Expert Guide on How to Clear and Prevent Blocked Drains

Blocked drains are a very common problem that most people face in their houses’ plumbing. This could be because many tend to not think about the network of pipes that exists in their houses until a problem occurs. Even if you come across a blocked drain, you will be able to clear it quickly. But instead of waiting for something to happen you should stay proactive and pay more attention to what goes into your drain so that you will be able to prolong its life, prevent leans and avoid all types of costly repairs.

How to Unclog a Blocked Drain

When the drain at your home is blocked, carry out the following steps to unclog them efficiently:

·       Add Baking Soda, fresh squeezed lemon juice and vinegar. Let it sit in the drain for 30 minutes. Then rinse it with warm water. This should help the clog. Avoid using store bought chemicals. Store bought chemicals will damage your pipes in the long run.

·       Instead of using store bought chemicals, hire a plumber for snaking the blocked drain and removing the gunk, grease or hair completely.

·       You could also use a manually operated augur or even a snake that is available at most hardware stores. You will also be able to rent an electric snake for unclogging the blocked drain all by yourself. 

Precautionary Measures

If the drain is clogged and water is backed up along the pipelines, then it will put a lot of stress on the pipe and shorten its life span. Instead of going through all that trouble of unclogging the blocked drain, you could take some preventive steps so that you will be able to prevent the clog from happening in the first place. Follow the precautionary measures mentioned below and be proactive:

·       The drains in the kitchen are the ones that get clogged very often, due to all the food particles that go down it. They accumulate there over time and get stuck, so make sure that you scrape them off and put it in the trash before you could put the plates in the sink. You should never put liquid grease in the drain rather it should be poured into a container that is sealable and discarded separately.

·       Make sure to never pour oil down the kitchen drain. It will be able to handle milk, water and other types of liquids but oil will solidify and set on the inside of the pipes thus creating a blockage. Getting rid of this blockage will be a tough task so you should make sure that you get rid of the oil separately.

·       Hair is a major problem in the bathroom drains. Install a screen that can go over the tubs and showers in the bathroom. Once a week you should take out the hair so that any type of buildup can be prevented.

·       When it comes to the toilets, you should not put in anything other than toilet paper and sewage.

·       You can use a drain un-blocker regularly for getting rid of the small blockages. These small clogs will not be able to wash over on its own and will end up attracting more gunk and debris till a stage where it becomes a big clog thus fully blocking the pipes. You could also use some eco-friendly products for keeping the drain clean at all times.

Keep these precautionary measures as well as unclogging steps handy, so that they can be implemented to maintain the drains in your home and to unclog a blocked drain immediately.

Guest Contributor, Lara Buck