by Rita McQuillan

Created on: October 05, 2010

HOW TO UNCLOG A DRAIN

One can be so careful, but a small stick can enter the drain, get lodged, catch debris and cause problems.  Grease commonly causes a sluggish or stopped sink too.  Plenty of hot water often remedies the later or try the following homemade remedy.

Homemade Drain Remedy

Boil 2 cups of vinegar and pour down the drain.  Next pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain.  Wait until the bubbling stops and flush with a gallon of boiling water.  This is safe for all septic systems. 

Plunging

Next use a plunger with water in the sink.  The water seals with the plunger  For a double sink plug the other side to avoid the water going from sink to sink vs. down through the problem area.  Keep the plunger straight up and down or you may get splattered.  After plunging with no success then more aggressive action is necessary.  

Chemicals

Perhaps turn to chemicals to dissolve the debris.  Use according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  However, if there is a suspicion of a foreign object such as a wire or pen, or if chemicals are not an option for you, then dismantle.

 Dismantle

Get a pail and put it under the sink trap.  Remove the cleanout plug and washer. A gush of dirty sink water with debris may come out.  .  If chemicals were used a black slimy substance will be at the top of the clog.  Use waterproof gloves   Use a screwdriver to find the foreign object.

Snake

If the blockage is further down then a snake or drain auger is necessary.  If the snake pushes through the problem flush with lots of hot water and put things back together.

Problems further down, may be the responsibility of the city.  Perhaps a city tree crushed the sewer pipe.  If you own the outgoing drainage system, then read on, if not call the city’s water department.

 Drain Auger

Use an automated drain auger. A drain auger works best if you turn it as you feed it into the drain.  Go slowly while boring into the drain and keep feeding the coil in   You need to handle the coil as it goes in and a glove or your hair can get wrapped up.  Again bare hands were not an option being the auger was used in other people’s drains for the foulest of stuff.  If the clog clears, flush with plenty of hot water and put back together.

Backhoe

Our sewer pipe was crushed by a rock several feet from the house, so we dug up the pipe with a backhoe and replaced it.  Make sure it is put down far enough to avoid ice blockages in the winter. 

Hopefully you do not have the extensive problems we encountered.  I now use the above Homemade Drain Remedy mentioned above periodically to avoid clogs.  I appreciate what the drain augers do, but I do not want to have to use one ever again.

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