Blocked drains are a pain. They prevent the water from draining and instantly put the appliance out of order. After all, add any more liquid to it and you risk it flooding your home. The good news is that most blockages are near the drain itself.
If this is the case you may be able to tackle the issue yourself.
However, if more than one appliance is draining slowly or not draining at all, you probably have a blockage further down the pipes. This is much harder to deal with. It’s worth calling your local Sydney plumber and getting them to deal with the issue for you.
It will be faster and less likely to cause costly damage.
Plunger: The best first step is to use a plunger. You may not realize it but there are several different types of plungers. It’s important to choose the right one for the job. In short, the rubber base needs to complete cover the drain. This allows you to create the seal that creates a vacuum in the pipe. In turn, the lack of air creates pressure on the blockage, forcing it to break up.
All you have to do is put the plunger in position and slowly move it up and down. Do this for a couple of minutes and then remove it to see if the water drains, or not.
Boiling Water: Clogs, especially in sinks, are often a result of fat, pieces of soap, and other debris. Boiling water can melt the fats and soap, effectively breaking up the blockage.
Simply boil the kettle and pour it down the blocked drain. However, before you add the water from the kettle, you will need to manually remove the water from the appliance.
Drain Snake: A drain snake is a slim piece of metal that is flexible enough to move around the pipes but strong enough to push through a blockage. You simply feed the wire into the drain and keep unwinding it. You’ll know when it reaches the blockage and you can start pushing it harder while wriggling it.
The drain snake can be a very successful approach.
Baking Soda & Vinegar: Baking soda and vinegar react to each other and bubble vigorously. This reaction has a small explosive force that can help to break up a blockage in your pipes.
You need to remove the water from your drain first. Then, add half a cup of baking soda to the drain and leave it to settle for five minutes. You can then add a cup of vinegar and leave it for another five to ten minutes.
Run some warm water down the drain to see if the blockage has gone.
Unscrew The Trap: If all else has failed you can unscrew the tap to physically check for a blockage. You’ll need to go under the sink, this doesn’t work on toilets. It’s a good idea to have a bucket there to catch water and debris.
Unscrew the trap and look inside, you may find the blockage and be able to pull it out. It is a good idea to wear gloves.
Don’t forget that even if the water is draining again you may still have a partial blockage. It’s a good idea to get a plumber t check the pipes for you.
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