Tips For Clearing A Blocked Drain
A blocked drain is never a good thing. However, don’t panic just yet. Before you reach for the phone to call iSpecialise, you may be able to clear the blocked drain yourself.
Drain blockages come in many shapes and forms – it can something as simple as a blocked kitchen sink, which you have a good chance of clearing yourself, or something more complex, like a blocked sewerage drain, which you probably won’t want any part of.
If you are facing an easier and more importantly, a less messy, blockage, consider the following tips. These tips are great for blocked kitchen sinks, blocked laundry sinks, and bathroom floor wastes.
Boil the Kettle
So simple but so effective! If you have a blocked kitchen sink, one of the easiest tricks to clear it is simply pouring boiling water down the drain. A lot of the time, a blocked drain in the kitchen is formed by a build-up of food, oil, grease and other organic waste. The boiling water helps break down the buildup to clear the drain.
Use a Plunger
Plungers are cheap and effective. For around $5 a Bunnings, you can get a plumber to suck away the blockage. Place it over the drain and create a strong seal. Once you have suction with the plunger, pump it up and down as quickly and vigorously for at least 10 pumps. This should loosen any smaller objects that might be causing the blockage.
Use Baking Soda & Vinegar
If boiling water didn’t work and you can’t be bothered going to Bunnings to get a plunger, two common kitchen products; baking soda and vinegar, work a treat in clearing a blocked drain. Simply pour baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar (1:1 ratio). The two elements react to one another, causing a chemical reaction which releases oxygen. It’s the oxygen that clears the blocked drain.
Rely on a Chemical Cleaner
If the natural solutions above don’t work, it’s time to try something a little stronger to clear your blocked drain. Mr Muscle Drain Crystals is a good choice. It’s available at Coles for under $15. In an empty sink, add two tablespoons of the crystals immediately followed by 300ml of cold water and then wait 14 minutes. Repeat a second time if need be.
Get Dirty
If all the options above have failed to clear the blocked drain, the next DIY step is to roll up your sleeves and pull the drain apart to remove the blockage manually. In the kitchen, this is a relatively easy task as you have access to the pipes below the sink. In most cases, the u-bend of the kitchen sink is where the blockage will occur. Place a bucked under the drainpipe to catch excess water and then unscrew the two connecting pieces to remove the u-bend to clear the pipe.
Call the experts
If you’ve tried boiling water, baking soda and vinegar, chemical cleaners and even pulled the drain apart – or don’t want to pull the drain apart – and still haven’t been able to clear your blocked drain, then it’s time to call the expert at clearing blocked drains in Auckland; iSpecialise.
We have state-of-the-art CCTV cameras and high-pressure jetters that will locate any obstruction in a blocked drain and blast it away.
Conclusion
A blocked drain can be a real pain in the backside. A blocked kitchen sink means meal prep time is a disaster; you can’t even wash your hands as the sink will fill with water. So, what do you do? You could call iSpecialise to come and fix your blockage, or you can give it a crack yourself before you call in the experts.
The best DIY solutions to clear a blocked drain are pouring boiling water down the drain, a plunger, baking soda and vinegar, a chemical cleaner, and removing the u-bend to clear the block manually.
If all else fails, give iSpecialise a call on 09-2322 895. We’re the Auckland’s blocked drains experts and will have your pipes running clearly in no time at all.
