The warning signs are known to all of us. The sink has to run a little longer to drain. You start to see the water swimming in the shower around your feet. And smells. The weird, nasty smell. Both are signals that a clogged drain is soon in front of you. One day, boom. Your drain is totally blocked.
You have to deal quickly with it or face the wrath of a leaking pipe or of an unnecessary toilet. You then eliminate the excess hair and residue on the drain surface, and things still standstill. Many liquid plumbers are being tested. Yet, no difference. Then the plunger. But, what happens when the plunger fails to be the best option?
In this article, I will be discussing a few approaches to follow in dealing with the blockage before you decide to give us a call.
1 – The Bent Wire Hanger
Quite straight forward, but incredibly effective. Take a standard wire coat hanger and make it as smooth as possible. Bend one end to create a small anchor. Move the drain cover and begin diving. You will be able to get out of the drain all kinds of hair and residue.
Note, you want to just take gunk out and not to move it any further. Once you have as many as possible gunk, pour hot water down the drain, and everything will be clear.
2 – Baking Soda and Vinegar
Combine one third each of a cup of baking soda and vinegar into one measuring cup . It should fizz and no time should be wasted flowing it through the obstructed drain. The fizzing motion helps to extract the gunk, hair and grime in the pipe. Let it stay for an hour or, if you can, for an overnight. Hot water flush. Instead, get as much as you can from the dry baking soda first and dump the vinegar into the drain.
3 – Sodium Hydroxide
Eye protection and rubber gloves are better to use when using Caustic soda. Caustic soda can cause nasty chemical burns (also called sodium hydroxide). You can acquire some from your hardware store from your town but always take care. Pour a mop bucket of 3/4 gallons of cold water and squeeze three cups of caustic soda. Use an old wooden spoon, mix well. It begins to heat up and fizz. Pour into the stubborn drain, leave for 20-30 minutes and flush with boiling water. The process can be repeated if necessary.
4 – The tub clean
I’m not going to do any plumbing work, but this is fast. First, under the U-shaped conduit (trap) below the drain, put an empty bucket. The pumpkin catches the spilled mud. Loosen the nozzles on both ends of the tubing by using a plumber’s wrench. The process should be done by hand. Remove the trap and shut it down and vacuum the contents in the bowl. You may also have to search for debris inside it, as well as the pipes which held it. An ancient toothbrush helps the rough residue work. Place all of it together and clean the trap with water again. That’s the trick in most situations.
5 – Dish Detergent
Bring a one-quarter cup of dish detergent inside the tank if your toilet is obstructed. Boil a little water instead. The soap acts as a lubricant that helps to break down any fat waste. Then pour down the hot water and brace for the plunge. The next alternative is rubber gloves if the plunger does not cut it.