How to tackle your obstructed drains pipes problem
How to tackle your obstructed drains pipes problem
Do you know what the best way to unblock drains pipes is? Using a plunger is the most effective and fastest way to solve this common household problem. The entire process of opening obstructed drainpipe with a plunger is simple and straightforward. What you don’t want to do however is to vigorously pump up and down like a jack hammer. To ensure that the plunger works effectively, wholly cover the drainpipe with its bell-shaped head, and gently push it down once, and immediately come up, so that suction is created. In theory the suction created by pulling up quickly will dislodge the material that is clogging your bathtub, toilet or sink. It should be noted here that some bath tubs and sinks have overspill outlets that must be plugged with a sponge or wet towel before using your plunger if this approach is to work.
You could use a waste pipes clearance chemical that is designed to break down the material instead of the more conventional plunger. But it would only be recommended to resort to using chemicals after you have tried fixing the problem with a waste pipes plunger. You should allow the chemicals time to take effect and then, once the material that is clogging the drain has been disintegrated you can flush it out with hot water. Use rough clothes that cover your body fully as things could get a bit mucky and some of the strong chemicals may spill on you and burn exposed skin. Putting on eye cover will be a good idea if you intend to plunge again and prevent the splattering of left over chemicals into your eye. The chemical product comes with specific manufacturer’s instructions; it is important to read and follow them carefully.
If both the plunger and chemicals fail to alleviate the clogging problem you have, then you can try unscrewing the nuts on the P-trap with pliers or a pipe wrench to gain access to the pipe. Keep a bucket and towel to deal with the mess that will follow. By covering the jaws of your wrench with electrical tape you will avoid damaging the chrome on your pipes and it will also allow you to get a better purchase of them. You will be able to check the drains P-trap for any obstructions in the pipe opening after you remove it. If, however you cannot find any solid materials the problem is probably harder to get to, between the trap and the soil stack deep in the waste pipes pipework.
A toilet auger can be used for unclogging the toilet. If the problem lies in your tub or sink, a plumbers drain snake will come in handy. Plumbers drainage snakes have been specifically designed to enter deep into the narrow pipes. Once the snake has reached the blockage you can twist the adjustable handle which will drill into the obstruction so you can then pull the material out. Once, you have taken out the obstruction, re-fix the P-trap and rinse the drainage with hot water to make sure that the entire blockage has been removed. Everything should be sealed properly after the whole process is over, the P-trap and pipes should also be checked for any leaks.
If the drainage is still plugged after all these measures, or if the problem reoccurs chronically, employ a competent plumber or drainage contractor to fix it. There are some incidents that cannot be resolved by the common householder such as clogs in the soil stack or the sewer service near tree roots or even a broken pipe caused by age or pipe corrosion brought upon by nature or some “mysterious reason”, at these times contact a good waste pipes engineer.