How To Clear A Blocked Drain At Home By Yourself
If you have found that there is a blocked drain in your home, there are a number of things you can try before spending money on professional drain service. How you clear your blocked drain is completely dependent on what is causing the blockage in the first place.
- Boiling water
Boiling water is good for tackling blocked drains, especially those in the shower and kitchen sink. If you are going to use boiling water to unblock drains, we recommend you use it for tackling things such as grease, conditioner and other heavy liquid toiletries which have been set in the drain. This is because these substances have a low melting point, so before you ring someone to come out to unblock your drains, boil your kettle and see if it works!
- Natural cleaners
Before you start to use any harmful unblocking cleaners, you may want to try natural cleaning methods first. Firstly, try pouring hot water down the blocked drain and then follow this with one cup of bicarbonate of soda and one cup of vinegar. Leave this for ten minutes and repeat the hot water step. This combination can be an effective way of breaking blockages up.
- Caustic cleaners
Caustic cleaners are available to buy online or in DIY stores and can be a stronger method of drain unblocking than the more natural approaches. Caustic cleaners are strong enough to dissolve grease, fat and oils which is great if you know that is the cause of the blockage. When using caustic cleaners, make sure that you follow the instructions and ventilate the room well before starting.
- Plungers
Plungers are one of the most useful and common tools to fix blocked drains. Plungers can help dislodge some blockages, especially in sinks and toilets, by creating a seal around the plug hole and creating a vacuuming effect which removes the blockage.
- A DIY drain snake or shop-bought coil drain cleaner
Whether you make your own drain snake out of any metal wire you find in your home, such as a coat hanger, or use a shop-bought coil drain cleaner, these can be effective ways of removing blockages deep within the drainage system. Make sure there is a hook at the end to remove any blockages such as hair. This method is most effective for blockages in the shower.
- Hydrojet
If a drain snake hasn’t done the trick, a hydro jet can be a powerful tool to fire sharp bursts of water to remove debris and other substances from pipes. Sometimes this method is useful when used alongside the other methods mentioned above.
- Seeking professional services
If none of the methods above have been successful in unblocking your drains, it may be time to contact drain unblocking specialists, such as those at DASA, to help diagnose and fix your drainage issue. Professional services which are recommended for blocked drains include methods such as:
- Excavation- If a blockage is extreme, excavation will be necessary. This is where there is digging around the drain so that engineers can repair or replace some of the pipework that is damaged or broken. This can save the rest of your pipework from extensive damage in the long run.
- Pipe relining- When a blockage has been left for a long time this can cause damage. Pipe relining is an efficient alternative to having a full-on pipe replacement. This is done through the use of flexible tools and resin to reline the pipework once the blockage is removed.
- CCTV drain surveys- If you cannot identify where the blockage is coming from, a CCTV drain survey can be a very useful service to have done. It can show the whole drainage system and if there are any blockages or damage, you will be able to know where it is. Once the blockage has been identified, an engineer can then follow through with the appropriate service to fix the problem.
Unfortunately, drain blockages can be very common both in the household and externally due to environmental factors. Some blockages may be obvious, whilst others not so much. Either way, if you do notice foul smells, leakages or gurgling noises, you will want to make sure that you fix the problem before it gets worse. Contact DASA today to speak to a professional for advice.