Experiencing a blocked drain is never a nice experience, but waste water overflowing into your home is even worst, and you can always call in a drainage company to clear the blockage – but you will most likely be charged a good amount of money for the pleasure. A little knowledge goes a long way, and unblocking your drain on your own could save you a few quid…
Firstly, make sure that the area is completely and utterly clear, and put towels down so that if any more water comes flowing back up through the pipes, that it is caught by the towels instead of staining and smelling your carpet. Then grab yourself a normal plumbers plunger. If your blockage is in a sink within your property, then make sure there is a small amount of water within the basin, then go hell for leather with the plunger, pumping it backwards and forwards to create a pushing force down the drain pipe to try and shift the blockage. The more you do it, the more force that is built up – so the higher chance you have of clearing the blockage. In terms of times and numbers, make sure you do it for a least a few minutes, pumping 30-40 times to create enough pressure to try and clear the blocked drain. Don’t give up on the first attempt, as some blocked drains can be very stubborn, so make sure you rinse and repeat this process 3 or 4 times to give yourself a good chance of unblocking the drain.
If this doesn’t prove to work, then try it again with some chemical drain cleaner. Always be careful when you use chemical drain cleaner, as the chemicals within the product can cause damage and harm to both yourself, the people within your home, but also the drainage pipes, as some chemical drainage cleaners produce heat to try and break blockages down – which can do damage to the drain pipes. Always flush your drains through with hot water about 15 minutes after putting drain cleaner down the blocked drain, as this will help try and break down things such as fats and greases which become more loose when they are warm.
If you have no luck after using the chemical drain cleaner, and plunger and hot water, then get your hands on some drainage rods – especially if the blockage is in an outside drain. Screw the rods together as you feed the rods up the drain pipe, make sure that when you twist the drainage rods when trying to remove the blockage, that you twist the way that tightens the rods, not the way which unscrews them, because you could end up losing the rods within the drain pipe.
When you have fed the rods up the blocked drain to the part where you can feel the blockage, you need to try and literally force the blockage out of the way manually, but do so with care, as the last thing you want to do is to crack the pipe – as this will need excavation and can be a very costly repair.
If the above tips don’t work, then you will have no choice but to call in a drainage company, as they will be able to blast the blockage away using their drain jetter. Look out for more posts on what to look out for from a drainage company to choose the right one for you. Click here for a link to a local, credible drainage company.
Firstly, make sure that the area is completely and utterly clear, and put towels down so that if any more water comes flowing back up through the pipes, that it is caught by the towels instead of staining and smelling your carpet. Then grab yourself a normal plumbers plunger. If your blockage is in a sink within your property, then make sure there is a small amount of water within the basin, then go hell for leather with the plunger, pumping it backwards and forwards to create a pushing force down the drain pipe to try and shift the blockage. The more you do it, the more force that is built up – so the higher chance you have of clearing the blockage. In terms of times and numbers, make sure you do it for a least a few minutes, pumping 30-40 times to create enough pressure to try and clear the blocked drain. Don’t give up on the first attempt, as some blocked drains can be very stubborn, so make sure you rinse and repeat this process 3 or 4 times to give yourself a good chance of unblocking the drain.
If this doesn’t prove to work, then try it again with some chemical drain cleaner. Always be careful when you use chemical drain cleaner, as the chemicals within the product can cause damage and harm to both yourself, the people within your home, but also the drainage pipes, as some chemical drainage cleaners produce heat to try and break blockages down – which can do damage to the drain pipes. Always flush your drains through with hot water about 15 minutes after putting drain cleaner down the blocked drain, as this will help try and break down things such as fats and greases which become more loose when they are warm.
If you have no luck after using the chemical drain cleaner, and plunger and hot water, then get your hands on some drainage rods – especially if the blockage is in an outside drain. Screw the rods together as you feed the rods up the drain pipe, make sure that when you twist the drainage rods when trying to remove the blockage, that you twist the way that tightens the rods, not the way which unscrews them, because you could end up losing the rods within the drain pipe.
When you have fed the rods up the blocked drain to the part where you can feel the blockage, you need to try and literally force the blockage out of the way manually, but do so with care, as the last thing you want to do is to crack the pipe – as this will need excavation and can be a very costly repair.
If the above tips don’t work, then you will have no choice but to call in a drainage company, as they will be able to blast the blockage away using their drain jetter. Look out for more posts on what to look out for from a drainage company to choose the right one for you. Click here for a link to a local, credible drainage company.