Here at Garvin’s, we like to see a smooth-running drain. And if that means you’re doing your own drain cleaning, so be it!
I recently saw a YouTube video on a new device that is said to help with unclogging secondary lines. By “secondary lines”, I am referring to inside plumbing lines, such as clogged bathtub, clogged kitchen or bathroom sinks. Most of the time, slow running drains are a condition of something being trapped within the first few feet of plumbing (this is the area between the drain and the p-trap, the curvy pipe under the drain.) This particular device is a plastic piece with barbs. You simply feed the piece of plastic into the drain, and the barbs will grab hair and lint or anything else that may be light and in the line.
Other things that I’ve seen like this are spring loaded pipes with wires threaded through that have a little grabbing “hand” on the end. It works much the same way. I agree that for slow running drains with clogs within the first foot, this can be a good option. I always discourage the use of chemical products (such as Drain-O®), and instead highly suggest one of these devices. They can be found for under $10 at a home improvement store.
For stopped, back-uped, or clogged sinks and clogged tubs, I suggest you contact a Professional drain-cleaning company. We have seen homeowners purchase a drain snake and break through pipes or get the snake broken in the line, which ends up costing even more than the cost of hiring us to begin with.
Basically, if you think it is something you can handle by yourself, you could be right. I suggest you call and talk to us and see if it is more than what you bargained for. Our staff is happy to troubleshoot your issue.
