The Difference Between Drain Cleaning and Clearing
“Clearing” and “cleaning” can be synonyms in some cases, but in the world of plumbing, these terms refer to two very different processes designed to meet differing needs.
Drain clearing is considered more of a “quick fix” for clogged pipes. During clearing, the plumber breaks up the clog with a rodding machine. Rodding machines consist of heavy-duty cable and cutting blade attachments and are motor-powered. The blades are designed to spin and break up clogs when the motor is turned on. While a normal flow can typically resume once the clog is broken up (cleared, not cleaned), remnants of past clogs are left behind, which makes it more likely that you’ll experience another clog.
Drain cleaning uses a machine called a hydro jetter which runs highly pressurized water through your pipes. Clogs and/or grease buildup is removed (cleaned) from the walls of your pipes. Drain cleaning solves existing problems and helps prevent future buildup, which will save you money in the long run.
The Difference Between Hydro-Jetting and Power Rodding
Hydro-jetting cleans your pipes. It uses pressured water to push away any obstructions and leave the pipe as clean as when it was first installed. This process works by attaching a cleaning head to a water line that is threaded into the pipe. The head is covered in holes that release high-pressure jets of hot water up to 4,000 PSI into the lines, obliterating the clog and flushing it away without damage to the pipe. Besides removing the clog, pressurized water also dissolves grease and sludge which could cause another outbreak of clogging.
Power Rodding clears your pipes. It carefully eases a stabilized metal cable into the pipe to avoid damaging the delicate plumbing system. At the end of this cable, is a cleaning head made of extremely sharp blades that are measured to the diameter of the pipe. The blades rotate at high-speed breaking up the clog and scraping away accumulated sludge from the pipe walls, resulting in a clear sewer for water to flow.
