Plumbing Help: 3 Great Ways to Unclog the Drain

Aug 17
10:58

2010

Aaliyah Arthur

Aaliyah Arthur

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Having a clogged drain is the worst. You wait for the water to go down, and you wait, and you wait. Eventually, you realize that it’s not happening, or at least it isn’t happening fast enough for your liking. What could be down there this time? Here are a few great ways to unclog that drain using only natural methods that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

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Having a clogged drain is the worst. You wait for the water to go down,Plumbing Help: 3 Great Ways to Unclog the Drain Articles and you wait, and you wait. Eventually, you realize that it’s not happening, or at least it isn’t happening fast enough for your liking. What could be down there this time? You think about heading out to the store for some Liquid-Plumr, but that stuff is so expensive. Isn’t there a cheaper way to unclog the drain. Maybe some amateur plumbing secrets? Well, as a matter of fact, there are. Here are a few great ways to unclog that drain using only natural methods that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Use Water
While it may sound boneheaded, water makes a rather good weapon in the plumbing war. If the drain is only somewhat clogged, water pressure itself may be enough to remove the clog. For instance, if the clog is in your bathtub, fill the tub up with around 30 gallons of water. This pressure will provide enough emphasis to remove a small clog from the drain. If it doesn’t work the first time, try it again.

Vinegar
Most people have vinegar already hanging around in their kitchen cabinets. Combine the vinegar with a bit of baking soda to make a nice homemade drain cleaner. Pour the mixture down the drain and you’ll be participating in one of the most natural plumbing solutions there is. Cover the drain with a towel to keep the mixture from coming back out. Wait a half hour and begin pouring some boiling hot water down the drain. For even medium sized clogs, this solution will often do the trick.

Use a Plunger
Most of you are probably used to bringing out the plunger to unclog the toilet, but it can work just as well on other clogs as well. Purchase a smaller sized plunger and keep it exclusively for kitchen sink use. You’ll find that more often than not it is more than capable of removing even the toughest clogs, especially when used as part of an unclogging regimen that uses all of the above suggestions.

Of course, there will be times when no natural or chemical solution will work to unclog a drain. In that case, you should always contact a plumbing professional. Trying to fix the problem yourself could cause damage to your pipes and drainage. It may be expensive, but it is usually best in the long run.