How To Clear a Clogged Drain

Transcription

1 How To Clear a Clogged Drain Dealing with a clogged drain is just no fun. Fortunately, there are steps you can take before calling a plumber to try to clear that clog. Step 1: Cover overflow opening in basin or tub with wet cloth. Most kitchen sinks don't have an overflow vent, but if you're working on one of two side-by-side basins, plug the other basin's drain opening with wet cloths. In homes that have two bathrooms back to back in adjacent rooms, both may be connected to the same drain. In such cases you must block the other basin at both its drain and overflow vent. Shower facilities seldom have overflow vents; bathtubs do. Cover all of them with wet cloths for plunger to work properly. Step 2: Fill clogged basin with enough water to cover head of plunger. Coat lip of plunger with petroleum jelly (this helps create better seal). Slide plunger's cup over drain opening, then rapidly pump plunger up and down. You should feel water move in and out of drain. It is this back-and-forth water pressure that can eventually build up enough force to dislodge whatever is blocking drain. After about a dozen firm strikes, jerk plunger up quickly. Water should rush out. If it doesn't, try same procedure two or three more times before attempting another method. What You'll Need Here's what you'll want to have on hand when clearing a clogged drain: Wet cloths Plunger Petroleum jelly Commercial drain opener Drain-and-trap auger Bucket Wire coat hanger Stiff brush To unclog a sink drain, cover the plunger's rubber cup

2 with water and plug the fixture's vent opening with wet rags. Step 3: If plunger doesn't remove clog, consider using chemical drain opener. For drain that's completely blocked, however, it's best not to use chemicals, as they contain caustic agents that can actually harm some fixtures. Instead, use drain-and-trap auger. To use it, remove popup stopper or strainer from clogged drain and insert auger wire into opening. As you feed flexible wire in, crank handle of device, loosening and then tightening thumbscrew on handle as you advance wire. If wire encounters something, move it back and forth while you turn auger handle. Then continue to turn handle while slowly withdrawing auger. If the clog is not in the fixture's trap, insert a drain-and-trap auger into the drain extension that goes into the wall, and work the auger into the drainpipe. Step 4: If auger doesn't clear drain, remove clean-out plug from under sink, catching water from trap in bucket. You can use wire coat hanger with hook shape in one end to try to reach clog. If this fails, insert wire of drain-and-trap auger through clean out. Work wire toward basin and drainpipe to remove blockage. Step 5: If trap does not have clean out, remove trap. (The section How to Replace a Drain Trap provides complete instructions on how to remove and replace a drain trap.) With trap removed, clean it out with wire coat hanger and then with stiff brush and hot soapy water; replace trap. If clog wasn't in trap, insert drain-and-trap auger into drain extension that goes into wall and continue working auger down into drainpipe itself. You should be able to reach blockage, unless it's in section of main drain.

3 A clog near the tub's drain can be attacked from several places -- the overflow opening (as shown), the tub drain opening, or the drum trap. Start working at the tub drain. If you can't remove the obstruction there, move onto the overflow and then the drum trap. Step 6: If bathtub drain is clogged and plunger doesn't clear it, use drain-and-trap auger first through tub drain opening. If this doesn't work, remove overflow plate and insert auger directly into overflow pipe and down into drainpipe. How To Clear Floor Drains and Main Drainpipe Blockages For clogged floor drains, such as those in basements and showers, a garden hose can be effective in unclogging drains, especially if the clog is not close to the opening. Attach the hose to a faucet, feed the hose into the drain as far as it will go, and jam rags around the hose at the opening. Then turn the water on full force for a few moments. If you suspect a clog is in the main drainpipe, locate the main clean out. This is a Y-shape fitting near the bottom of your home's soil stack or where the drain leaves the building. Set a large pail or container under the clean out, and spread plenty of papers and rags around the site to soak up the backed-up water. Using a pipe wrench, slowly unscrew the clean-out plug counterclockwise, trying to control the flow of water that will seep from the clean out. Once the flow has stopped and you've cleaned up the flooded site, insert the auger to remove the debris. If you still haven't located the blockage, another place you can try is the house trap. This is a U-shape fitting installed underground. You can locate it by finding two adjacent clean-out plugs in the floor, if the main drain runs under the floor. Again, place papers and rags around the site before opening the clean out nearest to the sewer outside. If the clog is in the house trap or between the trap and the main clean out, you should be able to remove it. But if the

4 water starts to flow out of the trap as you unscrew it, check quickly beyond the house trap with an auger. If you can remove the clog rapidly, do so. Otherwise, replace the trap plug and call in a professional to do the job. A clog in the main drain can be reached from the main clean out, which is the Y-shape fitting near the bottom of your home's soil stack or where the drain leaves the building. There is one type of drain clog that will not respond satisfactorily to a plunger or an auger. This is when the main drain outside the building or a floor drain in the basement gets stopped up from tree roots that have grown in at the joints. The most effective solution in this case is a power auger or an electric rooter, which is inserted into the pipe and cuts away roots from the pipe walls as it moves along. You can rent a power auger at a home improvement or tool rental store. Feed the auger cable into the cleanout opening closest to the blockage. When the device's cutting head encounters roots, you should be able to feel the cable strain. Keep feeding the cable slowly until you feel a breakthrough, then go over the area once again.

5 The house trap is a U-shape fitting installed underground. You can locate it by finding two adjacent clean-out plugs in the basement floor. A blockage between the trap and the main clean out can be reached by removing the plug closest to the main clean out. Remove the cable slowly, and run water from a garden hose through the pipe to wash away the root cuttings. Before you return the power auger to the rental firm, replace the clean-out plug, and flush a toilet several times. When you're sure the drain is clear of tree roots, clean the cable.