4 Simple Handy Guide Tips for Unblocking Your Clogged Drain

So you have a blocked drain? Don't worry! It's a common plumbing problem in most homes today, and the techniques to unblock drains are easy to follow. While some of the drainage problems will require the expertise of competent plumbers, others like clogged drains will require you to carefully follow some simple steps to unclog them. Some of the causes of blocked drains include hairballs, foreign objects, grease and fat, poor pipe installation, broken pipes and heavy storms and rain. Here are 4 handy guide tips to help you unblock your drains without breaking a sweat.

1. Locate the Blocked Areas

This requires you to remove the manhole cover. So, how do you lift the manhole cover? Well, it is pretty simple. Here is the procedure:

• Using a strong garden spade, raise the edge of the manhole cover
• Grab the cover with your hands and lift it
• Carefully inspect the chamber next to the cesspool, septic tank or main drain before you get to the gully.

If after a thorough inspection you find that the chamber is empty, then the blockage might be in the drain between this chamber and the gully. If, on the other hand, you find the chamber is full, quickly check the chamber adjacent to the septic tank or the main drain. In case you find the chamber next to the main drain is full, inspect the blockage between the main drain and this chamber; the clog might be there.

2. Clear the Blockage

Take a rod with a fitting plunger and insert it into the chamber at any of the two ends of the blocked area. It is easy for you to locate the mouth of the drainage pipe if the chamber is empty. However, you will need to use the plunger to probe and find the mouth of the pipe if the chamber is full.

3. Add More Rods

If you want the plunger to work more easily along the pipe to the blockage, then more rods add to it. Then, turn the rods but not in any direction. Competent plumbers recommend that you turn the rods clockwise when working. If you turn the rods anticlockwise, most of the rods will unscrew and remain in the drain, and this will cause serious plumbing problems. If the plunger with many screwed rods fails to shift the blockage, use a corkscrew attachment instead to break up the stubborn blockage.

4. Use Wet Jet

Will the wet jet complete the blockage clearance more effectively? Yes, especially if the water jet you are directing down the drain from a hosepipe is strong enough. Alternatively, you can clear the blockage by filling the sink and bath and release the water in one forceful gush.

By following the 4 handy tips you will be able to remove any stubborn drain clogs without breaking a sweat. However, if the procedure doesn't work for your drain blockage, consider calling in a plumber.