Blocked drains are common household problem. Be it your kitchen sink, or toilet; a blocked drain can cause a serious nuisance causing water leakage and overflow. They block the entire passage making the waste water disposal impossible. So, to begin with, we need to have clear idea about where, why and how the drain clog happens.
The where and how:
There are usually three points where the pipes of the drainage system get blocked; the traps or the curved sections of the pipes under showers, tubs and kitchen sinks, the internal passage within a toilet and the main drainpipe that leads the waste away from home. The problem of blocked drain occurs when the debris from left-over food particles stuck in the channel to dirt, grease and hair builds up in the pipes and doesn’t get flushed away automatically. Signs to identify could be from the foul smell, water backing up out of the sink drain often accompanied by slow drainage to no drainage. That’s when we need to focus on getting it cleared.
Drain maintenance:
Regular drain maintenance tips will help you get your blocked drain sorted, additionally it will help you save time and avert future crisis.
- Use strainers to catch loose hair and food particle from getting into pipes and block the drain.
- After each use, allow hot water to run down the drain to clear any fresh build up. This pushes the debris down the pipe rather than sticking to the pipe.
- Use a handful of baking soda followed by running hot water down the sink periodically to help clean blocked drains. Even a splash of vinegar helps take care of bad odors.
Cleaning blocked drains:
1.Cleaning small scale drain blockage:
Few handy cleaning ways, little time, effort and patience can help you take care of small scale blocked drain problems. Not only DIY but these drain cleaning methods are adapted by even professional plumbers to clear small scale blockages:
- Boiling hot water – If the sink is blocked due to organic disposable items being stuck in it, the pouring boiling hot water down the drain and the heat will help the clog to clear away. But if the pipes are PVC then the hot water might melt the pipes, so best to avoid it then.
- Plungers and drain snakes– if the blockage is so acute that even liquid won’t pass through, then buying and using hand held or full length plungers and drain snakes can be of help. Even plumbers use drain snakes to clear off the blocked drain.
- Baking soda and Vinegar – In cases where boiling water can’t be used or hasn’t helped clear the blocked drain, a simple solution of pouring half a box of baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar down the drain and then stop up the drain with metal or rag stopper.
2. Fixing acutely blocked drains:
Sometimes the drain blockage is absolute and cannot be fixed at home. In this case, it is recommended to contact the certified plumbers in such cases as they use specialized equipments and technologies that clear off the drain blockage in no time without causing any harm to the drainage pipes or system. Plumbers use modern cleaning techniques based on the cause of drain blockages. A few such techniques are:
- Cleaning using hydrojetter – This is a modern drain cleaning device used by plumbers. It is pushed to reach blockage where water pressure clears off the clog.
- Cleaning using Vaporooter – This is a chemical that cleans tree roots growing in the drain pipes. This is a great way to clean blocked drain.