What Exactly is The Difference Between Drain Cleaning and Plumbing?

There are a lot of housekeeping tasks that need to be completed in any home. Some of these important tasks include plumbing and drainage problems. The plumbing in your home is essential in keeping it running smoothly. Without proper drainage and plumbing, you risk water damage and other issues. This is where drain cleaning and plumbing can get confusing.

Understanding the difference between drain cleaning and plumbing helps to know the elements of each. Keep reading to learn more about the differences.

What is plumbing?

The plumbing in your home includes the pipes, drains, and other parts that bring water to your sinks, showers, and toilets. This also includes the water heater and anything else related to bringing water into your home or making sure it’s drained away.

What is drain cleaning?

Drain cleaning is the process of removing debris and buildup inside the pipes and drains. This process of removing the buildup is usually performed through high-pressure water jetting or by using chemical solutions. There are two different ways to clean drains. You can either use a drain opener or call a professional plumber.

What’s the difference between drain cleaning and plumbing?

Drain cleaning is a specific type of plumbing that often applies to home plumbing. As the name suggests, it’s the process of getting rid of clogs and other significant problems with the pipes and drains inside your home. Drain cleaning often includes hydro jetting or snaking to remove blockages in the drains, which is a plumber’s job.

The main reason drain cleaning is different from plumbing is that plumbing only deals with your water lines outside of your house. Hence, a plumber can’t help you with any clogs or issues inside your home. Drain cleaners can help you with both, but this depends on where you live and what type of issue you have.

On the other hand, the plumbing goes much further than just unclogging drains. Plumbing involves installing pipes, sinks, bathtubs, and fixtures in your home. It also involves repairing water leaks and replacing parts of an aging system. This type of work will need to be done more frequently than drain cleaning as it’s more intense and requires more time and effort on behalf of the plumber.

When does plumbing apply?

Plumbing is necessary for your home to make sure water flows safely and healthily. Plumbing, however, does not include drains.

Here are some scenarios where plumbing comes into play:

  • When you need to repair or replace pipes
  • If there’s water coming out of the drain where it shouldn’t be
  • If there’s no hot water coming out of the faucet
  • If your toilet keeps running and won’t stop
  • If you have a backed-up sewer system, which creates an unpleasant odour in your home

You will need to call a plumber to fix or address the problem in these examples. A plumber can help with repairs or replacements of pipes, fix water flow issues caused by a clog, repair water heater problems, unclog toilets, and get rid of sewer backups.

When does drain cleaning apply?

Drain cleaning is a specific type of plumbing that often applies to home plumbing. As the name suggests, it’s the process of getting rid of clogs and other major problems with the pipes and drains inside your home. Drain cleaning often includes hydro jetting or snaking to remove blockages in the drains, which is a plumber’s job.

The main reason why drain cleaning is different from plumbing is that plumbing only deals with your water lines outside of your house. Hence, a plumber can’t help you with any clogs or issues inside your home. Drain cleaners can help you with both, but this depends on where you live and what type of issue you have.

Conclusion

Drain cleaning is the process of removing foreign objects, like hair and soap scum, from a clogged pipe. To do this, you need to turn the water off before you start. You can use a plumber’s snake to clear the clog. It has a flexible coil that can go into the pipe to dislodge any debris that may be obstructing the flow of water.

Plumbing also deals with pipes and other fixtures in your home that connect to your drains, including more than just fixing a clogged pipe. Plumbers are skilled in repairing leaks, installing faucets and toilets, repairing fixtures, etc. For example, if you have a leaky pipe under your sink or toilet that needs repair, you need a professional plumber to come out and fix it for you.