You don't have to be a plumbing expert to do battle with a clogged drain. If you are adventurous, go for it, but if you fail, just call a plumber. Read on to learn more.
You don't have to be a plumbing expert to do battle with a clogged drain. If you are adventurous,
go for it, but if you fail, just call a plumber.
When you flush your toilet, the water's supposed to go down. You don't have to be an expert on plumbing to know that. But what happens when you flush and instead, like a river rising out of control in a heavy flood, the water starts creeping up the bowl??
First: Run and get towels. Let's avert a major flooding disaster that can have far worse consequences than a clogged drain. Once the crisis has passed and the liquid is no longer rising but just sitting in the bowl, let's figure out how to get it unclogged.
Sometimes A Little Hot Water Will Do It
If you have a clogged sink, sometimes it's just a matter of running a little hot h2o through it. Hot water can loosen up the sludge that's stopping up the drain in the sink, shower or bathtub. If the hot solution doesn't do it, don't call the pipe expert yet. You can battle most ordinary clogs with a simple household plunger.
Plunger Vs Clogged Drain
Round one! First of all, you know the plunger; it's that thing that sits beside the toilet that's got a bell shaped (usually) black rubber part attached to a wooden club. This is the weapon we're going to battle the clog with. It's perfect for toilets, but most folks don't know it can be used for anything.
First, fill a little water in the sink or tub. You will want this there so that you can see if the water level is going down or not. If you're all backed up and the water's sitting there at the top of the bowl, that'll do.
Now, before we attack, make sure there are some rags and towels lying about, just in case that clog is a mightier enemy than we'd imagined. Start by pushing the plunger into the clogged drain bell-shaped part first, and let that part fill up with water. Gripping it with both hands, shove it forcefully and repeatedly in the direction of the clog.
Every now and then, stop and pull it out to see if the water level goes down. If it doesn't, don't despair. Keep trying. It sometimes takes several plunging sessions to get things loose. Let's stop a moment and consider what is happening: it pushes the water down the drain in the direction of the clog, which unloosens the clog and sends it further down the drain, out of your pipes and away into clog heaven.
If It’s No Hope, Drain Cleaner to The Rescue
If it doesn't work no matter what you do, you've got one more option before you call the pipe expert, and that is to use a drain cleaner. Buy a cleaner from the store that's environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Follow the instructions on the product carefully and keep out of the reach of children. Even if it's nice and earth friendly, it can still do nasty things to individuals who drink it.
If that doesn't do it, call a specialist. Your pipe fixer will bring out a massive apparatus called a "snake" that'll destroy the clog with no problem at all. Plumbers cost money, so as long as you've got one in your house, pick their brain about other things plumbing related. And if your plumber does a good job, keep their business card in case of future plumbing catastrophes.
