It’s happened to everyone. During a seemingly ordinary shower, you take a step to notice the water levels inching toward your shins. Maybe you notice that when clearing dishes, even running the garbage disposal won’t help that murky water go down. Clogged and blocked drains, whether in your sink or shower, are more than just an inconvenience. Ignoring them can lead to major plumbing issues. Everything from hair to food to hard water residue can be behind your clogged drain.

The first thing you need to decide is whether or not a store-bought drain cleaner can help your specific situation. Does the pooling water eventually drain away or is it staying firmly in place? In the case of a fully blocked drain, chemical consumer products may not be able to get the job done. Luckily, even the toughest clogs can be tackled without the use of chemicals.

From the plunger to Hydro Jetting, simple physical methods can be used to break up a clog. Grab your plunger, coat the edges in petroleum jelly (for a tighter seal and better pressure) and plunge the drain for 1-2 minutes. If the water won’t drain after that, the next step is a Cable/Snake or Hydro Jetting method. Your local plumber in San Antonio can safely perform these methods. Hydro Jetting works exactly the way its name implies. A high-pressured stream of water is sent through your drain to break apart and flush away heavy clogs. Cable/Snake drain cleaning utilizes a drain snake, generally made of piano wire. Your plumber will feed the drain snake down into the clogged pipe to physically scrape, break or remove the blockage.

However you choose to unclog your pipe, make sure you do it in a timely manner. If a clog causes too much pressure to build, your pipes could crack or burst, leaving you with a much bigger, much messier plumbing problem. Whether all you need is a plunger and some elbow grease, or the help of a San Antonio plumbing professional, prompt action on your part can prevent expensive repairs in the future.