Sewerage cleaning and elimination of pipe blockages
Sewerage blockage is a common problem experienced by both private and apartment residents.
Sewerage is mostly clogged in old houses, especially in those equipped by cast iron pipes, where inner surface can be corroded.
- Causes of sewerage blockages are:
- Grease leftovers
- Mechanical blockages
- Incorrect installation
- Long-term sewerage system maintenance
The most frequent cause of blockages is grease leftovers, derived from kitchen waste, detergents, washing machines and dishwashers. They accumulate on the pipe inner surface and thicken due to indissoluble trash that gets into the pipes, as well as lime patina. Such pipes subsequently stop passing water through and it is tough to eliminate the consequences even for an expert.
Mechanical blockages are caused by litter entering the sewerage system. This can be either food waste or hair, construction debris, personal hygiene items, etc.
If the sewerage system installation was properly carried out, high-quality pipes were used and preventive work regularly takes place, then residents may not encounter serious blockages.
If the sewerage system connection tightness is lost, or improper installation is revealed (use of less diameter pipes, than required, minimum pipe slope, pipe right angle bends etc.), thick leftovers piled up in the pipes quite fast.
If the apartment is flooded through a fault of impassable pipes, then you will have to repair the damaged flooring or furniture, along with cleaning the sewerage system. Therefore, you should never ignore the main signs of an emerging blockage - slow water drainage or unpleasant smell.
How to unclog sewer at home
The siphon is mainly clogged, therefore you can primarily try to unscrew, clean and rinse it.
For small local blockages, pipe cleaners are applied, i.e. aids at hand (boiling water, soda, vinegar) or special chemical alkaline compounds for kitchen or acidic ones for bathrooms.
For more difficult cases, special tool or equipment is to be used to unclog sewerage and remove blockages.
Sewer cleaning tool
When it comes to household sewer cleaning tools, the first recalled thing is a plunger. Its operation is vacuum based to push the blockage out. However, the plunger can only remove the blockage located beside the drain hole. It will not help with pipe leftovers, and furthermore, keeping clean is not easy when working with the plunger.
Toilet spirals
Cleaning toilet spirals are applied to remove toilet blockages. Performance, speed and quality of work are the undoubted advantages. When cleaning the toilet bowl with spirals, the hands and the toilet room are kept clean. They are used both at home by laymen and for professional cleaning of lavatory seats in public places.
Ridgid company offers 2 similar spirals: RIDGID K-3 with spiral length of 1 meter and RIDGID K-6 with spiral length of 2 meters. To clean the toilet, it is enough to insert the end of the spiral into the toilet bowl, push it through to the clog, and then remove it by rotating the spiral using the ergonomic plastic handle. Cleaning the toilet will take a couple of minutes.
Toilet Auger Ridgid K-3 | Toilet Auger Ridgid K-6 |
Price 3 200 rub. | Price 5 439 rub. |
Hand spinners
The Ridgid hand spinners are designed to remove blockages in bathtubs, sinks and drain pipes with diameter of 20-40 mm. They even productively eliminate deep blockages using a special cable, keeping cleanliness around. Some models can be equipped with manual and automatic cable (spiral) feed, they can be connected to household drills. Owing to their low cost and efficiency, many people purchase them for self-cleaning of blockages in private houses and apartments.
Hand Spinner with AUTOFEED Ridgid KWIK-SPIN+ | Hand Spinners Ridgid POWER SPIN+ |
Price 3 043 rub. | Price 5 415 rub. |
It is not always possible to get rid of the blockage on your own. In this case, specialists are better to call.
Professional equipment for sewer cleaning copes with any kind of blockage. However taking into account its high cost and necessity for specific knowledge, it is acquired by housing and communal services, management companies or private plumber teams, i.e. those who are constantly engaged in the elimination of blockages.
Portable cleaning machines
Portable cleaning machines are sufficiently compact to work in limited spaces and powerful enough to cope with deep-located blockages in sinks and bathrooms. The Ridgid portable cleaning machines are fitted with the patented AUTOFEED technology to facilitate wire rope feeding and retrieval to minimize pollution and protect sewerage system.
Drain Cleaning Machine RIDGID PowerClear | Sink Machine RIDGID K-40 |
Price 28 433 rub. | Price 69 220 rub. |
Rod cleaning machines
They are used for cleaning straight main pipelines with diameter ranged from 200 to 610 mm. Blockages are eliminated by pushing sectional sewer rods through long straight segments of large diameter pipes up to 150 m long.
Rodder Machine RIDGID K-1000 |
Price 314 246 rub. |
Drum cleaning machines
Drum cleaning machines can be applied to eliminate blockages either in both secondary pipelines and drain pipes, or in branch and main pipelines. Cleaning cable is located inside the drum for mobility and clean work area. Special trolley and telescopic handle makes it easy to transport.
Ridgid company has been producing drum cleaning machines since 1982.
Drum Machine RIDGID К-400 | Drum Machine RIDGID К-750 |
Price 57 184 rub. | Price 157 992 rub. |
Sectional cleaning machines
Unlike drum-type machines, the Ridgid sectional machines remove blockages using high-speed cutting. They are used with spirals of different diameters and sizes to expand their usage possibilities.
Sectional Machine RIDGID K-1500G | Sectional Machine RIDGID K-50 |
Price 341 618 rub. | Price 90 112 rub. |
Hydrodynamic machines
Hydrodynamic cleaning of the sewerage system is the high-pressure water supply with hydrodynamic equipment. At the first stage, water is supplied through large nozzles to break through the blockage and perform preliminary cleaning. Then the nozzles are changed to the smaller ones and the inner surface of the pipes is thoroughly cleaned.
Using hydrodynamic pipes, not only the blockage can be removed, but also the frozen pipes may be unclogged by hot water supply.
Water Jetter RIDGID KJ-2200-C | Water Jetter RIDGID KJ-3100 |
Price 324 977 rub. | Price 543 387 rub. |
When cleaning the sewerage system in a professional manner, specialists have to deal with different blockage types. It can be nearby blockages in house drain pipes, or there can be complex blockages in branch pipes flanked by tree roots.
Ridgid company offers equipment for any, even the most difficult case!
Our managers are always ready to answer questions about the selection and maintenance of professional tools and equipment.
Prevention of blockages in sewerage system:
- protect drain holes from waste and outside objects with special grates,
- flush sewerage system with maximum hot water pressure within 5-15 minutes once a week,
- if possible, install a grease trap and a food waste chipper under kitchen sink,
- do not save on water by draining grease-containing liquids, they must be rinsed well with hot water,
- do not ignore the first blockage signs - poor water drainage and unpleasant smell.
If such simple rules and precautions are observed, it minimizes the risk of clogging, wearing and damaging sewerage system by chemicals.
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