Though commercial pipelines are a bit more extensive than those in residential properties, they’re just as prone to developing clogs. In fact, with thousands of individuals washing their hands, fixing their makeup, and even dumping food down these drains every day, clogs can happen at any time. You as the building owner or manager should know what to do about these occasional inconveniences. Read about a few ways to remove clogs from commercial piping to keep everything working properly.
Run the Faucet
First, you can try to run hot water down the clogged drain. While this isn’t guaranteed to work, pouring extremely hot water through a blocked pipe can help break up any grease, food, or hair stuck to the metal. This can loosen the entire clump and make it easier to flush it through the system. Typically, you only need to run the water for ten to 15 minutes for this process to work. If it’s still clogged past this point, you may need to try a new method.
Dislodge With a Plunger
The next step is to attempt to dislodge the clog with a plunger. These tools create a pressurized seal within a drain—which allows you to forcibly loosen material before flushing it away. This is why they’re so effective on clogged toilets and showers. Simply position the plunger over the drain, press down to create suction, and pull up. Remember that you may need to do this a few times to achieve success.
Pull It Out With a Drain Snake
Another effective way to remove clogs from commercial piping is to try pulling it out with a drain snake. This can help with larger blockages that won’t budge by traditional means. Drain snakes are long strands of wire with hooks on the end. You feed them down the afflicted pipeline and grab onto the problematic material. Then, you can pull the chunk out.
Bring in the Professionals
But if none of these other methods work, you can turn to the professionals for additional assistance. Not only do these services provide you with an experienced team of plumbers to assess the issue, but they also give you access to more advanced tools to complete the job. Plumbing companies often use commercial hydro-jetting to force thousands of gallons of water down the drain at high pressure. This blasts the clog away and leaves your piping system clean.
