Agravation time – a blocked drain
Aggravation time – you have a blocked drain
This has happened to all of us – the water fast submerging our feet while are taking a shower. Is there anything as inconvenient and messy as a blocked drain!. What about that wet sinking feeling when you are brushing your teeth at the washbasin on a lousy Monday morning and the filled sink just refuses to drain!. The prospect of sorting obstructed drainage out is not a happy one; it can be messy and time consuming. However, obstructed drains are something that cannot be avoided; every household has to cope with it sooner or later. The best way to manage plugged bathroom drainage is to learn how to unblock them.
Why do drains get obstructed, what is the underlying cause?.
They get plugged when dust, hair and other particles get entrapped between the pipes inside the bathroom drainpipe. The problem aggravates when bathroom products like soap, shampoo, conditioner, detergent, and the like begin to accumulate on the mass. When the offending mass becomes too dense to allow any water to flow through freely, the problem is identified as a blocked drain pipe. When waste water drains very slowly or just stands stubbornly in the washbasin, you know you have a clogged up drainpipe problem.
Some effective ways to unblock your bathroom drain pipe are listed below.
If you want your water to start running freely then there are a few things you can do to rectify the problem. First of all the plug should be removed. With a bathroom sink this can be as easy as pulling it right out or as complicated a problem as looking under the sink and removing the nut that holds it in place. For a bathtub you may be able to simply take out the plug, otherwise you might have to take off the overflow plate in order to get at the assembly.
Once you remove the plug, you may then be able to see the source of the clog. Chances are you’ll see a clump of hair mixed with other materials just below the drainpipe in the blocked drain. Clear out as much of the stoppage as possible. If it is out of reach, you can use a wire clothes hanger to remove it if you can hook into the debris and pull it. There is a good chance that by removing this mass of material the problem will be rectified and your water will flow smoothly.
However other methods can be used in case the blockage is unreachable even with a hanger. clogs which are very deep can be removed with the help of a drain pipe plunger. In the first step, use a wet cloth to cover the overflowing drain pipe, and then use the plunger; this will make the suction stronger. Now put the plunger over the drain pipe and move it up and down continuously at an even pace. Hopefully, after doing this and once the plunger is taken away, any water should flow freely down the drain as the vacuum created shifted the obstruction.
You may have to turn to a chemical solution, if the plunger fails to do the job. Chemicals should be applied only after all else fails because they are hazardous and can damage your bathroom hardware.
Bring in the Pros for a professional drains solution.
If all the steps outlined above fail to clear the blocked drain pipe, then it is best to call in a crack team – a qualified and experienced plumber or drainage contractor from your area. Plumbers have special equipment to clean the plugged drains speedily and effortlessly such as a drainage snake, drains contractors also employ water jetting to clear blockages and cctv drainage cameras to view inside the drainpipe. Although availing plumber services can be a costly proposal it gives you the much needed peace of mind as the water starts flowing, the blocked drain is cleared and the mess is cleaned up.