The drain in your bathroom sink is taking too long to empty, how do you clear that blocked drain?
Wastewater and other liquids are flushed down the drain or into receptacles. When these drains, sewers, or stormwater drains become blocked, you have a problem. The blocked drains need to be cleared.
By the time you finish this article, you’ll not only know how to clear a blocked drain but will also have your own bonus recipe to keep your drains nice and clear.
How Do You Clear A Blocked Drain
- What Causes a Blocked Drain
- What is the Easiest Way to Unblock a Drain
- Can you Unclog a Drain with Salt?
- Will Vinegar Unblock a Drain?
- What you can Safely Pour Down a Blocked Drain to Clear it?
- Blocked Indoor Drains vs Blocked Outdoor Drains
- What to do if the Drain is Clogged Deep into the Pipe?
- Homemade Drain Cleaner Recipe
What Causes a Blocked Drain?
There are a number of reasons a drain will become blocked. Watch our video below as Jason Woods, Director of Capital Plumbing, outlines what causes a blocked drain.
What is the Easiest Way to Unblock a Drain?
If your drain is already clogged and you need it fixed quickly, the easiest way to unblock a drain is to try and clear it with a cup of baking soda and a cup of white vinegar.
It’s best to avoid trying to unblock a drain with harsh chemicals (you don’t want any toxic chemicals making contact with your skin), baking soda and white vinegar is an all-natural and easy solution.
Make sure your drain is clear and attempt to unblock it when you won’t be using it for a few hours. Using baking soda and vinegar is a simple way to get the job done.
Directions: Measure half a cup of baking soda and pour down the drain. Follow with half a cup of vinegar. There will be fizzing as the two ingredients combine, helping to dissolve the blockage. After 20 minutes, pour boiling water down the drain to flush any remaining debris.
Can you Unclog a Drain with Salt?
Coarse salt is more effective than hot water at unclogging a drain due to the fact that it scrubs your pipes clean from the inside out.
Directions: Pour half a cup of course table salt down the drain. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before flushing it with hot water for effective results.
Will Vinegar Unblock a Drain?
Acetic acid is found in vinegar, while baking soda is a base.
A chemical reaction occurs when these ingredients are mixed, releasing carbon dioxide and water into the debris that is causing the blockage, and dislodging it.
Additionally, drainage pipelines are not pressurized like water pipes. To flush the blocked drain, use hot water. Both gravity and this pressure work together to keep clogs out of pipes and drains flowing freely. With that said, the drain can be cleared by using vinegar.
What you can Safely Pour Down a Blocked Drain to Clear it?
Hot water, baking soda, and vinegar are three ingredients that can be safely poured down a blocked drain to clear it. Simply pour hot water down your clogged drain followed by equal parts baking soda and vinegar, plug the drain if you have one, let it sit for 20-30 minutes, and then flush with more hot water to eliminate the clog. The assumption is that the chemical reaction will exert pressure on and corrode the obstruction, therefore dissolving it and clearing the pipe.
Blocked Indoor Drains vs Blocked Outdoor Drains
Indoor drains are mainly situated in the kitchen and bathroom. Common causes of kitchen clogs include dumping fat and oil from delectable roast dinners or coffee grounds down the sink. If your bathroom sink or bath drain is clogged, it is usually due to hair or soap clumps that have accumulated up.
Blocked outside drains are frequently caused by leaves, branches, soil, mud, moss, litter, and other outside debris. A blocked outdoor drain can also be caused by something like a tree root, or household debris that has accumulated over time. It is recommended that a local plumber be called for outdoor drain blockages.
What to do if the Drain is Clogged Deep into the Pipe?
If a drain is clogged deep into the pipe then the best option is to contact your local plumber.
You can attempt to flush the blockage, however, use your best judgment.
The drain cover will need to be removed, and these are usually heavy and will require a powerful flat-head screwdriver. If the screwdriver alone doesn’t work, attaching a rope around the cover helps. Remember to keep the drain cover from slipping down the drain.
If you are able to locate the blockage and are confident there are no harsh chemicals within the blockage, you can try to remove the blockage with your hands while wearing gloves and a face mask. The rest can be cleared with a drain rod. Try not to inhale too hard. Insert the drain rod into the drain and twist it clockwise into the clog, applying pressure. Plunge and twist. It will start to feel easier when the blockage is cleared.
Is there a Homemade Drain Cleaner Recipe using Bicarb Soda?
In the case of clogged drains, bicarb soda and white vinegar are household essentials. The following homemade drain cleaner recipe uses the most effective household, chemical-free ingredients to help unblock a clogged drain. Try this before calling your local plumber.
Homemade Drain Cleaner Recipe
What you’ll need
- ½ cup bicarbonate soda
- ¼ course table salt
- 1 cup white vinegar
- Duct tape
- 500ml boiling water
Directions
- Mix 1/2 cup bicarb soda with 1/4 cup table salt and pour the mixture down the blocked drain..
- Wait 2 minutes then pour 1 cup of white vinegar down the drain (the mixture will foam and bubble).
- Seal drain with duct tape to prevent any mixture escaping, and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, pour 500ml boiling water down the drain.
- Repeat the above if the obstruction is stubborn.
- To avoid blocked drains, and to keep drains clear and clean, repeat monthly.
