We detail the common reasons as to why your drain is blocked and how to fix it!
A stubborn blocked drain is one of the most common reasons to call a blocked drain plumber.
Residential and commercial properties feature a diverse range of drains. These drains will eventually clog and cause headaches for us in one form or another. Many people may freak out and won’t know how to unblock a drain.
There’s no need to panic whenever you experience a blocked drain. There are a few but proven methods that you can do yourself to help you get out of this frustrating situation. Blocking of the drains happens all the time. What is important for you to do is gain the knowledge and a few basic skills to quickly unclog your drain.
Before you start and go working on your blocked drain, please be advised that wearing protective clothing is essential. This is especially true when you’re dealing with a clogged toilet or drains with unpleasant odours or toxic clogs.
Are you ready to unblock that drain? Let’s go!
The Power of Hot Water
Here’s an old-school method that you can perform yourself. Boiling or hot water is a proven clog dissolver used since the inception of the flushing toilet. All you need to do is boil a kettle of water then pour it slowly down the drain.
You can repeat the process a couple of times until the block is cleared.
Be aware that heat can damage your PVC pipes. The pipes may soften or even melt if too much heat is applied. This method may be detrimental to your plumbing system in the long run. We advise using a temperature similar to your hot water tap.
DIY Drain Cleaner (Baking Soda Combos)
If you’re looking for DIY options to unclog your drain, the magical baking soda is the best home remedy for you. Baking soda itself is a good dissolver. However, when you mix it with other chemicals, they’ll form potent concoctions that can clear up your drain in no time.
Other substances you can mix with baking soda are vinegar, salt, and lemon. The ratio when mixing them are as follows:
- Baking soda with vinegar at a 1:1 ratio
- Baking soda and salt at a 1:1 ratio
- Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon at a 2:2:1 ratio
The only downside when using baking soda is it can’t dissolve blockages that have grease, fats, and oil in them. Check the next method if the baking soda solution doesn’t work for you.
Use Commercial Cleaner to Unclog the Drain
There are a lot of commercial drain cleaners to choose from in your local grocery store. We recommend using commercial drain cleaners as one of the last options. These are strong chemicals and can cause irritations and health problems when used incorrectly.
The most popular commercial drain unclogger is caustic soda. It has the ability to turn stubborn blockages caused by grease and oil into soap. The end-product of this process will definitely be easy to flush as it becomes water-soluble.
Hook the Blockage Using Drain Auger/Plumber’s Snake/ Old Metal Hanger
The drain auger and plumber’s snake are tools that are used by professional plumbers to hook up and remove the solid clogs in the pipes. Using a straightened old metal hanger can be a good replacement for the tools mentioned above.
Basically, the idea is you’ll be using a long stick with a hook formed at one of its ends. You’ll be using the hook to remove and dislodge the blockages in the pipes. Take note that a bit of skill level is necessary to handle these tools.
If you feel uncomfortable working with the blocked drain yourself, proceed to the next option below.
Call Us, Your Local Plumbers in Melbourne
If all the methods mentioned above failed, don’t worry. You still have an ace up your sleeve. Well, it’s a cheat code, actually. The last option for you to do is call us, your professional local plumber in Melbourne.
Fixing a blocked drain can be pretty uncomfortable for some homeowners. DIY drain cleaning methods can work with small, simple drain problems. However, there are other major drain problems that will need experienced and reliable plumbers to fix the issue. Some drain blocks may also require specialised equipment for safety and health purposes.