Clearing a blocked drain is not high on anyone’s list of fun things to do. Many people also worry about the cost of clearing the drain.
Don’t worry, clearing a blocked drain isn’t always a monumental task. Here are a few simple (and inexpensive) ways of getting that drain clear.
Plunge the Drain With a Toilet Plunger
A toilet plunger is a good place to start. Sometimes all it takes is the sucking action from this simple device to jostle the clog out of place. Once free, a little water down the drain is all it takes to flush the debris out of the pipe.
Dump Boiling Water Down the Drain
Have a clogged kitchen drain? Grease is often at least part of the cause. Even if you avoid dumping large amounts of grease down the drain, bits of hardened grease can build up over time. This constricts the pipe and traps other bits of debris in the process.
Boiling water will heat the grease, turning it into liquid and loosening the other bits of trapped debris. Make sure to use plenty of water so everything can wash away easily.
Dump Homemade Cleaner Down the Drain
Another tried and true method is to make a homemade drain cleaner using baking soda and vinegar. If you’ve ever mixed the two together, you know they bubble vigorously when combined. You can use this to your advantage.
Shake some baking soda down the drain first and don’t be afraid to be generous. Then pour some vinegar down and let the bubbles go to work. Bit by bit, this cleaner can dissolve the clog until it breaks up enough to wash away.
Dump Store-Bought Cleaner Down the Drain
Store-bought drain cleaner works a bit faster. Try to use it as a last resort, though. This caustic stuff is hard on your pipes, bad for the environment, and not very good for you to handle.
Use proper protection and take care to avoid spilling it on your skin, getting it in your eyes, or breathing the fumes.
Use a Plunger
A plunger is a handy household tool for clearing a blocked drain. Simply position the suction cup over the drain and give the handle a few hard pulls up and down. The resulting suction can jostle the clog loose enough to be washed away with water.
Call a Plumber
If your DIY methods fail, it’s time to call a plumber. Professionals have a variety of tools at their disposal to clear your blocked drain.
They may be able to clear the drain unblocking liverpool with a professional snake or look at the blockage with a tiny CCTV camera. A hydro jet machine blasts sharp bursts of water into the pipe to clear the blockage by force. Finally, they can excavate down to the site of the blockage, clear it, and repair the pipe.
Free Flowing Drains
There’s nothing quite like the frustration of dealing with a blocked drain. There’s also nothing quite like the relief you feel when water starts flowing once more!
