6 Clogged Drain Fixes to Try Before Calling a Professional

One of the more unpleasant plumbing problems—and common as well—that home owners have to face is a clogged drain. When your toilet just won’t flush properly and even overflows, you know you have to do something before all that filthy water makes a mess. The same goes for your bathtub or sink.

More often not, we automatically call a professional plumber whenever we’re faced with a problem like this. However, a clogged drain is something that you can at least try to remedy by yourself, because bad as it may look, there’s always the possibility that the blockage is something you can actually remove yourself. Here are 6 clogged drain fixes you can at least try before calling a professional.

1. Use a Plunger

One bathroom tool your home should never be without is the plunger. As long as the blocked drain is not as bad as it looks, a plunger can easily get your toilet flushing normally again. All you have to do is pump the plunger vigorously until the water level goes down. You can do this with a clogged tub or sink as well, but with a different plunger of course.

2. Pour Boiling Water Down the Blocked Drain

There’s a possibility that the drain of your sink is blocked by a accumulated grease, and grease can be melted off by boiling water, so pour as much of it as you can down that drain until the blockage is gone.

3. Make your own Drain Cleaner

If plain boiling water doesn’t work, you can make your own drain cleaner by mixing 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1/3 cup of vinegar. The result will be a fizzing mixture that is strong enough to eat through whatever is blocking your drain. For best results, leave the mixture down the drain and let it fizz for at least an hour. Use hot water to flush the mixture—and the clog—away.

4. Use Wire Hangers to Clear your Clogged Drain

Sometimes, even the simplest household items can help you unclog a blocked drain. A wire hanger, for instance, makes a good hook for pulling out hair or any debris that’s blocking your plumbing. All you have to do is straighten out the wire hanger, bend one end into a small hook, plunge it down the drain and fish around for anything that’s blocking it. Clear it all out with hot water once you’re done.

5. Caustic Soda

If you decide to go the chemical route to unclog your blocked drains, we recommend using caustic soda. Also known as sodium hydroxide, caustic soda can be very effective at unclogging drains. Just mix 3 cups of caustic soda to a 3/4 gallon of cool water in a bin. Use wooden spoon when mixing, then pour the mixture down the blocked drain. Leave it there for 20 minutes to a half hour before rinsing it with hot water.
When using caustic soda unclog drains, always remember to wear the right safety protection as it can cause chemical burns.

6. Use a Wet and Dry Vacuum

If you own a wet and dry vacuum, then you have one powerful tool that could easily solve your blocked drain problems. Also referred to as a wetvac, a wet and dry vacuum counts unclogging a drain among its many household applications. Just set it to “vacuum liquids”, turn it on to its highest setting, and plunge the end of the hose down the drain. Remember to keep a tight seal over the drain and cover the vent as well so you won’t make a mess in your home.

Should none of the above tips work, that would be the time to call in a professional plumber to help. Call us at Beez Neez plumbing, and we’ll be more than glad to give you all the help you need to unclog your drain.