What method is most effective to clear your drains? Blocked Drains Perth

To the average home owner clearing a blocked drain is as simple as clearing a blocked drain. You call a plumber who arrives and clears the drain and sends a bill, but did you ever think to ask the plumber what method and machinery was used to clear the blockage? This simple question is important to ask as one method is a lot more effective than the other resulting in a lot longer between call outs.

What is a electric eel drain machine?

The most common and traditional method when clearing a blocked drain is using an electric eel drain machine which is a mechanical machine with a cutter head attachment. The steel chain rods are fed down the drain until the blockage is met and cut from the drains clearing the blockage. The problem is the electric eel will only clear the blockage by punching a hole through the centre and not clean or scour the entire internals or the pipe. The electric eel also loses power the further it is down the drain which takes longer to clear the blockage and the customer paying more labour.

What is a Hydro-Jetter (Water Jetter)?

The hydro jetter is a specialized drain cleaning solution, using a petrol motor and a pump the jetter is capable of 5000psi water pressure with a special nozzle affixed to the high-pressure hose. The high-pressure hose is then fed down the drain and can cut through tree roots and provides a wall to wall clean leaving the pipe like brand new. The hydro jetter comes with 60 metres of hose so is never limited by the depth of the blockage and comes with different cleaning nozzles with a wide variety covering all blockages including kitchen grease, tree root blockages, storm water drains, commercial drains and many more.

Which is the better option?

In our opinion the best option when clearing a blocked drain is the hydro jetter as the benefits speak for itself, the cost of the hydro jetter may be slightly more however the result will be a drain running like new and longer between callouts. The day of the electric eel isn’t quite dead, there is situations when the drain isn’t quite strong enough for the hydro jetter so the drain machine must be used or with smaller internal drains the electric eel will always be the tool of choice.

So next time your drains are blocked and your calling a plumber, ask the simple questions “What equipment will be used to clear my drains?”