Who Is Responsible for Clearing Blocked Drains
Its always good practice for the average homeowner to research the reasons why these problems occur and the solutions to how you as an individual can fix your blocked drains and ideally in the future, prevent blocked drains and preventing similar situations occurring in the first place.
Now it is always good practice to use a professional service and if this is something you can afford then we would 100% recommend you use a trusted service that have access to the right tools and knowledge of how to clear blocked drain, but there are potential solutions you can try at home before spending valuable income, here’s how.
How To Stop Hair Blocking Drains
There are many different ways to clear blockages in your drainage systems and we believe the best way to stop your drains from blocking is to do your utmost to prevent it happening in the first place. The best place to start is by brushing your hair to collect any and all loose hairs that may come out in the shower and get stuck within the drainage system.
You could invest in a hair catcher and install it in your shower drain, this would freely allow flow of water but catch any loose hairs and all you need to do is remove the hair catcher with the strands of hair caught in the catcher removing them and disposing of any waste.
It is also good advice to regularly pour boiling water down your shower drain to break down any hair and debris that may have been caught in the drainage system. These are only preventative measures and drains can still become blocked over time but these tips should help you avoid it as much as possible. If you still find your drains becoming blocked then we may be able to help.
How to Clear a Blocked Drain
Having a blocked drain in 2022 can be a daunting and stressful task for new and old homeowners, tenants or the average person renting property. This could be causing all sorts of issues that can affect new and veteran homeowners alike.
The first step in how to fix a blocked drain is identifying which drain is causing you the issues you’re experiencing. First we will look at internal drainage systems as due to their location in your home, can create all sorts of other problems such as bad smells, drain flies and a general sense of unsanitary conditions.
Once you have identified the drain causing you these headaches we can then move on to the first step and how to clear a blocked drain first we will tackle the bathroom area, as a general rule of thumb shower drains are one of the most common drains to get blocked due to hair being trapped in the drain but we will help and show you how to remove hair from a blocked shower drain.
Does Bleach Clear Blocked Drains?
Although you can use a cup of bleach to clean and deodorise drains followed by boiling water, it is amazing at killing and sanitising germs but it will unfortunately not eat through hair a scum trapped within the pipes causing the drain blocking.
You can use bleach to sanitise your drain system but in the context of blockages it wont really be successful, if it works then great, if not then continue on to unblock persistent blockages.
How to Clear a Blocked Drain
I won’t lie to you, clearing out a blocked shower drain or bathtub isn’t ever going to be a pleasant task and i would advise you do use a professional service when possible. If you would rather try and fix this yourself first, don’t panic as thankfully it CAN be done, especially if you have tried household products and had no luck with them.
Firstly you should invest in some rubber gloves to protect your hands and step into your shower/bathtub. Crouch down next to the drain and inspect around making sure to look for anything obvious that could be causing the blockage,
If you fail to see anything that stands out then grab yourself a coat hanger as these can be bent easily to move around the twists and turns in the pipe.
Bend the hanger so there is a small hook at the end and simply insert into the drain.
Make sure you keep a bin bag nearby for any scum or drain debris you do find in the pipe as it can get quite messy. Now for the easy part, take off the drain cover by removing the screws or by turning the cover if it is a twist lock.
Gently twist and push the hook hanger into the drain until you feel resistance, hair and debris may come to the surface during this, slowly pull the hanger gently and remove any debris that may come with the hanger, put this in the bag and any other debris that may be part of the blockage. Do this until nothing else comes out.
This should unblock your shower drains, once all debris has been removed it is good practice to follow up with pouring boiling water down the shower drain to loosen and clear any excess scum or debris.
Conclusion
In conclusion there are many different solutions you can try to unblock your drains at home but if these solutions and tips aren’t successful and your drain is still blocked then we do suggest you look into hiring a professional service and seeing how plumbers unblock drains and the tools they have at their disposal. You could also check if blocked drains are covered by your home insurance. But this will depend on the cause, for example, if the blockage or damage is caused by tree roots blocking up the piping or other accidental damage, then you should be covered and save your own money for a rainy day.
– Pour boiling water down the drain.
– Add a cup of bicarbonate of soda.
– Now add a cup of vinegar and watch it start to fizz and froth.
– Replace the drain cover loosely and let it work its magic for a few hours.
– Repeat until you make headway.
If your drain is clogged with ice cubes — then yes, boiling water can unclog a drain. But if your drain is clogged with the things that normally clog drains — grease, oil, dirt, hair, etc then you are best contacting a drain clearing service than manually attempting to unblock your drain.
Hydrochloric acid, otherwise known as muriatic acid, is commonly used by plumbers around the world to clear a clogged drain. It is a strong acid that can cause serious injury if it is not used with care so professionals are trained appropriately to use it effectively.
If it’s an indoor blockage, it could have occurred because of heavy materials or objects being flushed down the drain. Overflowing drains are often caused by sanitary products, paper towels or other hard to flush materials which can clog pipes and obstruct drains. Wipes, tissues, and even hair can also be the culprits.
If it’s an indoor blockage, it could have occurred because of heavy materials or objects being flushed down the drain. Overflowing drains are often caused by sanitary products, paper towels or other hard to flush materials which can clog pipes and obstruct drains. Wipes, tissues, and even hair can also be the culprits.