A clogged drain just won’t go away.
A clogged drain can be a real problem, but you gotta love them for what they do.They handle all our waste water, bath water,dirty sink water and water we just don’t need anymore. They quietly go about their job day after day and we just take them for granted until they start to have a little problem and just keep a little helping hand to get back to doing their day to day tasks. It doesn’t make a lot of difference if it’s a clogged bathtub drain or a clogged sewer drain you want it fixed.
After they start to get a little slow with draining or you start to get an odor from the sewer gases then it is time to deal with that clogged drain or they can turn into a major problem when they back up and drain into your home. Sometimes there is a home remedy for clogged drain.
Before you call the plumber there is a few things you can try to unclog a drain. It doesn’t matter if you have a clogged drain at the tub, bathroom sink, shower drain or kitchen, you need a basic understanding of how your drains work before you can deal with that clogged drain. With a few simple tools and you will be ready to give it a try. You can start with some of the commercial drain uncloggers that are available and give that a try. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation carefully because some cause a chemical reaction in your pipe to help clear the clog. Or you could just call the plumber if you had rather spent the money and not deal with it. You might try some of the methods we have listed below for unclogging a drain because most clogs occur in the first few inches of the drain pipe where the sink trap or s-trap is located. These methods sure have worked in the past and I suspect will continue to do so into the future.
Before you began, run water in the different drains in your house to see if they are working properly. If the water drains slowly out of all your drains you probably have a septic system issue and you may need a professional for that type of repair. If it just one is draining slow you might want try some methods listed below.
Clogged drain and home remedies.
1. Plunger….just give it several firm downward strokes and that may do the trick. Use it like you mean it!
2.Coat Hanger…Bend a small hook in the end and reach in the drain and see what you can pull out. It will likely be hair and other gunk. Throw it in the trash and don’t try wash in back down the drain.
3.Hot Water…Place water on the stove and heat to a boil and slowly pour down the clogged drain. Repeat again after a few minutes. The hot water from the tab will probably not be hot enough for this. Be careful with that boiling water.
4. Baking Soda and Vinegar……Mix 1/2 of a cup of vinegar with 1/2 of a cup of baking soda. As soon as it mixes it will start to fizz like Alka Seltzer so just pour it right into the drain and let it set overnight if possible and flush with hot water the next day. It works like a mild acid to help destroy the clog.
5.Dish Washing Soap….Pour a good amount into the clogged drain followed by some hot water and let set for awhile and then use your plunger. The soap will help lubricate the clog and dissolve the grease.
6.Drain or Plumber’s Snake….This can be found at most all hardware stores and it works very well. It is a very small, flexible steel tape that you just push into the clogged drain, work it back and forth a little and it breaks apart the clog. It is very effective.
7. Clean the Pipes….When all else fails you can always take the pipe apart and clean it. Remember what we said earlier that most clogs occur in the first inches of the drain opening in the sink trap or s-trap. If you have access to it they can be taken apart cleaned and used again. Have a bucket handy when you take the trap apart as it will contain a small amount of water.
If done of the above works for your clogged drain, then you are probably going to have to call a plumber. You can find them listed for a few cities on this website. You also may get some tips you can use in this video:
Help with a clogged drain video by: Toucan DIY
You can also find more info here on dealing with a clogged drain.
Good luck with that clogged drain and thanks for stopping by.