Plan to avoid plugged drains
Plan to avoid plugged drains
What are some easy home solutions for eradicating plugged drainage in your bathroom? The quickest and simplest thing to use to undertake the problem is your regular plunger. The entire process of opening plugged drainage with a plunger is simple and straightforward. But don’t just shove the plunger into the drain pipe and start pumping it violently, you could make matters much worse. The most effective procedure to adopt is to cover the drain completely with the bell-shaped head of the plunger and push down gently, then come up quickly and forcefully creating suction. Hopefully the suction of the upwards movement of the drains pipes plunger will pull what ever is stuck in your drain pipe back up into the bathroom toilet, tub or sink. You may notice small overspill openings in your bath or sink and you should always remember to block these up with a wet paper towel or sponge to create maximum suction.
You could use a drainage clearance chemical that is designed to break down the material instead of the more conventional plunger. These products should be used only when the plunger has failed to clean out your bathroom drainage. Run the chemical into the drainage and allow it to work for about 30 minutes before flushing the drainpipe with hot water. As a precaution you should wear clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty or corrosive chemicals on. If you plan to use the plunger after the application of chemical to remove the remaining debris, then eye protection is essential because the chemical laden water may back-splash on you and burn. Also remember to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully so that you do not create new issues.
You can use a pipe wrench or pliers to unscrew the P-trap if you are unable to remove the blockage with the plunger, this will give you access to the pipe. Now, this process can be really messy, so keep the towel and bucket handy. By covering the jaws of your wrench with electrical tape you will avoid damaging the chrome on your pipes and it will also allow you to get a better purchase of them. After disassembling the P-trap, examine the trap for anything blocking the mouth of the pipe. But in case you are unable to find any blockage, chances are that the problem lies deep down between the soil stack and the trap and you will need additional tools.
A deep clog in the toilet can be loosened by a toilet auger. With a bathtub or sink, however a drain snake should be used. Because of their size and length, drain snakes are well designed for getting at stoppages in small spaces in difficult to reach places. By twisting the adjustable handle to drill into the blockage, you then pull the obstruction up and out of your drain. When you are sure that all the clogging material is cleared, replace the P-trap and test the drain with hot water. Finally, you should double check that everything is sealed properly, tightly screwed into place and make sure that the P-trap does not have any leaks.
After trying all of these methods and you still have a water flow problem, it is time to contact a drainage contractor or local plumber. There are some incidents that cannot be solved by the common householder such as clogs in the soil stack or the sewer service near tree roots or even a broken pipe caused by age or pipe corrosion brought upon by nature or some “mysterious reason”, at these times contact a good drains engineer.