How To Do Simple Drain Cleaning Yourself And Save Money
No matter how careful you are, eventually, you're going to do some drain cleaning. Other parts of your home aren't exposed to the inconsistencies of things that end up going down the drain. Things fall into the drain, people flush the wrong things down the toilet, and pipes get corroded by all kinds of strong chemicals too. There are some things that you can do yourself before you call a plumber that might just save you some money, let's take a look.
The First Thing To Do Is Look Down The Drain
Go get a bright flashlight and shine it down the drain to see if there is something blocking the drain. If there is, and it's possible to pull it out, do so. If not, try to find a coat hanger or wire, make a hook then try to pull it out that way. If you don't succeed, you'll have to remove the trap under the sink.
Most traps are easy to remove by hand, you just unscrew the fittings on each end of the trap and it will fall down. You should put a pan or something underneath in order to catch the water and slime that will come out. Once the trap is out it should very easy to remove whatever you saw from above.
If You Can't See Anything, Then The Clog Is Farther Down The Drain
When the clog is farther down, it's most likely hair or soap scum combined into a gross mess. You can pour chlorine bleach down your drain and it will most likely dissolve the clog. Most liquid drain cleaners are made of chlorine bleach, but they charge far more for it than the laundry variety.
You shouldn't try to use a plunger on a drain that you've already poured any kind of cleaners into, this may cause splashing of the drain cleaner which is dangerous for your skin and eyes. The bleach should clear out the clog, but if it doesn't you may need to call a plumber.
You Should Check To Make Sure Your Other Drains Are Working Fine
If the clog is way farther down the drain into the large diameter pipes, then all the drains that feed into that pipe will be blocked at the same time. This would be a major problem that would most likely need a rotor-rooter type of machine to clear.
Everyone should learn how to clear simple drain clogs as they will happen regularly throughout your life and they're not that hard to fix. Check Southendplumbingllc.com for more information and any needed help.