One day when you suddenly notice that your bathroom, toilet or sink is draining very slowly than earlier, it’s a sign of a blocked drain. If you don’t unblock the drain immediately, the issue will get worse over time causing more damage to the drainage system. But worry not, this post aims to help you fix the blockage in its early stage.
Clearing a Blocked Drain Like a Pro
Well, this is obvious yet let me tell you that you first need to stop pouring more water into the drain. If you keep the drain running, water will backup causing localized flooding and you will find it more difficult to fix it.
Wear Protective Gears
Safety comes first, isn’t it? Thus, wear safety gears like rubber gloves, goggles and other protective clothing to prevent your skin come in contact to waste water or cleaner. And once the job is done, you can take off your protective gears.
Before You Start
Make sure you have a drain rod, a plunger or a snake ready before you start DIY drain unblocking. If you don’t have a drain rod at home, you can buy one from a local store. Now, wear your safety gears and follow the below listed steps to make your drain blockage-free.
- Lift the drainage cover: Open the drain cover. If the cover is closed using screws, you will probably need to open it using a screwdriver. You can also use the screwdriver to clean the rust, if found over the drain cover. Once the cover is open, you may tie it with a wire or a string so it doesn’t get closed while you are attempting to unblock the drain.
- Watch for obstacle and clear it: Look for an obstruction down the pipe. Use torch if needed. Once found, use a drain rod or a plunger to clear the blockage that is obstructing the flow of water into the drainage pipe. You will need to push the rod, and tweak it several times when needed.
- Run water: Once you clear the clog inside the pipe, run hot water through the drain for a few minutes to wash away debris from the pipe. Here, you can also pour some hot water down the drain for more effective drainage cleaning.
- Avoid blockage in future: If you check your household drains for blockage at a regular interval and be alert on some most common tell-tale signs of blocked drains, you can avoid them or fix them when they are easy to fix. This approach can save you a huge amount in drain repair in the long term.
- Do waste management right: Sooner or later you will witness a blocked drain if you are using toilet to flush diapers, face wipes and other sanitary items. Similarly, you can’t allow food leftover and grease go down your sink drain. If you dispose your waste properly, you can dramatically reduce the risk of blocked drain.
- Keep the plants away: Don’t keep shrubs and trees so close to your drains. Drainage companies often come across blocked drain problems caused by tree root intrusion. An ounce of prevention in this matter by installing drain guards can save you many pounds over time.
On top of all, if you ever witness a drainage emergency like flooding drains, pipe burst or non-running drain, call out a professional drainage company straightaway!