Drain Cleaning Service in Park Ridge
Since 1927, Pratt Services has proudly served the Park Ridge community. As a locally owned and operated business, we have maintained our exceptional reputation as the most reliable and trusted drain cleaning company in the area for nearly a century. Our company is fully licensed, bonded, and insured, ensuring your complete peace of mind when you choose us for your needs. Our team consists of honest, hardworking, and experienced professionals who are committed to exceeding the expectations of our customers. Whether you require emergency, commercial, or residential drain cleaning, we would be delighted to assist you. Contact Pratt Services today and join the ranks of our dedicated and satisfied clientele!
What is hydro jetting?
Hydro jetting is the process of forcing high-pressure water through your plumbing system using a particular hose. The first stage in this non-invasive technique is to analyze the line with a camera to identify any damage that would stop us from employing hydro-jetting to clear the clog. After determining that there is no damage, we will begin your hydro jetting service by introducing the hose and connecting it to a professional water tank. Before we begin this process, we must carefully locate the best area to insert the hose.Highly pressurized water, assisted by our exceptionally sturdy hose and gravity, will commence the process by forcefully propelling water at a rate of approximately 20 gallons per minute through rearward-facing jets and a forward-facing jet for extra debris clearance, propelling the nozzle through the pipes. Hydro jetting isn't limited to clog removal - it also eliminates tree roots, grease, mineral scale and a range of other debris types that could potentially cause future issues. If the clog is deep, this technique will probably be suggested by your reliable plumbing company.
What are the different types of hydro jetting heads?
Plumbers use many different hydro jetting head types, and each one serves its own unique purpose. Your drain cleaning contractor will methodically select which heads to use for your hydro jetting service, depending on the severity and nature of the debris and/or clogs we locate during our inspection.
Warthog Heads are the embodiment of bringing out the heavy artillery. These large and powerful heads spin at high speeds to eliminate the toughest and most stubborn clogs. Nevertheless, the unmatched power of this head can lead to plumbing damage if not used correctly. When you reach out to us for drain cleaning service near you, we’ll give you full peace of mind that your hydro jetting service will be administered with precision and care.
Grease Heads are, as the name implies, specifically intended for removing grease. They feature a rotating nozzle that sprays water perpendicularly to the head, effectively removing stubborn, adhered grease as it moves through the pipeline. Since their cleaning action is limited to the pipe walls and does not address clogs before or after the head, it is a common practice to use another cleaning head in sequence to achieve the best results.
The Leader is a versatile nozzle employed by our experts to address challenging and hard-to-reach areas such as P-traps, pipe bends, corners, or vertical drops. As it navigates through these intricate spaces and moves along the pipes, the line follows the movement of the head.
Penetrator Heads adopt an aggressive strategy, combining a highly powerful forward jet with rear-facing jets. The forward jet works to power through soft plugs and pierce a hole in them. When the head is pushed out of the pipe, the blockage follows. These heads are highly effective for clearing blockages in both directions.
Ice Heads attack ice dams by forcefully breaking through the ice. The pointed heads are an efficient technique to melt and clear ice by utilizing forward and backward-facing jets, a sharp tip, and hot water.
What are the most common sources of drain clogs?
The degree of drain clogs varies widely, and the worst ones can leave you facing corrosion, backups, complex repairs, and other aggravating issues.
Feminine Products are not designed or intended to degrade in your plumbing. Rather, they expand and accumulate, eventually causing serious clogs.
Oils, Fats, or Grease solidify inside pipes as they cool off, leading to the formation of stubborn and challenging blockages.
Cat Litter should not be flushed down the toilet, even if the package claims the formula is "flushable." Cat feces can cause a variety of problems that are harmful to human health, and the litter can cause clogs and other issues with your plumbing. Cat excrement disrupts the beneficial microorganisms on which the septic system relies, causing serious, ever-worsening problems. Animal feces is harmful to households served by municipal water treatment facilities because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to filter animal excrement and its microorganisms - they are only designed to process human waste.
Fibrous Foods Like Pasta, Rices, and Other Starches are notorious for their ability to become highly adhesive, expand, and attach to other substances and food particles, ultimately resulting in plumbing clogs.
Fruit and Vegetable Rinds or Peels can cause problems that range from stuck garbage disposal blades to substantial damage that involves drains, disposals, and pipes. Toys could make their way into toilets and, eventually, pipelines. Foreign objects like these have a tendency to damage or block piping after being flushed by young children.
Eggshells are an unusual material in that when they enter your drain, pipes, and/or garbage disposal, they produce very minute, granular waste that clings to sludge inside pipes and forms stubborn clogs.
Cosmetic Towelettes and Wipes easily get stuck on bends or imperfections in pipes. Even wipes that are marketed as “flushable” can easily accumulate and cause blockages in your plumbing.
Dental Floss, Hair, and Other Stringy Things can knot up, clump together, stick inside pipes and drains, team up with soap scum and grease, and create nasty clogs. Putting hair into the trash can, using a drain guard, and making shower drain maintenance a priority can help you avoid this type of clog.
Cotton Swabs do not deteriorate, so they can easily cause fixture backups and serious obstructions.
What are the signs of a clogged drain?
You may need help from our drain cleaning service near you if you notice:
- Odors of mustiness or sewage Rising water bills (due to inefficiency)
- Water rising from drains after toilet is flushed
- Air bubbles or gurgling noises
- Pests in pipes
- Water backing up in plumbing fixtures (sink, tub, etc.)
- Sewage in your sewer cleanout
- Overflowing or clogged toilet(s)
- Slow draining sink(s)
Clogs that don’t easily clear with a plunger Standing water If you have clean drains, but you’re still dealing with a plumbing problem, we may suggest drain line replacement or drain line repair. Our experienced Park Ridge drain cleaning company stands ready to assist with any plumbing problem you could ever encounter. Because clogs have a tendency to intensify and grow more complicated as time goes on, calling Pratt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning the moment you see any indicators of a clog will help you avoid more serious problems down the road.
What are the different types of drain clogs?
Soft Plugs
A soft plug results from gradual buildup typically caused by items like baby wipes, grease, or tissue paper. These clogs often get lodged at a flaw in the piping or a curve, a common observation made by our licensed plumbers. Over time, the accumulated material obstructs the pipeline, forming a barrier to water flow. While plumbing snakes can temporarily alleviate the issue by creating a hole in the plug, the material often reseals, leading to a recurring problem. Hydro jetting is proven to be the most efficient method for eliminating a soft clog.Hard Plugs
A hard plug occurs when an object or debris obstructs the pipe. These blockages happen when a foreign item (like a rock, a child's toy, a pet toy, or something similar) is flushed, mineral deposits accumulate, or tree roots intrude into the plumbing system. Hard plugs cannot be cleared without the assistance of a skilled plumber because attempting to do so can lead to significant damage and costly repairs. When you contact Pratt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, our team will conduct a thorough pipe inspection to identify the blockage's cause and location. We will then employ advanced plumbing techniques, such as hydro jetting, to safely remove the hard plug and restore your plumbing to proper working order.How can homeowners prevent clogged drains?
Use a mesh drain strainer. Mesh strainers offer a cost-effective and convenient solution for capturing food particles and other solids. Just position it securely in place and regularly empty it to dispose of the collected particles.
Rinse kitchen drains regularly with hot water. Develop the habit of running hot water after you finish using your kitchen sink to prevent clogs caused by soap, tiny particles of food, and other materials being flushed down the drain. If you experience regular clogs, pouring very hot water down your drain once a week will help keep buildup to a minimum.
Harness the power of simple, affordable kitchen staples - vinegar and baking soda. Baking soda is a fantastic kitchen drain cleaner since it keeps drains smelling clean and fresh and also absorbs. Regularly pour baking soda down your kitchen drain, then rinse with hot water. Vinegar is an organic cleaner and deodorizer that removes food particle accumulation from your pipes by using acetic acid ( a natural solvent). Pour a cup of vinegar down your drain once a week and leave it sitting for 30 minutes prior to rinsing with hot water. This is a low-cost technique that will help keep your drain in good working order. Pour a cup of baking soda and two cups of vinegar down your drain, then watch as these two powerful substances deodorize and clean the drain. Allow the mixture to bubble for about 15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with hot water.
Don’t use harsh chemicals. Chemical drain cleaners are known to be highly acidic. In certain scenarios, they may appear to be effective, but the corrosion they can cause is hiding deep within your pipes. Consistent use of harsh drain cleaners can, in fact, lead to blockages by promoting the accumulation of corrosion. If you're dealing with a clogged drain, we recommend reaching out to Pratt Services for professional drain cleaning in Park Ridge. When it comes to household cleaners, it's smart to prioritize natural options. Cleaning chemicals not only pose risks to your health but can also harm your plumbing. You might be pleasantly surprised by the versatility and effectiveness of vinegar and baking soda for various home cleaning tasks. There are also numerous safe and efficient cleaning products available as alternatives to harsh cleansers.
Don’t put food scraps down your kitchen drain. An important step toward avoiding clogs is being careful about what enters your drains. Prior to rinsing dishes, make a habit of scraping food scraps into your garbage can.
Keep grease far from your sink. Cooking oils and grease are considered plumbing's mortal enemies. When oils and grease cool, they harden and tend to attach to solids, forming difficult, difficult blockages. Instead of putting these hazardous substances down the drain, collect them in a container or glass jar and dispose of them in your household garbage.
Know how to properly use your garbage disposal. Many people don’t realize that garbage disposals and trash cans are not one and the same. Garbage disposal clogs can be both costly and messy. Garbage disposals are convenient, but certain items should never go near them. Don’t put any of these substances, products, and foods into a garbage disposal: Eggshells Meat Chemicals Pasta Bones Rice Coffee Grounds Paint Paper Products Fibrous Vegetable or Fruit Peels During garbage disposal use and for around one minute after, turn on your cold water tap. This helps food particles completely flush down the pipes, prevents unpleasant smells, and aids in the grinding process.
