Clogged drains can be a major inconvenience. If you’ve been nursing that slow-moving drain for a while now, it’s time to take care of it before it gets any worse, rendering the bathroom or kitchen sink completely unusable.
It might be tempting to try to clear a clogged drain yourself, but if it’s been gradually getting worse for a while or if you have no plumbing experience, the job might be better left to the pros. Here are a couple of easy do-it-yourself plumbing tricks you can try to clear a clogged drain, as well as some scenarios where you’ll be better served by calling in a plumber.
Zip Your Way Out of a Hairy Situation
One common cause of clogged drains, and an easy issue to resolve is hair in the bathroom drains. Often this issue is easily resolved with a handy plastic tool, found at most hardware stores, called a Zip-It. The Zip-It may go by another name at your store but look for a long, flat, slender plastic strip with curved teeth on it. Simply wiggle the Zip-It down into the drain as far as it will go, and then pull it back out. It’ll remove any hair buildup that is clogging the drain.
Take the Plunge
If you suspect a temporary blockage further in where the Zip-It can’t get, you might try plunging the drain. Run a little water in the sink or tub, then put the plunger over the drain. Push the plunger to push the air out and pull it back out again to fill it with water, and then make sure it creates a seal around the drain. Next time you push on the plunger, it’ll force the water down the drain. Start gently at first as you don’t want to bust any pipes or force water through any weak points! You may have to plunge the drain 15 or 20 times before the clog clears and the water starts to drain from the sink.
Call the Pros
While the two methods above can clear quite a few of the clogs that most people face, they won’t make a difference with more substantial clogs. Avoid pouring caustic chemicals down the drain, as they can damage pipes. Instead, if your efforts don’t make a difference, it’s time to call a plumber.
Here are a few advantages to calling a professional to clear a clogged drain.
- A professional can use his training and experience to diagnose the problem. Your technician has been trained in his field and has the experience to help him make the call. What seems like a simple clogged drain to you may, in fact, be a more serious mainline problem and identifying the true problem before you spend a lot of time chasing down the wrong drain can save you time and expenses.
- A professional can get the job done quickly. No time-consuming troubleshooting! The professionals come in, diagnose the problem, and fixed it. An hour or two of inconvenience and you’ll be back to life as normal, instead of spending hours or days trying to fix it yourself.
- A professional will save you time and money. You won’t have to buy products or rent equipment you may not need while you troubleshoot the problem. Professional drain clearing may seem like it costs a lot, but you’ll quickly rack up that much or more in expenses and lost wages as you try to figure out where the problem is and how to fix it, and in the end, you may have to call in someone anyway.
Got a sink or a tub that’s draining slowly? Or does more than one drain seem to be affected? Stop worrying about what it could be! An experienced professional can take that worry off your plate by quickly diagnosing and fixing the problem. Call Maeser today!
