The Dos and Don'ts of Dealing With Blocked Drains

Blocked drains remain one of the most common plumbing issues that homeowners will contend with during their residence in their house. The reason why this issue is so prevalent is that different types of debris are bound to make their way down the drains — from food particles in the kitchen to balls of hair in the shower or even foreign objects in the toilet! Although you can try your best to maintain your drains meticulously, you will still experience this issue at some point. So what should you do? Instead of testing it out a selection of home remedies, here are the dos and don'ts of dealing with blocked drains in your home.

Do investigate with a drain snake

Drain snakes are specialised tools employed by plumbers to try to dislodge any blockages that have formed inside the drain. This tool is quite affordable, and you can buy one at your local hardware store. However, you should note that a drain snake is not the solution to all your blocked drain problems. If the clog is quite dense, the drain snake will not be capable of disintegrating it. Furthermore, if the clog is located deep down your plumbing pipe, then the drain snake will be unable to reach it. If you cannot break apart the clog or cannot seem to locate any with the drain snake, it is time to move on to the second option.

Do hire a plumber

If you are experiencing signs of blocked drains, such as low water pressure or gurgling noises in your pipes, then it is imperative to reach out to a plumber. A licensed plumber will have all the necessary equipment needed to eliminate your clog such as an inspection camera to find the exact location of the clog to hydro jet equipment to flush out all debris accumulating in your drains. Even when you think you have managed to resolve the blockage that was pestering your plumbing, it is still critical to hire plumbing services. The plumber will inspect all the pipes in your house to ensure there are no more potential clogs that you will contend with.

Don't pour hot water

One of the drain cleaning remedies that is touted all across the internet is pouring hot water down your clogged drain. The reason behind this is to melt away any coagulated grease and oil that could be creating a trap for debris to accumulate it. While this may work on metal pipes, it is never recommended on PVC piping. When you pour hot water down your PVC drains, you stand the chance of destabilising the different joints holding the sections together. The destabilisation weakens the pipes and causes your plumbing hardware to be at risk of breaking away, leading to a catastrophe.