It may not sound too big a problem initially, but blocked drains can be a nuisance for homeowners. It not only creates unhygienic living conditions in the house, but it also becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and molds. You would not want the same for your house, and hence, you need the assistance of professional blocked drain specialists. But before doing that, there are certain DIY tips that you can try yourself. In this blog, we are going to discuss some of the DIY methods of clearing blocked drains:
Methods of Clearing Blocked Drains:
Before we go ahead and discuss the method of clearing blocked drains, you must know that all these methods are preliminary, and if you follow them regularly, then curbing down blocked drains will be easier. However, sometimes the problem may aggravate, and you would need the assistance of a professional.
1. Boiling water
It is the simplest and easiest way to clear up the blocked drains. You don’t need to do much here. All you need to do is to pour boiling water down the sink pipe. This hot water will mostly clear up all the grime and grease sticking around the pipe. But, you can only do so if the sink pipe is made of cement. If it is made of PVC, you must not use boiling water, rather use hot water. This method is effective in cleaning grease build-up in the pipelines.
2. Prepare a natural blocked drain cleaner
For preparing a natural drainpipe cleaner, you need baking soda and white vinegar. Prepare the mixture and pour it in the pipe. Cover the pipe and allow the mixture to work. It creates oxygen, which helps in scouring the greasy and dirt particles from the pipe. Follow this process twice or thrice, and then flush the sink pipe with water to get rid of all the residue.
3. Plunger
This is a must-have tool in every house if you don’t wish to face blocked drains. Plungers work on the principle of vacuuming up the things that are blocking the drain. It is quite a helpful tool. However, you won’t find it as effective in removing greasy particles. For, this you can purchase caustic chemical cleaners. They are easily available in the market. These caustic chemicals are effective in removing oil and grease, and can even dissolve hair strands. Thus, they prove to be quite effective in treating blocked drains.
What are the Other Ways?
The methods that we have discussed above are easily available at home, but sometimes, the problem is severe and you would need professional assistance. Clearing blocked drains can sometimes be problematic and time-consuming. Hence, choosing professional help would be great. For clearing up severely blocked drains, you would need the following:
4. Plumber’s snake and CCTV
Sometimes, the blocked drains issues are not easily visible, and in such a case, you would need the help of these specialized instruments that can penetrate deep into the pipe and find out the root cause of the problem. It would not be wise to invest in such tools if you are not well-versed with their use. Hence, instead of investing in them, it will be better to seek the help of an emergency plumber in this case.
5. Hydro-jets
These are powerful instruments that jet out water at high speed, thereby flushing down the greasy particles and other obstacles that are blocking the drain pipe. You can do it yourself, but it’s good to leave the job in the hands of a professional.
This was the information regarding clearing blocked drains. If you wish to ensure that the drains are working seamlessly, it’s always good to regularly clean them, and if the problem persists, professional assistance is a must.
