When we start to see the warning signs that your drain might be blocked such as water not draining down the sink, stagnant water and strange odors coming up through the pipes in your bathroom or kitchen . These are sure signs that you may have a blocked drain and it will only get worse unless you get onto it straight away and put out the fire before it only spreads. First of all, you might have tried to have removed any debris that is sitting around the plug hole like hair, fluff and soap residue but the water is still pooling. You can then try a liquid un-blocker that you pour down your drain and wait for it to break the gunk down and flow away. These work for small blockages but if you have a back up of hair and other items like baby wipes that shouldn’t have been flushed this way might not work for you.
We can’t stress the importance enough of getting rid of this problem right away. You don’t want all the money you spent on that fancy 5000 litre water tank and not to mention, the water tank installation all to go to waste.
Here are a few tried and tested ways to unclog your blocked kitchen sink, toilet or any other drain that is running throughout your home:
Vinegar and baking soda
By mixing 1/3 baking soda and same amount of vinegar it will start to fix straight away so you need to pour it down the drain immediately. As it fizzers it will start to remove grime and build up from around the pipe. If you can, let it sit for a few hours or overnight which is even better. Boil the kettle and flush the drain with hot water. The longer you let the mix sit, the more congestion it will clear and get into, which allows for the boiling hot water to stream straight through clearing all blockages in the path.
Boiling water
This trick wont work for large clogs but it may aid in small blockages. Boil the kettle as much as it takes to fill it. Be careful and slowly pour the water down the blocked drain in three sections so the hot water has time to work before the next lot comes down. This tip is handy at the initial sign of blockage. Instead of spending even more money on other ways to clear the blockage, attempting to do so with a kettle filled with boiling hot water can clear it up straight away or at least alleviate some of the blockage within the drains.
The Wet & Dry Vacuum
This is a trick not many people will actually know about. Put your vacuum on liquid mode and cover up all the vents which will then make sure you have a tight seal over the plug hole. Put the vacuum on the high setting and it may just work at drawing up any type of debris that are clogging the drain. It all goes into the vacuum bag so there is no mess and dealing with gunk from the drain, simply throw the bag away. This way may seem a bit more difficult or strenuous, however some people believe it is much more effective and can lead to a much easier clearance of the drain.
Caustic Soda
This stuff is very dangerous so you must wear eye protection and gloves when handling it. Grab an old bucket and place ¾ gallons of water in with 3 cups of caustic soda. Ensure it has been stirred in well and wait for it to heat up and begin to fizz. Pour into the liquid slowly into the drain and leave it for around an hour. Flush it down with hot water and repeat the process if you feel there is more there. You must be prepared when dealing with any chemical of some kind. This means wearing all of the precise protective gear you need as well as cleaning up afterwards. As much as using chemicals sounds harmful to your drainage system or pipes in the walls of your home, it will not cause any damage and will eventually help more than any other option.
Some of these remedies might not work depending how clogged the drain is and what it is actually blocked up with, but it cannot hurt to give them a try before calling someone in. Professional drain cleaners can put a camera down the drain find the exact area of the blockage and insert their tools used to unblock pipes. It is quite an easy job if you are dealing with hair, soap residue and fluff type debris. Making sure you get in control of a blocked drain before it becomes any worse is highly recommended, if the problem is left it can become financially and potentially physically damaging to your home and family.
