A Few Ways to Unclog a Drain Yourself
August 23, 2016
Don't panic when you have a clogged drain, or else you'll end up with crazier complications than you had started with. You might eventually need to get ahold of professionals specializing in plumbing services near Montgomery County, but first you should determine how serious the blockage is by trying to remove it with a few of the simple, "do-it-yourself" methods listed below.
1. Plunger
You should always grab the good ol' plunger when you initially attempt to unclog your drain. After filling the sink slightly less than a quarter of the way full, you can place the plunger over the drain and move it up and down quickly until the water begins to flow down. As long as the water drains, you can conclude that a small obstruction was responsible for the blockage.
2. Baking Soda & Vinegar
After using a bucket to empty the water from the sink, take about a cup of baking soda and cram it down the drain. While doing so, you can pack it down using a wooden spoon or spatula handle. Next, dump a cup of vinegar into the drain and put the stopper in right away to make sure the mixture goes down. Wait for about five minutes as the mixture foams up and flows through the pipes. Then you can do a test run by running warm water down the pipe. Move on to step #3 if it's still clogged.
4. Cable Auger
With a bucket positioned below the pipes, detach the trap or J-joint existing underneath the sink that connects the sink to the horizontal pipe. Next, after taking the horizontal pipe out of the wall, use the cable auger to move down the stub pipe. Gradually insert the cable down by spinning the crank clockwise. As soon as you reach the clog, spin it counterclockwise to grab the cable and hopefully the obstruction, too.
5. Call a Plumber
If you haven't unclogged your drain with any of the techniques listed above, then it's time to contact plumbers near Montgomery County. Persistently trying to clear a blockage can sometimes lead to an expensive plumbing disaster. If you feel like you're seeing zero progress as you continue to try and push the blockage along, the best advice is to call a plumbing expert today.
Still dealing with a clogged drain? Contact the professionals at Benjamin Franklin Plumbers in Levittown today by calling (215) 515-0918 or visiting their website.