Unclog A Drain Without A Plumber
August 25, 2009 by admin
Filed under General Health
If the thought of using a nasty chemical product to unclog a drain sounds like a nightmare that should be avoided, there are a few home remedies that will get the job done without enduring the expense of a plumber.
One of the best ways to unclog a drain is to pour a half-box of baking soda down the drain and then add some vinegar. Do this just before bedtime and let it fizz. It can then be rinsed with hot water in the morning. This method will remove the clog and it will not damage the pipes at all. Baking soda and vinegar will work for both sewer and septic systems.
Some like to pour straight bleach down the drain and let that sit overnight, and then rinse it out with either hot or boiling water in the morning. Others use hot running water and a plunger. A pipe snake can quickly work its way through a clog and whatever remains in the drain can be easily flushed away with hot water.
If one is mechanically inclined, it is an easy matter to remove the trap underneath the sink and clean it out. Place a large bowl or small bucket (an old gallon ice cream bucket works well and is short enough to fit under the trap) under the trap to catch any water which may be in the pipes and trap yet. Loosen the two connectors at either end of the trap and gently pull the trap off. Clean out the trap and put it back on. Tighten the two connectors and then run a little bit of water to check for any leaks. If there are no leaks, then it has been a successful job. If there are leaks, re-tighten the two connectors and check again for leaks. This is a very simple way to unclog a drain.
Another method is to use about a half-cup of dish soap. Pour that down the drain and then flush it with hot water. The appeal of this method is that it helps with greasy clogs.
There are also various tools which may be purchased at a relatively inexpensive price from local home stores or hardware stores. These are generally long, thin objects that are meant to physically break up the clog so that it may soon be flushed away. These tools are usually easy for anyone to use and are very effective at breaking up even very stubborn clogs. Generally, any of these home remedies will unclog the drain, and if the clog is really bad, it make take a combination of the above methods to fix the drain.
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