of an underlying issue with your plumbing. 

No matter the cause, an expert plumber will be able to identify the root of the problem and provide a long-term solution that will improve the overall health of your plumbing system. 

S&J Plumbing: Your Blocked Drain Specialists!

Here at S&J Plumbing, we’re the unclogging pros you’ve been looking for. Our team has years of experience professionally clearing blocked drains effectively, efficiently, and safely. With a host of specialised equipment at our disposal, our team is able to fully clear any blockage without damaging your home’s plumbing. What’s more, have access to several diagnostic tools (such as CCTV cameras) to fully inspect your drains and identify the root cause of your problem. 

If your water isn’t draining, don’t DIY! Instead, call our team at S&J and we’ll be there promptly.