Tips On How To Unblock Your Household Drain

Sewer Surgeon : Blocked Drains

You are doing the dishes and emptying the sink only to find out that it drains slower than usual. This is a warning sign! When your sink takes a little longer to drain or the water is pooling around your feet in the shower, it simply means that your drain is blocked and something is caught somewhere in the pipes, causing an obstruction. And the odours. The strange, unpleasant odours. These are signs that you may soon be facing a blocked drain.

Here at Sewer Surgeon we are fully equipped to deal with problems like these but we also want to make sure that you as well are equipped so that you don’t have to worry about getting your wallet out to fix the problem.

We have compiled some helpful tips from our licensed plumbers on how you can unblock your drain at home, without too much fuss or hassle.

• Boiling Water: Tips don’t get any easier than this. One of the oldest tricks in the book is boiling water. Boil the kettle with as much water as it will hold. Now pour it slowly down the drain in two to three stages, allowing the hot water to work for several seconds in between each pour. The boiling water will travel through the pipes, dissolving any obstructions in its way. This is usually the easiest and quickest way to unblock a drain.
  
• Baking Soda + Vinegar: Baking Soda and Vinegar are two of the most effective natural, home-remedy cleaners that you can use all around your home. It will be about 1:1 cup of baking soda and vinegar to create your drain unblocking remedy. You should waste no time pouring the concoction straight down your sink when you hear the fizzing sound. Let it sit for an hour or even overnight, for the best effect. Finally, flush it all through with some hot water.
• Baking Soda + Salt: Simply mix half a cup of table salt with half a cup of baking soda and pour it down the blocked drain. Leave it to work for 10-20 minutes and then pour boiling water down after it. The salt, baking soda, and boiling water will produce a chemical reaction that should dissolve some of the nastiest blockages.
• Plunger: Back to basics. This is your traditional way to suck up all that gunk before calling out a plumber. Plungers are an effective tool for sucking up any blockages in your drains. They may require some strength and persistence at times but they have been proven effective for decades in clearing household drains.
• Cleaning the Pipe: This is not for the faint of heart. If you don’t feel confident about taking apart a drain pipe, do not attempt this. Place an empty bucket underneath the U-shaped pipe beneath the sink. The bucket will collect any water or leaks that occur during the process. Using a wrench, loosen both ends of the pipe and remove it. Empty any contents into the bucket. You may need to use an old toothbrush or anything that can fish around for any hidden debris in the pipes. Rinse the pipes with water and then put it all back together. In most cases, this will completely unblock your drain.
• DRAIN-O those clogged away!: If you have tried all of the above methods without success, your drain may require something a little stronger such as store-bought chemical cleaner. Chemical drain cleaners such as Draino can help eliminate blocked drains and sewers as well as eliminate lingering odours. Just pour it down your drain, leave it to sit and work for a couple of hours or overnight. Run hot water down the sink to finish the process and you should have a lovely, working, unblocked drain.

Note: It is always important to follow the product instructions carefully when using heavy duty cleaning products.

Call Us Today

If your drain is still blocked and you have tried everything with no success, then you may need a fully licensed plumber to come and investigate the root cause for the blockage. Our team is available 24/7 to provide you with solutions for all your blocked drains, pipe relining and any other general plumbing needs.

Remember, if your plumbing’s urgent, call Sewer Surgeon!

‍