Easy Tips to Open Blocked Drains Yourself before You Call a Plumber
Having blocked drains and pipes is without doubt a emergency plumbing situation, not to mention how messy and smelly it can get at times.
Your drains can get clogged due to a number of reasons including grease, hair, soap deposits, tree leaves and other foreign objects. However, in case the problem is not very serious and you can open a blocked drain yourself.
Having spent several years as an emergency plumber in Sydney, I’ll be sharing with you some easy tricks to open blocked drains that you can try yourself before you eventually decide to call a plumber!
Try using a plunger!
A plunger is a relatively handy tool when it comes to clearing blocked drains and toilets. If you have a clogged basin drain or a toilet drain you can use the plunger to seal the drain opening and plunge repeatedly hard enough to gather sufficient force to remove whatever is obstructing the water.
Clean the drain trap
There is hardly any plumbing job that’s not messy, but cleaning a drain trap is relatively easy and most of the times you can do it yourself. Place a bucket beneath the drain trap and open it. All the accumulated dirty water will spill into the bucket. You can take your least favourite wire coat hanger and use its hook to pull out whatever is clogging the drain. Use an old toothbrush and some detergent to wash out the remaining gunk and replace the trap.
A drain snake can work wonders!
This low-tech piece of equipment is actually a simple long and flexible wire with a twisted end. You can open blocked drains by keep inserting this wire into the drain until you feel an obstruction. Rotate the wire to capture the clog and pull it out. You might need to do this twice or thrice until you stop feeling any more obstruction.
Some Kitchen ingredients can help
Just as important an ingredient baking soda is in the kitchen it can do wonders when combined with vinegar and poured into the drain. The mixture when allowed to sit for some time in your drain can dissolve fat deposits that might still be there even after using a drain snake. Flush out the mixture using hot water and you can enjoy your open drains once again.
If you have tried all of the above and are still unable to open your blocked drains, then your problem could be bigger than you initially assumed. In such a case you might want to call for professional help.
Being a team of highly skilled and experienced Sydney plumbers, we can help you opening all kinds of blocked drains using latest equipment without creating any mess.