Do it Yourself – Cleaning Out Your Blocked Drains

Having blocked drains in your home  is one of the most common and most frustrating situations homeowners come across. Often times the blocked drains could have been prevented with a better pipe design, but even then some clogs are unavoidable.  If you use a particular drain frequently or have someone in the home with a lot of hair, then you are more likely to see your fair share of blocked drains.  Here are some tips on how to unclog those blocked drains and get your system up and running.

3 of the Most Popular Ways to Clean Blocked Drains

• The first and easiest step to take to unclog your drain is by plunging the hole with a plunger.  If the particular sink has an overflow drain hole or is a double sink, be sure to plug the hole with a wet rag before plunging.  This allows for optimum suction. Then, place your plunger directly over the drain hole and start plunging.   You may repeat this process a few times over a 5 to 10 minute time period.  With most clogs this is all you will need to do.
• Dependent on the type of clog, like hair or grease, you can try using a clog remover such as Drano to try and slowly remove the blockage. Most hair clogs are around the stopper in the stink and using a product like Drano will easily fix the problem.  The chemicals are also good to use for regular maintenance every few months.  Using this type of product will help prevent buildup by breaking down any small buildup in the pipe. One note of caution though.  If you talk to most plumbers they will discourage the use of any types of chemicals in your lines. Most of the time they will tell you that some of those solutions can weaken the PVC piping over time.  We also should mention that these chemicals are very strong and can be dangerous and harmful to your family and the environment.  For those reasons alone, we  suggest using mechanical means for removing most clogs in your blocked drains.
• If using a plunger or a clog remover does not work, you may need to use a drain snake to clear your blocked drains. It is a fairly common tool and sounds more intimidating than it really is.  A drain snake is a long and flexible wire with a corkscrew auger at the end of it. To use the drain snake, you need to remove either the cleanout plug or the P trap, depending on the type you have. Make sure to put a bucket underneath the pipes to catch the water that is in the pipes. If you have a cleanout plug, remove the plug and then put the drain snake into the pipe working it around up into the pipe to dislodge the blockage.  If you have a P trap, you will remove the trap (this is the part that makes a U) and use the drain snake to push out whatever is clogging it.  For a clogged sink with a stopper, you may even want to remove the stopper completely and push the drain snake down through the drain hole to ensure it is clear.  We use a drain snake for our own home that can be hooked up to an electric or battery powered drill.   While running the drill the auger automatically turns and “grinds” its way through the clogs.

A New Tool Takes The Prize for Clearing Blocked Drains for Sinks

While plumbing is not exactly new and exciting in the way of modern inventions, once in a while there are tools that pop up that make life a whole lot easier.  In addition to the above ways to clean your blocked drains, we’ve found great success using a relatively new tool on the market for clearing out sink drains.  As long as the blocked hair, or object isn’t buried deep into the drain pipe beyond this tools reach, this zip it tool works fantastic.   Here’s a close up of it and its “fish hook” like tines that grab the hair and pull it back out of the drain with relative ease.  These zip it tools are cheap too…only costing about 3 bucks each.  A great invention that we enthusiastically support!

Zip-It Drain Cleaning Tool

In conclusion, most blocked drains will usually be resolved by either plunging them or using a clogging agent.  If these three methods do not clear your blocked drains, or if you are not comfortable using a drain snake, it may be time to call in a plumber.