Pipe Cleaning

Clean and simple

Because water carries an amount of minerals, not to mention what goes down your drains, your house's water system will inevitably need cleaning.

The two biggest plumbing problems are pipe obstructions and water scale buildup. These cause bottlenecks of water flow can go undetected for years and cause major damages to the home and its plumbing system.

Pipe cleaning is not an easy task and is usually best left to professionals. However, enterprising, DIY types are more than welcome to attack the problem head on.

An ounce of prevention

Hard water scaling is a build-up of calcium carbonate on plumbing components. The solid white "scale" can cause a great deal of problems in a home's plumbing system from leaky valves to breaking pipes.

Water scaling is most often evident as a buildup around drains, showerheads and faucets. This "scum" is also called limescale. This is easily remedied on the surface but, rest assured, the problem goes much deeper.

The best way to deal with hard water scaling is prevention. Though expensive, a good water softener, a tank within the home which filters out the harmful minerals, can save you a fortune in repairs, not to mention the fact that it will take less soap to wash you and your dishes.

Without permanently filtering out the sedimentary content, any action is only a band-aid on the bigger problem and will only slow the process down.

Digging deep

Drainage problems are a common indicator of plumbing problems. The first step to cleaning pipes is simply determining whether the blocked drainage is the result of drain obstruction or pipe obstruction.

Drain obstruction is sometimes accompanied by errant smells from inside the drain. Common drain obstructions, such as hair, can by remedied using corrosive chemicals but be careful not to overuse these drain cleaners as they can eat through the pipes themselves if not rinsed out.

Tougher obstructions need to be dug out using a prod or an auger.

Extreme measures

If the problem is deeper within the system, or unexpectedly tough, one option is using a high-pressure water pump with a specially designed nozzle to erode the build-up around the pipe's interior. The hose and nozzle of the water pump can be snaked deep within the plumbing system, though their reach is limited. 

A more aggressive option for getting rid of tough build-up is replacing the afflicted pipe altogether. This, however, can become a nightmare task for some systems, if the pipes are completely enclosed in the walls.

More information on pipes & fittings