There are certain things in life that are simply inevitable. There are as many bad things as good things that are inevitable, but each of these things is equally important in experience. Many of these experiences involve living on your own and experiencing many firsts. One such thing is a clogged drain. It may sound incredibly simple and like there should be an explanation needed. However, it is not always so simple. Some clogs become so severe that a pipe may even need to be replaced. It is vitally important to be able to determine the severity of a clog and know how to handle various situations. The best way to gain this information is through research and trial and error. Keep in mind that no two clogs are the same. They can be similar, but that does not mean that they will need the same treatment. There are certain things to look for when determining the severity of a clog. Also, there are certain steps to take when you determine that you do have a clog. What you will find here in all of this information as well as other important aspects of handling a clogged drain.
The first step you need to take is to determine how severe the clog is. To do this, it is best to run a little bit of water and monitor if any water is able to drain out and if so, how fast. If no water is able to drain, that means the clog is on the extreme side of severity. If the water is barely trickling out, the clog is still on the severe side. A medium clog is when the water will run out, but it seems to take forever. A mild clog is when the water drains out at a decent pace but is still slower than it should be.
After testing the severity of the clog, you will need to gather the necessary tools and resources you will need to unclog the drain. The tools needed will depend on what you discovered while testing the severity of the problem. For mild to medium clogs, you will need a drain snake, a rag, and possibly a drain unclogging chemical. If you have a severe clog, you may need to include the tools needed to take the pipes apart. This includes a pipe wrench, a rag, and plumbers tape to use when putting them back together. If anything beyond these items is needed to fully remove the clog, it is time to call in the professionals. Consider contacting colepepperplumbing.com.
Now, it is time to take action. If you are dealing with a mild to moderate clog, it is best, to begin with, a drain snake before trying anything else on your own. If the clog is very low, it will be more difficult to deal with, even with a long drain snake. If the clog is located higher up, you should be able to access it fairly easily with the drain snake tool. The way it works is, you feed the tool down into the drain until you reach the clog. Then, attempt to get under the clog. If this is not possible, you need to at least be able to get beside it. If neither of these things is possible, you will need to move on to other methods. If you are able to get under or beside the clog, move the snake around and then attempt to lift the clog up, out of the drain.
If a drain snake tool does not work, the next step would be to try one of the many drain cleaning chemicals currently on the market. If you decide to use this method, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, there are certain types of clogs where the chemical will not have any effect. Also, there are times when you will make the problem worse by using one of these chemicals. It is best to avoid this step when dealing with a very severe clog. The reason for this is that all you will be doing is filling the drain with the chemical because it will not be able to get around the clog any more than the drain snake could. This means that it will not be able to help. If you are using this method on a small clog, you should still be careful not to add too much. Follow the directions on the package and if you have questions or concerns, it is best to contact a plumber as soon as possible.
For clogs that are so severe that nothing is able to budge it from its position, it is often necessary to take the clogged section of pipe loose from the system. Because this is a drain pipe, you will not have to turn the water supply off unless there is a source that continuously flows into the drain. If you decide to try this, make sure you can easily access the affected area of the pipe. If you can not easily reach the necessary section of the pipe, it is best to turn to a professional for help. If you can reach the section of pipe with ease, use a pipe wrench to loosen the connection on either side of the pipe. Keep in mind there will be water held in the pipe. It is wise to set a container and/or rags under the pipe so that the mess is contained. Once you have the section of pipe in your hand, you can more easily maneuver the pipe and use more tools to remove the offending clog. After the pipe has been successfully cleaned out, you will need to put the pipes back together. Be sure to wrap the threads with fresh plumbers tape and ensure that the seal is properly placed. When tightening the connections, make sure they are straight and tight. If the connection is crooked, it will leak causing you more problems than you had to start with. If it seems to be going on crooked, take it back off and start over. Once everything is properly back together, run a bit of water through the drain. This will both tell you that the clog was fully removed and whether or not you left any leaks.
Author, Freelance writer