If you have a clogged drain in your house, you’ll probably reach for a plunger first to try to clear it. That’s a good idea. For simple clogs, a basic plunger can often take care of the problem. But if the plunger doesn’t do the trick, or the clog comes back only a short time later, what’s the next step? It’s not using chemical drain cleaners! Those are potentially hazardous for drainpipes and don’t take care of obstinate clogs.
The best option is to use either a drain snake or a hydro-jetter. Or, more specifically, call a professional plumber to use a drain snake or hydro-jetter. Although you can find basic hand-cranked drain snakes from stores, the tool we’re talking about is a powerful motorized device that only a plumber can operate effectively. And hydro-jetters aren’t commercially available since they’re dangerous in untrained hands (and too expensive for consumer use).
Hard water is water that has a high level of minerals suspended in it, principally magnesium and calcium. This isn’t harmful for drinking; after all, these minerals are found in food. However, those minerals are not good for the plumbing in a home, and they also affect the ability to keep both the house and people in it properly clean. (Soap doesn’t dissolve well in hard water, leaving to filmy deposits, itchy skin, flat hair, and more.)