Tips on How to Unclog a Drain

Having problems with a drain lately? Don’t worry because the following tips on how to unclog a drain could make those problems go away. Just take note of these tips because chances are one of them could be the exact solution you need to get that drain back into working condition.

  1. Do not wait for a drain to completely stop working before you take any action. If you notice something wrong or sluggishness on a drain no matter how small, get it fixed right away before it gets any worse.
  2. Boiling water are very effective in cleaning out mildly clogged drains. When we say a mildly clogged drain, the drain isn’t totally clogged and water still drains but drains slower than what is normal. This could be caused by dried toothpaste, accumulated residue from hair products, etc.. When you think this is the case, simply pour boiling water on the drain. Keep pouring until you think water is draining as fast as it should be.
  3. Use baking soda and vinegar. This will more often than not free up the drain if it’s just moderately clogged. All you need to do is pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain. Then follow it up by pouring a half cup of home vinegar. Wait for about three hours to let the baking soda and vinegar do their work before you let running water in.
  4. If you believe that what’s slowing down the drain is grease, baking soda and vinegar won’t work. Try salt, baking soda and boiling water instead. Simply pour half cups of both salt and baking soda followed by boiling water.
  5. Use a plunger. There are two types of plunger – the toilet plunger and the sink plunger or the cup plunger. The one you should be using is the sink or cup plunger. So if you are going to the department store to buy one, specifically tell them that you need a sink plunger to avoid any confusion. Once you have the right plunger at hand, what you need to do is partially fill the sink with water, put the plunger completely over the drain then start plunging away. After that, pull the plunger of the drain and observe if it did anything. See if the water starts draining. If not, then keep repeating the process until you get the results you need.
  6. Use a plumber’s snake. This is obviously one of the most difficult ways to unclog a drain. First, you need a plumber’s snake which you can easily purchase on most department stores. Start by loosening the P-trap under the sink and see if the clog is inside the P-trap. If the clog isn’t on the P-trap, then it’s on the adjoining pipe. This is where you now use the snake. Simply place the end of the snake into the pipe and start feeling for any resistance. Once you find resistance, they you got the clog.

If nothing of the above tips on how to unclog a drain works, then it’s probably time you start calling a professional plumber to get the job done.


Source by Lindsey Jenkins

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