What is that awful smell in your house?
Imagine coming home from vacation to be greeted by a sickening odour permeating your home. What could be causing it?
It’s possible that you have a blocked drain somewhere. While you were gone, all the nastiness just sat in there and rotted, filling your home with the delightful odour you’re currently enjoying.
What do you do? Read on for seven tips on how to unclog a drain.
Ways to Unclog a Drain
There is more than one way to unclog a drain. Of course, not every method will work, but here are a few tips to get you started.
Toilet Plunger
For bunches of toilet paper or even solid objects, a toilet plunger can be a good tool to use. Place the plunger over the drain and make sure to get a good seal.
Pull the plunger up and down a few times to create suction in the drain. This can be enough to dislodge the clump. Flush with water to clear away any remaining debris.
Natural Cleaners
Sometimes natural cleaners like baking soda mixed with vinegar can be enough to break up the clog. The fizzing action that occurs when you mix these ingredients can work to break up or dislodge the clump.
Caustic Cleaners
A stronger method is to dump caustic cleaners down the drain. These are specifically designed to break up drain clogs.
However, they aren’t particularly good for you or the environment, so use them with care.
DIY or Plumber’s Drain Snake
Drain snakes are an excellent tool for clearing out drains. You can either make one yourself from an old metal coat hanger or call a plumber who will have one in his bag of tricks.
Excavation
You may need a plumber to look at severe blockages. For example, tree roots outdoors can grow into the drain leading away from your house. No amount of baking soda or drain cleaner is going to fix that problem.
You’re going to need an experienced plumber to excavate around the broken pipe, remove the tree roots, and replace the damaged section.
CCTV
To find severe blockages like this, your plumber will often use a CCTV camera first. This is a device that basically looks like a drain snake with a camera on the end of it.
The plumber can insert this into the drain and keep going until they encounter the blockage.
Hydro Jet
Another useful tool that plumbers will have is a hydro jet. This machine blasts bursts of water into the pipe in an effort to break up or force the blockage through the pipe.
Enjoy a Sweet-Smelling Home Once More
Whether you encountered a stinky home when you came back from vacation or the kitchen sink got stopped up the other day, your home will not smell good as long as the blocked drain remains.
Get it clear by calling a plumber or using one of these DIY tips today!