Plumbing Mistakes You Will Never Make Again

In your home, all the toilets, sinks and showers empty into a waste pipe that leads to the sewers where waste treatment is carried out. The clean water that is gotten after treatment is directed back to natural water sources like rivers.

Having a blocked drain in your home is irritating and could be the origin of a major headache. Blockage might occur in traps that are the curved sections of pipes underneath your sink, inside pipes or in the main drainage pipe.

Causes of blockages in drains

• Coagulation of fats and oils from food
• Damaged pipes
• Strands of hair collecting in sinks
• Tampons and sanitary pads

If left unattended, blockages could cause severe damage to your home and also pose serious health risks. The following simple emergency blocked drains tips can be taken to prevent further damage.

Hot water

Hot water is probably the simplest way to unblock drains especially if the blockage is as a result of the accumulation of solidified fats and oils. You should pour hot boiling water into the drain and give it some time to flow. The process should be repeated several times until water can freely flow down the drain.

Drain cleaning liquid

These are commercial cleaning substances specially designed to dissolve whatever is causing the blockage in your drain. They are effective if potent enough or if the blockage is minor. Drain cleaning liquids can be corrosive, and you should avoid spilling it on your skin or on other surfaces such as wood that could be easily destroyed.

Caustic soda

Also known as lye or sodium hydroxide, caustic soda breaks down grease, oils and fats. You should dissolve it in cold water then mix it with a wooden stick and pour it into the drain. Caustic soda is harsh and could result in terrible chemical burns. Therefore, you should exercise caution when handling it. Rubber gloves should be put on and the mixture should not be stirred using metallic items as this could result in a potentially dangerous chemical reaction.

Baking Soda and vinegar mixture

A mixture of baking soda and vinegar could also remove slime, hair and muck clogging your drain. The mixture should be poured into the drain while it is still fizzing and left for some time before being flushed out with hot water. Alternatively, you could also pour baking soda into the drain and then pour in vinegar afterwards.