Clear a Clogged Drain Yourself
Is your drain clogged? Do you think you have clogged pipes but aren’t sure what to do about it? Unfortunately, people injure themselves or destroy their drains or pipes by using unsafe methods to try to clear the blockage. You can hurt yourself or your property if you use improper methods, dangerous chemicals, or the wrong tools. The following are step-by-step directions for how to clear a clogged drain or blocked pipe in a safe and effective manner.
Hot Water
Believe it or not, hot water can unclog a drain. Boil water on the stove and carefully pour hot water into the drain. Give it some time to see if it works, and then try again. Be careful not to get too much water backed up in the sink, toilet, or tub.
Plunge The Clogged Drain
Your toilet plunger is good for more than plunging your toilet!
- Put on rubber gloves and goggles (to protect yourself from anything that might spurt up.)
- Check out any connected sinks that might send dirty water shooting up out of their drains. (This is especially important if you are clearing a kitchen sink with two sinks). Cover the drains.
- Use the plunger to gently break up the clog. Plunger repeatedly, being careful not to send dirty water shooting up anywhere.
Snake The Clogged Drain
Using a short snake, try to excavate the clogged drain. Be careful not to force the snake as you don’t want to break any pipes or break off the snake inside the pipe or drain.
If you can’t clear the clogged drain using hot water, a plunger or a short snake, you will want to turn the job over to a professional. Why wouldn’t you want to rent or buy snaking equipment or use chemicals? We’ll tell you why:
Avoid Serious Injury
Plumbing jetters and snakes are powerful pieces of equipment; the better ones can cause serious injury or damage if used improperly. Don’t put yourself or your family members at risk. Instead of wasting your money on equipment you’ll only use once (and possibly use improperly, injuring yourself), let a plumber who has been trained in on the equipment and who has much higher grade and more powerful equipment take care of the problem for you.
Avoid Chemical Burns
A large percentage of chemical burns reported in emergency rooms are due to misuse of drain cleaners. This is because drain cleaners are made from lye and sulfuric acid, which can easily burn skin, cause blindness, or even kill you, if ingested.
Chemical drain cleaners usually don’t work, which means you’ll just have a clogged drain full of caustic chemicals when the plumber arrives or when you try to plunge or snake the drain. Chemical drain cleaners put you, your family, and our plumbers at risk. Please avoid using drain cleaners and let a professional unclog your drain safely and effectively without putting anyone at risk.
Learn How To Prevent Clogged Drains
If you learn proper drain care, you’ll prevent the problem in the first place. Here at ER Plumbing of Charlotte NC, we are committed to educating you as to how to clean your pipes and keep your drains clog-free. Peruse our blog posts for details on how to keep your drains clear and other plumbing advice.
ER Services of Charlotte NC is equipped to handle commercial clogged drains and residential clogged drains. Give us a call for an estimate and prompt service, 24/7, any day of the week. We’re drain and pipe specialists!
Need Charlotte Plumbing Services?
Are you interested in more information about Charlotte drain cleaning?
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Need assistance or advice regarding clogged drains?
E.R. Services is open 24/7, 365 days a year. You don’t need to take time off work or wait until the morning because we never charge extra for nights or weekends. Just give us a call at 704-269-1066 or use our online contact form.
Learn more about Charlotte drain cleaning here.
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