Clogged drain cleaning is a necessary task that every homeowner should be aware of. Whether it is in the bathroom or kitchen, unclogging drains is a waste of time and dangerous. When there’s a clogged drain in the kitchen, bathroom, or shower, it may turn out to be annoying. However, clogged pipes can also cause backups in the sink, tub, shower, or bathroom, and thus they can lead to flooding problems. It is recommended to ensure that the drain in each area is straightforward by using the right tools. Using a plunger, you can force the clog out, and if you want a more powerful tool, you can use a snake.
You will first need to gather some materials that you will need for a clogged drain cleaning. For the bathroom, you can either rent a drain snake that can help you reach the blockage, or you can use your own hands to do it. In most cases, the clog will be located at the drain pipe leading to the tub or the shower, and this can usually be found with a simple inspection. But if you cannot find it on your own, it is advisable to consult Hurst Plumbing for clog removal.
To start the cleaning process, make sure that you turn off the water supply to the house. You can also plug out the main power supply if you need to. Once you have this pre-caution, you can now identify the clogging pipe. This can be done with the help of an electric meter or flashlight to see the exact size of the pipe and the other warning signs such as lumps, fragments, and stains.
You can remove the jam or the clog using a plunger. After this, you can spread some dish soap onto the area to act as a foaming agent. This foaming agent helps to dislodge the dirt and other debris from the pipe. Then, use a long stick to slowly pull the stick through the pipe and out of the drain. Be sure to pay special attention to the area around the bend in the sink or the tub drains.
If the pipe is old, there may be several things that need to be checked before calling a plumber or a drain maintenance service. Among the things that need to check include the level of the grease, the type of the grease and the amount of water and soap that are in the pipes. Some of the signs that will indicate when a clog is about to occur include dripping water from the sink or showerheads, grime on the sink or countertops, rust on the pipes, grime on the floor tiles around the bathtub drain. If you notice any of these signs, then it is best to contact a plumber and not waste time trying to fix the clog by your own self.
There are several drain cleaning alternatives that you can try at home. One of which is using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Mix a cup of baking soda and one cup of hydrogen peroxide to make a paste, then add this solution into the bath drain and let it stand for a few minutes before removing it.
Another drain cleaning alternative that you can do by yourself is to make a vinegar mixture. To do this, you need to have at least 2 cups of white vinegar. Next, you can add a cup of hot water and mix this solution thoroughly with the white vinegar before rinsing the drain. This homemade plumbing solution can also be used as an alternative to drain clog or to neutralize the acidity in stubborn drain cleaners.
Other than the household methods mentioned above, there are other solutions that you can do to get clogged drains out of your house. For example, if you have antique tubs in your home, you can use hot water and soap solution to remove the dirt or mud that has accumulated in the tubs. You can also use the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture mentioned earlier to unclog drains. Finally, you can use the combination of hot water and vinegar to unclog drains in your kitchen or bathroom.
